It’s a love that began as a member of the Bemus Point Volunteer Fire Department. Now, Brodell has completed his medical residency and is in fellowship for orthopedic surgery.

Dr. James Brodell attended Colgate University for his undergraduate degree, during which time he was a member of the Hamilton Fire Department through a school program that saw a handful of students joining as volunteers.

Students go through training and serve alongside local members of the department for their full four years, something Brodell’s brother Andrew Brodell would come to do as well two years later. According to Brodell, this was an influential moment in sparking his love of providing medical assistance.

While having been born in Ohio and completing large portions of his education in Rochester, Brodell’s family owned a home in Bemus Point where they would spend a majority of the summers as well as some time in the winter.

Dr. James Brodell, Orthopedic Surgeon

“Bemus feels like home to a major extent because it’s kind of been the constant in my life, you know, everywhere I moved, we always had the place in Bemus,” Brodell said about the importance the area held to him.

It was during his time in Bemus Point that Brodell and his brother approached the village fire department to inquire about involving themselves while they were in the area. Brodell and his brother learned that the department already had seasonal members due to increased calls in the summer months, meaning the department was happy to take the brothers on. The flexible scheduling, as noted by Brodell, is important to getting more people involved in volunteering, as it makes volunteering a possibility for those with less lenient schedules. Such a love of providing assistance lead to heavier involvement within the Bemus Point departments from nearly the whole family, with Brodell’s mother Ann Brodell going on to serve as the EMS captain for the village and brother Andrew Brodell going on to serve as an assistant chief for the village before becoming the Director of Emergency Operations in Livingston County.

Brodell also spoke on navigating the challenges faced during medical school and residency, with a network of support having helped him to continue. Brodell described leaning on family for support since many of his family are members of the medical field themselves. He also gave credit to fire departments for their support along the way. Brodell said that while in Rochester attending medical school, the Brighton Fire Department took every measure possible to encourage the continuation of his educational journey. Brodell also stated that he received constant support from the friends he made at various fire departments he was involved in.

“I think everyone has the ability to join their volunteer fire department and find a way for them to be useful, whether that’s firefighting, EMS, the administrative side of things, even just keeping up the station and keeping up the trucks,” Brodell said.

For its part, Bemus Point Volunteer Fire Department officials showed their appreciation for Brodell, tool

“Our member spotlight is to look at James (Jimmy) Brodell, who has completed his residency in orthopedic surgery,” the fire department said in a Facebook post over the summer. “James Brodell demonstrates how individuals, even while pursuing demanding medical careers like orthopedic surgery, can also actively contribute to their communities through organizations like volunteer fire departments. James Brodell is a great asset to our department and community.”