This is not a single post, encapsulating the story in its entirety. Rather, this is the first of many such posts to come. Today I will give you a short history of my journey into the fire service. In the coming weeks, I will describe fire school and its adventures as I encounter them. If all goes well, this story - the one that ends with my becoming a full-fledged firefighter - will conclude in February 2016.
The Dream
At age three, I announced to my Mom that I was going to be a fireman when I grew up. She smiled and said "they are called fireMEN for a reason." I remember being disappointed by the response, but not dissuaded. While growing up, I dreamed up MANY careers I wanted to pursue, but whenever I went with Mom to vote at the nearby fire station or on Christmas Eve when "Santa" would ride all over town on one of the Engines, shouting ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas! I would look at the red gleaming apparatus and think, "I would love to be a firefighter."
The Reality
The years went by and I left for college. For the first time, I considered the viability of volunteering at the local fire dept. Overwhelmed with my studies and the responsibilities of being an RA on campus, I quickly dismissed the idea. After graduation, I moved to a new town and was preoccupied with the career I had chosen (or that had chosen me - that is a story for another day). Several years had passed by the time I heard an advertisement calling for volunteers to join the local fire dept. It got me thinking about it again, but I knew the timing wasn't right as I was planning for my second deployment. When I arrived back in the states, I heard another ad calling for volunteer firefighters, but I was living in a hotel and prepping for deployment number three. After that, I got married, moved a couple of times, and finally arrived at a stable point in my life (the most stable since I left home for college). My husband and I actually bought a house and I felt anchored to a place for the first time in my adult life. Within the week, I began googling volunteer fire departments in my county. I quickly learned there was one right down the street from our little townhouse. It took me several months to actually attend the information session they hold once a month, but when I did I went with completed paperwork in hand. I had decided I was going to do this.
The Process
I went to the County Sheriff's Office to get fingerprinted and then the waiting game began. I had no idea the process would be so slow (I realize it is different for every dept. and for each individual within those depts., but this was my experience). I waited from Halloween to New Year's before I heard anything back. I was accepted into the Company as a probationary member in January 2015. In February, I attended orientation classes. In March I took the required physical exam and was assigned to a crew. And that is when the fun started!
Now (The Probationary Period)
I have been with my crew for six months now. As a probationary firefighter, I play a supporting role, carrying tools, pulling hose, laying out traffic cones or flares - pretty much anything I can do to help the firefighters so that they can focus on the emergency at hand. I sleep at the firehouse one night per week, and wait for the calls to come in. Most nights are pretty quiet, but when the calls come in, the energy kicks into high gear. officers and the other firefighters have been teaching me everything I need to know to get through fire school.
Well, more on that at a future time. That is all for now. Till next time...
