You are in the fire house and the alarm goes off. Your heart begins to race and your pulse rises. Is it a house fire, an automobile accident, or could it be an EMS call? You jump up and race to the fire engine and begin preparing yourself for what unknown obstacles await at the call.
What drives these individuals to become a firefighter? Why would a person willingly run into a burning building when our natural instinct is to run out?
I work for the Department of Fire Programs, a Virginia State agency that provides training to members of VA’s Fire Service. We provide training for all career and volunteer firefighters across the commonwealth. It has been amazing to see the drive and determination of Virginia’s career and volunteer fire personnel.
They are willing to risk their lives daily to help protect us, those they have never met or will likely never see again. Are you willing to put your life on the line for a stranger?
Do members of the fire service posses an altruistic quality that the rest of us do not? Over the next eight weeks I will explore and hopefully learn what drives these individuals to become our heroes and how they deal with the demands of their jobs.
