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My first assignment in my Fire Officer class was to write an essay on why I want to be a fire officer. I started the essay off by saying “I honestly don’t want to be a fire officer, at least not at this specific point in time.”
The only feedback I got? “good job”
2 alarm apartment fire and a vehicle collision with one trapped requiring extrication: it was way too hot and humid yesterday to run that combo of calls, but also kind of amazing. I’m exhausted and sore in all the right places and reminded so clearly of the fact that I’m weak AF and need to build more muscle to be a better firefighter and squad tech
What's it like being a volunteer firefighter?
This is my favorite type of question to get because this is my favorite part of my life. It’s a little bit like having a secret identity, except it takes up so much of your time that it’s not really a secret.
I get to do things that I’d never get to. I drive ambulances and rescue squads, I (safely) break traffic laws, I get to acutely take care of people and make decisions about their medical care (and I have since I was 18!), I get to cut up cars and go into burning buildings, and I’m truly essential. Even if nothing happens while I’m on duty, the fact that I’m there means that I’m helping out my community. Screwing around on the internet doesn’t feel like a waste of time because if the tones go off, I’ll drop everything and respond to that call. It also keeps me humble. My crew knows what my day job is, but my patients don’t, the nurses at the hospital don’t, people at other stations might not, and it doesn’t matter. How good I am at prescribing SSRIs and diagnosing DSM5 disorders doesn’t matter. It’s all about getting covered in hydraulic fluid and diesel grease and figuring out how a generator or a torch works. I get schooled routinely by people with way less education than me. My body is as much a tool as my brain is there, so it motivates me to do the things that I need to do to keep my body-tool in working shape.
It’s a lot of work. The initial training takes a lot of time. And there’s always something new to learn or more to train on. And then it becomes a family and kind of like a drug. I’ve burnt myself out more times than I can count by working 4, 5, 6 days a week on top of going to school or my paying job because I love it so much, so I pull back for a while and only work minimum hours and then slowly I start to increase my hours again. It’s stressful–the calls we run and the things we see, but also the pressure to make sure that the units are covered and we have enough staffing to cover the calls and make sure we’re able to provide the service that we promised the community we would. At this point, I can’t really imagine my life without it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Yesterday I was cleared to go back to 100% full, unrestricted staffing at the squad, which is the best and most motivating news I ever could have heard. We didn’t catch anything spectacular overnight and I spent half the shift on the ambo because of staffing issues, but it felt so good to be back and know I could do anything.
Today, C is getting picked up by his forever family and going home with them. I hope everything goes well, and I’m really looking forward to Chester not having to share his space all of the time, because they were starting to bicker more.
Tomorrow, a potential adoptive family is coming over to meet B and see if they want to bring him home and make him part of their family. He’s adorable and has such a great personality that I’m sure he’ll also win them over without much effort.
Hard to believe its been 10 years since I was first voted in as a member of my local volunteer fire department. The experience has changed me more than I ever could have imagined and has had a huge impact on my life. Here’s to officially vesting my volunteer pension (not a joke) and coming on board as a life member of the department--they’re stuck with me forever now! 😛
hello, 911? yes i would like to report a fire .. on my pantys, yes. my pantys are on fire.
Firefighter Charm Bracelet - Swarovski Crystal Charm Bracelet - 7.5" - BRC084
It may just be the firefighter in you, but even after all this time, you can still make me feel so safe. It sucks that losing Julie is what brought us back to each other though.
