Why am I a firefighter?
Why am I a firefighter? A question that isn’t really easy to answer, probably for everyone. For me it wasn’t something I always wanted to do, the urge to do it came later, after high school. Why am I a firefighter? I guess the reason deep down is that I like helping people. I started as a volunteer when I was much younger that I am now, I loved the adrenaline rush of a fire, or a rescue. That is what kept me coming back. I guess I chose it as a career because I liked the aspect of the job that each day is different, you never know what the day is going to bring.
Why am I a firefighter? At the age I am at know it is many reason, each personal and different than when I started. I love being a firefighter. Like a lot of people I love cool looking firefighter shirts and collecting firefighter things. I have several firefighter antiques and have recently started collecting firefighter coins and fire rescue coins. Why are you a firefighter? We’ll I’m sure that is an answer that is as individual as each person pulling up their bunkers. Being a firefighter isn’t about how cool of a firefighter shirt you have or how many firefighter coins are on your shelf, it is much more. It gets inside you, it becomes who you are.
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New York, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2001) — Retired Fire Chief Joseph Curry barks orders to rescue teams as they clear through debris that was once the World Trade Center. U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres. (RELEASED)
I have more years behind me than in front in terms of my career, I look forward to retirement but I’ll never not be a firefighter. Yea, I’ll always have the firefighter shirts and firefighter coins but it is what people can’t see in each of us that makes us a firefighter. The unseen scares of the things we have seen and shared with one another. Both good and bad.
Why am I a firefighter? At this point in my life I guess the easiest answer is, I love it. I’m sure that each of you reading this have a different answer depending on what stage of your life and career you are in, paid or volunteer. But deep down I believe we share the same single answer, we love it.
Be safe, everyone goes home.
Until next time,
Captain K