Name:  Brent McNabb

Age:  51

Hometown:  Lower Macungie Township

Family:  Brent and his wife, Cindy, have been married 31 years and have two children — a son, Gabe, and a daughter, Allison. They also have a grandson.

Occupation:  Brent is the owner of McNabb’s Service and Repair on Hamilton Boulevard, which was started by his father, Allen, in 1958.

Fire Company:  He has been a member of the Lower Macungie Fire Department for 35 years. He is also one of the original junior firemen of the department, starting at the age of 16.

Training:  “I am trained in firefighter 1 and 2, officer 1 and 2, instructor 1, rescue, first responder, hazmat, and many more.  I went to Texas to be certified in flammable liquids fire and am also a certified fire inspector.”

Describe your job with the fire company.  “I am the assistant chief of the company.  Basically, I take care of the Wescosville Station on Brookside Road. I purchase all firefighter apparatus that is needed. I also do pre-fire planning for commercial buildings in the township.”

How do your loved ones feel about you putting your life in danger?  “They are fine with it. My wife is involved with the ladies’ group.  My dad was the fire chief here at one time.  He was involved with the department for over 50 years, but has retired. I have been chasing fire trucks since I was a baby.

“And as my son says, 'Behind a strong fireman, there is always a strong woman to support him.' ”

Tell us a story you'll never forget about your firefighting experience.  “The most memorable one for me was the Dries [Dries Building Supply] fire.  It was on Valentine’s Day in the late 1980s.  I told my wife that we’d be back in about 20 minutes — that it was [probably] just an automatic alarm that went off for some reason. I went home about 24 hours later after the place burned to the ground.”

What would you tell people interested in joining your fire company?  “It takes a lot of time, including training and the commitment involved.  As you spend more time with the department, it will grow on you.  We are a close-knit group here and often get together with each other’s families to do things.”

Do you know a volunteer firefighter who Patch should profile? Contact mariella.savidge@patch.com