Let’s start of by acknowledging that inner child in all of us that wanted to be a policeman or fireman when we were little. That is exactly what the Kids Firefighter blog is. It is a blog by a child that absolutely loves everything having to do with fire service or firemen.

I really liked this blog from the first time I visited, and have gone back many times to see what 5 year old Mathew was up to. Now obviously Mathew gets help writing his blog, but hey, the thought is there and I think that a blog for kids is an awesome idea.

Examples of some things written in Mathew’s blog are a Donald Duck Fireman Video, which really is fun to watch as an adult too, and Fire truck pictures. The Kid’s Fire Fighter blog even takes the time to publish reminders of upcoming events and fire recognitions. As a parent, I really respect the parent/s of this young blogger, and I wish more families would be this involved in what their kids do and view on the net. Kudos!

Up next, we get a bit more serious with The Average Jake Firefighter blog. Though this blog is not a very “old” blog, I like to read the updates because the writer incorporates a lot of fire fighting and training tips. He also adds in a few fire fighting related product reviews and even a few personal opinions. As long as this blogger can keep finding things to post about, I believe he will be a great resource and interesting read.

And now, we get into a bit more “hard core” fire fighting blogs. The Kitchen Table takes business serious, and it is one of those blogs that you could lose a lot of time in and before you know it, you have been there for hours. Put together by several writers, this blog has pretty much everything you could want. From tactical information, to standards and regulations, to articles of inspiration, I think anyone interested in fire service would like this blog.

Anyone that reads the blog here at publicsafetydegrees.com, should also know how much I appreciate good stories and accounts of real life incidents. In fact, I think I would have to say that personal blogs are my favorite, especially if I can read and identify with the story being told. So, blogs like Into the Fire are definitely blogs I frequent a lot. Although there are posts extending back a few years, I actually wish there were more. There are stories about electrical fires and even a post about a fellow firefighter death. Blogs like this actually inspire me to keep on writing my own stories.

I saved my favorite for last. The Fire Critic is my favorite fire related blog, and I know I am not alone in this thinking. The Fire Critic’s blog is way too in-depth for me to just single out a couple of posts, and say, this is what the blog is about. The blog covers everything, and I really mean everything. However, a couple posts that ring out in my mind are a topic about tunnel vision, which we can all associate with. The top ten lists, featuring this firefighter dance video, and some very personal topics covering fallen fire fighters, memorials, and even discussions about aging, in the Line of Duty category. The Fire Critic is a “must read” for anyone seriously interested in fire/ems, and I highly recommend it.

So, those are some of my favorites. I could only hope to put out the quality of content that many of you do. I do try, but I must also give recognition to those that inspire me, such as the ones I have mentioned here. Keep up the good work fellas!

Dave, tell us a little about growing up as the child of a firefighter.

Well, for as long as I can remember, my father was in the fire service. My childhood was full of memories of watching my dad hurry out the door to respond to a call, the feeling of pride I had for what he was doing. I can remember at grade school age, I was excited to go to school the next day and brag about how my dad had gone to put out a fire or help someone in a car wreck. Any time there was something on the news, the kids at school would catch me as soon as I arrived to find out if my dad had gone. The funny thing was, it really didn’t even matter if the incident was even nearby, they just thought that if there was something on the news, my dad was there.

I also remember having so much fun at all of the fire house functions. Most of the others on the department were like uncles to me. It was like going to a big family reunion every time, and I really enjoyed them. Things like pancake breakfasts, car washes, fish fries, and food drives, were all so much fun and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to help out and be “a grownup”.

That sounds awesome Dave. Was your mom also involved, or was it more of “a guy thing”?

Yes, my mom was involved. All of the wives and girlfriends were, and we were all like a big family. I would spend nights at the homes of other fireman, and play with their kids, and some of them were my best friends growing up. All of us kids shared much the same strong bond as the adults in the department. It was just a really tight knit group of people that would do anything for each other, and anyone for that matter.

When were you finally able to start being a fireman?

Well, officially I could not respond on calls and things until I was 18. But, as a young teenager, I started to actively participate in things around the department. I would go in on cleanup days and help out by washing trucks and cleaning gear. I would even help out in the office a bit. My mom was secretary for a while and when she would go in to do mailings, I would go in and help her sort letters and things. As soon as I turned 18, I was ready to go though. I wanted to be able to hop on one of those trucks so bad, I couldn’t wait. Plus, I already knew how to operate almost everything.

I guess that growing up and being so active around the fire house, you would learn a lot. Did that help you when you were finally an official fireman?

Oh my yes. By the time I was old enough to be considered a fireman, I was pretty darn familiar with almost every piece of equipment. I knew how to operate the engines and pumps. I had already even driven a few of the trucks. Not very far, and most times just things like backing them into the garage bay and stuff.

I would say that by growing up around the department, like I did, it really made me a much better fireman. By the time I was 18, I already felt like one of the senior guys there, and most of them had already come to respect me as a fireman. It was actually quite an honor for me when the guys would even pull practical jokes on me.

Practical jokes? Is this normal, and what types of jokes?

Oh, it’s normal. In fact, in our department, it is a good sign they like you when they prank you. It is sort of an initiation, you might say. It’s all in fun of course, and nobody is ever hurt. It’s just good old fashioned horse play during down time, and it really helps to make the job more enjoyable by taking some stress away.

Most of the practical jokes around our station were just little things. You know, like filling someone’s boots with water, or freezing their gloves in a block of ice. I remember one guy even had a basket of fish left in his car for a couple of days. I will neither confirm nor deny if I was involved in that incident.

How do you think being a fireman has made you into who you are today?

Well, I truly think that by growing up in such a family atmosphere as I did, it made me cherish times like those. It also makes me feel like I am part of something important. I wake up every day proud of whom I am, and I know there are a lot of people out there that cannot say that. I really and truly love what I do, and I would not trade my time with the guys at the department for anything in the world, besides my own family.

Is there a reason why you have not decided to become a full time fireman?

Yes, there are a couple of reasons. I have some very close friends that are full timers, and although they share many of the same memories and feelings as I do, they will also admit that there is a small something lost in a full time department. A full time department is very political sometimes, and because there are several shifts, many of the guys will often bicker among guys on other shifts and such. It is all too much like a real job to me, and I really enjoy the feeling I have when I go into my station and see all my fellow fireman. I just fear losing some of that by moving to a paid, or full time, department.

Also, my current full time job is in a factory. Granted, it is not what I would prefer to be doing, but it is what pays my bills. I just really enjoy being a volunteer for my community, and as long as I can work a job that pays my bills, and still be able to be a fireman for my community, that’s what I’m going to do.

What type of training do you have, and do you plan to keep doing more training? If you don’t plan to become a full time fireman, would you still invest in the training?

I currently am trained in firefighting, but I am also a Hazmat Technician, I hold a First Responder certification, and CPR certification. I have also had training in some areas, like dealing with meth labs, and explosives.

I would love to go to school and get my associates degree in fire science. Along with that, I would like to do more training in things like terrorism. In this day and age, you just never know what could happen. I live and serve a rural area, but with a very large city only 50 miles away, it would not at all be unrealistic for me to have to someday respond there. Look what happened in New York. They had to call in people from departments in other states to help.

Dave, what would you have to say that you are most proud of in your career?

I have lots of reasons to be proud. However, if I had to give an idea, it would just be that I am proud of what being a firefighter has made me. I am proud of how I grew up, and the man I have become. Even more so, I have 2 young boys, and knowing that they will get to experience the same things I did, makes me so very proud. I guess to sum it up, I am proud that by being a volunteer firefighter, I have the chance to do good things in life, and carry on the same moral and traditional values that my father and grandfather did. The fires today may be bigger and caused by different means, but the job is just as dangerous as it was back then and things around station are virtually still the same.

What is one of the fondest memories you have of either growing up at the department or being a firefighter?

My fondest memory would have to be when I was about 20 years old. My dad and I were both working a very large fire at an apartment building. When we got there, the fire had pretty much taken over half of the building. There were still a couple of residents inside. They were elderly and could not get out on their own. We managed to get everyone out, get the fire put out, and not a single person was hurt. The fond memory comes from getting back to station after the run. We got everything cleaned back up and as we were all sitting around telling our tales of the run, I just remember the feeling I had. It was such a good feeling in the air, and you could just tell that every person there was feeling it. It was a feeling that we had just done our job and did it well. We saved lives that day and we knew that we had made a difference. It was just such an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, and you could see it on the face of everyone involved. I remember wishing that I was back in grade school, just so I could run in the next morning and tell all my friends what I had seen and done.

Dave, thanks for doing this interview. I think it really sheds a bit of light on what it is like to grow up around a volunteer fire department, and what it is like to be a volunteer fireman. Again, I applaud what you do, and mostly, I am thankful just to have met a person like you.

I'm gonna eat ya!!

One of the many jobs our small 16 man municipal fire department was to do maintenance on all 138 hydrants in our district. This included greasing,sanding,tagging and painting each hydrant with a high gloss oil based red paint. After doing this most of the day we would all come back to the station, clean the equipment, and throw the empty paint cans in a dumpster.

At night the person who had the watch was required to take the garbage out, the way was poorly lit and one had to be careful not to become injured. On this particular night a raccoon had been rooting around in the dumpster and had stuck his head down inside a paint can. When the watchman had thrown the garbage into the dumpster it must have startled the coon. The coon began hissing and growling while it became airborne, I was told it’s entire face was red, even by moonlight the color was easy to discern. The rest of us were about 30 yards away and on the second floor of the department when we heard a shrill scream made by the watchman. We all ran outdoors to see what the commotion was and was able to catch a glimpse of the red faced coon. After learning what had happened I laughed so hard my jaws began to hurt. Once in a lifetime.