Reflective Post

               I must admit that I still don’t get it, why run into a fire when your natural instinct is to run out of the building, away from danger?  Over these past eight weeks I’ve learned more about the different types of calls that firefighters run and the challenges that they face every day.

               Firefighters are amazing people.  Our career firefighters work hard answering dangerous calls to save lives and property while the volunteer firefighters do the same, but they give up time away from their family to help protect their communities.

               The thing that has really affected me the most while doing this blog, I can’t get over the fact that firefighters see a lot of pain, suffering, and death in the victims of accidents and fires that they try to save.  Firefighters see a lot of horror and tragedies throughout their careers.  Once they see the horrific images, whether it is a burnt victim or a mangled body, they can never get those images out of their minds. I wouldn’t be able to handle that.

               I’m not sure if some people are just born with these amazing qualities to help others, but whatever it is, I’m so thankful for them and what they do.  Without these people, who would answer the 911 calls to rush to help people that they don’t even know.  We need our firefighters, so the next time that you see one, thank them for all that they do.  You never know if you or someone you love will need the help of the fire department one day.

What drives a person to become a firefighter?

                                             

            I thought it would be fun and interesting to see what all the excitement was about so about four years ago I decided to take the Hazardous Materials Operations and Firefighter I and II courses.  It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, along with 184 hours of my free time, but I finished the training.  I have to be honest, I sucked at it.  The gear weighed around 85 pounds, it was bulky, and I was awkward in it.  It was fun to watch the excitement in the faces of my classmates because they had the bug, the fever, or whatever you call the drive to do this stuff every day.

I think firefighters are special people.  Let’s face it, not everyone has what it takes to become a firefighter.  It takes a unique combination of skills including physical stamina, emotional strength, incredible courage, and quick thinking (Orr, 2003). 

            It also requires a sense of morality and ethics (Orr, 2003).  Due to the nature of calls that firefighters run, they are always in homes and business where valuables are laying out in plain sight.  They include money, jewelry, and electronics.  We trust these individuals with our lives and our property.

            Firefighters are trained to deal with a variety of disasters.  They are trained to protect life and property and be willing to give their lives while doing it (Orr, 2003).  What makes someone choice this profession?  I admit that if I was faced with danger, my first instinct would be to run away to safety, but our firefighters don’t hesitate to answer the call of duty.

            I’ve asked multiple firefighters why they joined the fire department and here are some of the reasons I was given.

·         It is a way to help your fellow neighbor and have fun while doing it.

·         Loves the thrill, the excitement of riding the fire truck and hearing the sirens.

·         Joy of the job where you do something different every week because you never know what call you are going to run when the alarm goes off.

·         Helping others is a wonderful feeling and it is also rewarding

·         Helping others and your community

·         It was a big adrenaline rush, it’s dangerous and exciting, and you will never forget fighting your first fire.

Many of the firefighters seem to follow in their parents footsteps.  Quite a few of them spent a lot of time at the firehouse as a child, practically growing up there, while watching their dad work at the station.  For most kids your dad is your hero and you want to be just like him when you grow up.

Whatever their reasons why they became a volunteer or career firefighter, they are truly amazing people.  The desire to help others, whether they are getting paid to do it or they are doing it on their own free time, is an amazing gift you can give your fellow mankind.                                                     

Orr, T. (2003, November/December). Heroes of the flames: firefighters.  Career World.  Vol 32.  Issue 3, p14, 3p.  Retrieved October 30, 2012, from Academic Search Complete database.