Answering the call: Bailey Shepard’s firefighting dream comes true

Bailey Shepard vividly remembers the sense of belonging he felt the first time he put on a firefighter’s helmet. It was a weekend day, and his family was at the Berlin Mall. Out in the parking lot, the fire department had brought trucks and tankers for kids to see up close. Bailey eagerly slipped on a firefighter’s coat and helmet. “It felt amazing,” he recalled. “I still have a picture of that. I instantly knew that’s where I belonged.”

Many departments allow recruits as young as 16. “I joined the minute I could,” he said. Bailey showed up at the Wolcott Volunteer Fire Department, ready to work as a Junior Firefighter.

“Junior means you’re the gofer, getting things from the truck,” he explained. Bailey spent those first two years hauling equipment and learning the ropes before earning his spot as a Senior Firefighter. “Senior Firefighters are more involved in the scene. It could be anything from a smoke detector going off with nothing happening to an emergency response for a flood.”

Learning leadership

A few years before he was able to join the fire department, Bailey attended a SEEDS leadership retreat at Vermont State University Lyndon. Offered by VSAC, the SEEDS Training Leadership Program focuses on building skills like teamwork and resilience. It was through SEEDS that Bailey was motivated to keep building his abilities—and his confidence.  

“SEEDS training inspired me quite a bit,” Bailey said. “A lot of leadership is needed in firefighting and EMS work. In EMS you’re the one in charge of a patient. That program helped me build more leadership skills.”

Bailey’s VSAC outreach program counselors, Michelle Legere and Lindsay Carpenter, worked with him through high school, helping him plan for a possible pathway to college. For a while Bailey thought he might go into music education—he played trombone and several other instruments—but eventually his passion for emergency response took over. While in high school, he also completed construction technology training at Green Mountain Technology & Career Center, earning certifications and credits that gave him options after graduation.  

“He is such a helper,” noted Michelle. “He’s been a devoted volunteer and community member from day one. I remember these business cards he made, advertising Bailey’s Helping Service. It really speaks to who he is, this great person who is always there and always helping others.”  

Flood response, a defining moment

In July 2023 (as with many of his fellow first responders) Bailey found himself swimming through floodwater, checking on stranded vehicles. The night started with a call about a tree on a powerline and escalated as the storms overwhelmed local rivers. “You never know what’s coming,” Bailey said. “The whole night, we must have had twelve or more calls… that’s a lot for a volunteer department.”

In one case, a propane tank floated downriver, propelled near a home by the raging waters. Bailey suited up in full gear with a self-contained breathing apparatus to make sure the scene was safe.

That December, there was another flood in Wolcott. Bailey and another firefighter swam through the Lamoille River to reach a car stuck on Elmore Pond Road. “Someone came to the fire station saying there was a car flagging people down for help. We responded. I went in with someone else—we had to swim through the water to go rescue them.”

The floods were a landmark moment for Bailey and stand out to this day as his “why”: it’s the response work that resonates most with him and fuels his passion. Each call brings a different challenge; “You never know if it’s a stubbed toe or a house fully on fire,” he says.  

Answering the call

Three and a half years into firefighting, Bailey earned his EMT license and added ambulance calls to his schedule. “I knew I wanted that,” he says. After a free EMT class, he joined Hardwick Rescue, where he’s now volunteered for almost two years. He also serves with Woodbury Fire & Rescue, which covers both fire and EMS.

All of this work is carried out by volunteers. “Radios and pagers are always on me. Phone too. For Hardwick Rescue I have shifts. Woodbury I’m always on call,” Bailey said. “But we’re volunteers, and some days we don’t have coverage, and the call goes to a different department, further away. We’re always recruiting more people. We need them.”

On top of his two volunteer roles, Bailey works full time as crew at Smugglers’ Notch Resort, doing maintenance and a variety of support tasks.

Looking ahead

Today, Bailey’s goal is clear: he hopes to turn his volunteer service into a full-time career as a firefighter and EMT. “I’d love to do it full time. I’m just waiting for one to open up somewhere,” he says.

Through it all, he credits the support and leadership development he received from his VSAC Outreach Counselors and the SEEDS program. “A big part of the job is taking charge in emergency response situations. I use those leadership skills I built with VSAC almost every day,” he shared.

And even after long nights and unpredictable calls, Bailey still finds his greatest joy in sharing the excitement with kids. “It’s the best feeling in the world,” he said. “Showing a kid around a fire truck, in the back of an ambulance, putting the helmet on them. Their smiles are so big. If you have tough days, that’s what you have to go do.” It’s a full-circle moment for Bailey, whose own path began with that same early encounter.