Firefighter Sam Moran

On weekdays, you’ll find Sam Moran teaching technology education and coaching track & field at Manalapan High School. However, any spare time she gets, you can trust she’s giving every ounce of dedication to volunteering at the Gordons Corner Fire Company.

2025 will mark Sam’s fifth year at the Manalapan firehouse– a place that she says she wishes she had stumbled across years sooner. Sam comes from a long line of first responders, with her Brooklyn-born family having worked with the NYPD and  FDNY for decades. However, it wasn’t until Sam met with a couple of her students’ parents involved with the Gordons Corner Fire Company that she finally took advantage of the opportunity for herself.

Standing proudly at around 50 active volunteers, the Gordons Corner Fire Company interacts like one massive family. Sam perceives some of the older chiefs as trusted father figures, while the younger recruits – including a few of her past students – are cherished like little brothers. You’ll often find them joking around and making light of their days when they can, but when duty calls, everyone snaps right into action. If one firefighter can’t take an emergency call, all the rest are waiting in the wings to step in, whether day or night. Sam says that her fellow firefighters are the types of people to give you the shirts off their own backs in times of trouble, and in her eyes, that is one of the most admirable qualities in a friend.

While it may be hard to imagine due to the dangers and high stakes involved, Sam claims that firefighting can actually act as an emotional outlet for her and the team, oftentimes relieving stress in a way that most people would not expect. In the times that there are no jobs to attend to, the volunteers train together in-house to keep up their stamina. Sometimes, these drills can act as bonding exercises, too, like playing a game of hockey with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs to practice conserving breathing. In all the activities they take part in to develop essential skills, Sam speaks fondly on the way the team will “pick on each other” and “show tough love”, all the while, making real steps towards being prepared for the next fire to come.

2024 was an especially strong year for the Gordons Corner Fire Company; not once did they need to call in mutual aid from surrounding municipalities, which was a true testament to how steadfast the team worked together to stop each fire in its tracks before it had the chance to get out of hand. Other than fighting fires themselves, the fire company tackled gas leaks and motor vehicle accidents with the utmost urgency and determination, saving countless lives and preventing the escalation of highly perilous situations.

Moving forward into the new year, the Gordons Corner Fire Company plans to continue its efforts with community involvement, whether it takes the form of standing by during firework shows to keep townspeople safe, hosting an annual Feast of San Gennaro fundraiser, or visiting elementary schools to educate young minds on fire safety.

If you were to ask Sam what she hopes for most coming into the new year, she would emphasize her passion for enlisting more volunteers at the firehouse. While it certainly requires ample time and commitment, Sam reminds us how incredibly rewarding it can be to be there for people on their worst days in a manner that no one else can help them. Getting involved as a firefighter will make you more grateful for what you have than you ever were before, and to Sam, that’s more than enough reason to give it a try.