What we do...

So you want to be a firefighter?  Really?  Did you know you have to be certified to do that?  You don't just show up at the fire station and the next day you are a fireman.  Nope, doesn't work that way.  For me, Firefighter I stretched out over almost 9 months.  ,It takes dedication, a lot of sweat, and a serious time commitment.  And I think that is where the problem lies when it comes to recruitment of new people.  People just expect that their town will have a fire department and when they call 911, first responders will miraculously appear.  Isn't that what happens?  In a mixed department like ours, you will be getting people from all over town, from all different backgrounds.  Many of us have fulltime jobs in something other than fire, but we also give back to our community in ways the average town resident doesn't and never will.  Just something to think about when you head to town elections or a town meeting because what you vote on effects everyone for good or bad.

I was lucky enough to join our department just a few months after we moved into our home.  I wanted to feel connected to my community and to be honest, John had just started a new job and I didn't know anyone in town.  What if something broke in the middle of the night or what if something went wrong at the house?  What would I do?  Well as someone who likes to think outside the box I joined the fire dept because firefighters, in my mind, tend to be very handy.  Seemed logical to me!  And it's amazing what they can fix with some duct tape...

Now in the past five years I have had some interesting experiences with an amazing group of people.  From entering my first burning building to being first due after a tornado ripped through our town (these happened about two weeks apart), it's been quite a ride so far.  I am proud of what we do and who I have become.

There are many way to belong to your community and I believe it's important to make an impact.  This is my town, my home now, and I am happy to be a part of it.