Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.

The tone goes off at 2 in the morning he is on his way to a wreck with entrapment.
__________________________

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.

Hes been awake for three days working at four different stations running calls all day and night and doesn't get to shower.
__________________________

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.

He gets burned or trapped inside, or while cutting someone out of a car something flys off the car and injures him, or car explodes, he gets called to a medical call where someone was shot..is that person still around!!!
__________________________

You meet up with your friends at the camp and get drunk!

He responds to the unconsious people and the grass fire you started.
__________________________

You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket.

He kisses the maltese cross around his neck and says a prayer before he goes in the burning building.
__________________________

You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you.

He prays that his buddy next to him comes out alive and they watch out for each other...for they know the value of a true friend and are brothers and sisters for life.
__________________________

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.

He crawls around a pitch black, totally involved house searching for the old lady and her grandchild that didn't make it out.
__________________________

You complain about how hot it is.

He wears his heavy gear, not taking it off in the 900 degree heat and flames for he appreciates the heat and learns to deal with it.
__________________________

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.

All he got was a MRE from a rehab truck because he only has a 10 minute break before he has to go back out and try to stop the three hundred acre grass fire from reaching any houses.
__________________________

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.

He wears the same things for days, but makes sure his trucks, gear, and equipment are clean.
__________________________

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.

He didn't have time to take a shower or brush his teeth this morning because they got a four alarm fire.
__________________________

You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night.

He goes sometimes weeks not going home or seeing the ones he loves.
__________________________

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.

HE LOOKS AT THE PICTURE HE KEEPS IN HIS WALLET OR GEAR AND KISSES IT AND SAYS BABY I PROMISE I'M COMING HOME SOON AND IF I DON'T, I LOVE YOU AND I JUST HOPE I DID EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE YOU HAPPY.
__________________________

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

He sits on the curb and his buddies kneel down and cry and say a prayer for the child that didnt make it.
__________________________

You criticize your local firestation because they got behind you andwere holding down the airhorn trying to get you to get out of the way

He prays even if you dont move out of the way that they can make it in time to save the people inside and maybe even the house.
__________________________

You hear firefighters joke around and say they are nothing but a bunch of jackasses

He hears the tone and they are ready in a moments notice, its all fun when its just him and his buddies at the station playing around, once that tone goes off its all work and no play.
__________________________

You hear on the news some firefighters were laughing at a wreck and think assholes

He sees the only way to try not to cry out in front of everyone because someone didn't make it was to tell a joke about one of his buddies.
__________________________


You stay at home and watch tv.

He takes whatever time he is given to clean, eat, fix something at the station, cook, wash firetrucks, and then relaxes for 20 minutes and has to go assist a medic unit with a collapse patient.
__________________________

You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable.

He crawls into a single person bed with a stiff pillow and just a sheet at 4 in the morning to try and sleep until 6 before he has to go to his next shift at one of the other stations.
__________________________

You sit there and judge him, saying he is stupid for running into a burning building.

If only there were more men and women like him.