Faces of the Valley: Leechburg man makes history with volunteer fire service

Paul Wright has been a volunteer firefighter with the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company for 34 years.

Involved since he was14, Wright views his service as a way of helping his community.

“When I was a kid, my preacher always asked us what we would do to make a difference,” he said.

While Wright was inspired to join the department by his friends and to do something different than his sports-inclined brothers, he unwittingly made history in Leechburg.

Wright began his volunteer career on March 8, 1990. In July, he was informed by the Leechburg Area Museum and Historical Society that he was the first Black firefighter to serve Leechburg.

“I was shocked at first,” Wright said. “I said, ‘Wait a minute.’ It’s a great honor to have.”

He said museum board member Judy Wright (no relation) was the one who informed him of his milestone position.

“It was a nice thing to hear and a nice thing to happen,” Paul Wright said.

Leechburg Museum board President Larry Boehm said they began researching the fire department after Paul Wright told the board he suspected he was the first Black firefigher in the borough. In an effort to confirm his story, Judy Wright and Boehm tracked records dating to the 1950s.

“We weren’t able to find anything to the contrary,” Boehm said.

With Leechburg’s population sitting just above 2,000 people, Boehm said the population of Black people is generally about 2%.

“We have a lot of really great people within that 2% who have made huge contributions to the town, and Paul is one of them,” Boehm said.

Despite more than 30 years of service, one thing at the fire department that never gets old to Wright is when they visit the schools to teach fire awareness.

“I love getting to see the kids and see the smiles on their faces,” he said. “They always cheer whenever we take the teachers up in the towers. It’s always fun.”

Wright splits his time between volunteering for the department and working at Giant Eagle in Allegheny Towne Center. He also enjoys hunting and fishing.

Wright said he is thankful for the brotherhood he found in the department, adding that he grew up with some of the people he has served with.

“We’re all a big family,” Wright said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from. We’re all brothers and sisters.”