FIREHOUSE ROAD

Brian Soller 

Rock Hill Fire Department
Years of service: 33

Occupation: Sales manager, plumbing and heating wholesaler

 

As a younger man, at his first real job, Brian Soller was surrounded by volunteers from fire departments across Sullivan County. His place of employment, a plumbing supply company, is a staunch supporter of the fire service, and if someone’s pager went off during the work day, they were encouraged to respond.

 

So off they’d rush, just putting in a regular day at work one minute, then fighting fires and saving lives the next. 

 

Soller was transfixed and he was inspired, and he knew he needed to join them.

 

That was 1990, and since then Soller has served as chief of his department and a mentor to many, working to instill professionalism across the volunteer ranks despite the absence of a paycheck. He gives the same advice to every probie and experienced firefighter he encounters:

 

“Keep an open mind, a positive attitude, and be a sponge,” says Soller. “Absorb as much as you can.”