I geuss I'm writing this because I've had so many of my co-workers as me why I decided to become a volunteer firefighter and I just feel the need to vent a little.I'm sure other members of the site have written similar blogs but its just that I'ld like to get this off my chest.
I have been asked did I join for the money.Thats a good one,a kid working at a fast food resturant makes more an hour than I do when I'm on a call and they arent having to deal with a quarter of the things that I might have to when on a call.My dept is a paid on call volunteer department,so I geuss I'm luckier than some of the other volunteers on that point.My answer to that question is always NO.
I have also been asked if I joined because I wanted to be a hero.That one always give me a chuckle before I again answer,NO.
There have also been the silly ignorant questions to numerous to mention or remember,along with the comment that all you guys do is sit around and drink and goof off.Boy would I love to get the people who make the silly ignorant questions and comments do a nite of training with us some time or have them get woken up in the middle of the nite in December for a call knowing full well its going to freezing cold out and you are leaving a nice warm house and bed to go help some one you might not know or ever see again.
My reasons for joining are I wanted to give back to the town where I grew up and now where my kids are growing up.I also had a feeling that there was something missing in my life,once I joined that feeling went away.Yes Iknow that might sound silly or even a little nuts,but if you know me then you know its normal,,lol at least for me that is.
I didnt join to be a hero or because the pay and the hours are so good.Though one day after school my oldest got into my truck and looked at me and told me I was a hero,I looked at her and asked her why I was a hero.Her reply was that I was a hero because I helped people out when they were in all sorts of trouble because they had an accident or there house was on fire and I went to help them,so maybe to her I'm a hero but to me I'm just doing what I was trained to do.
The reasons that I joined are like many others have said in their profiles,I want to give back to my community.I have the good fortune to be a member of the fire dept. of the town where I was raised and where my wife and I are now raising our girls.Before I joined there ws a feeling inside of me that something was missing in my life,when I became a member of my department that feeling disappeared from inside of me.I know that may sound weird to some of you,but others may know what I'm refering to.Besides for those of you who know me you'll already know I'm a little weird to begin with so for me I geuss that it's normal,,lol.
Forgive me if I rambled and wandered while writing this its just that I'm not used to putting things down in words more of a just say it and get it over with type of person and dont worry about getting it down for anyone to read or worry about.
So thank you for taking the time to read this and putting up with my poor typing an grammar.