Reminiscent Thoughts on Being a Firefighter

I haven't posted in a little while, well it feels like a little while. Mainly this is because I've been super busy. Work, classes, other stuff, it all kind of zaps time from days. But I've been reminiscing about my 4 1/2 years on the Mechanicsburg Volunteer Fire Department and thought I'd talk a little bit about it.

I started helping out at the department when I was about 17. However I wasn't able to join as a member until I turned 18. Mainly I joined because it seems to be a family thing. My Dad, retired Navy, is on the department, my Uncle Frank is the Fire Chief, and my Uncle Brian is on the Fire District Board. Of course I also joined cause it sounded fun.

Originally I think my badge number on the department was 32. But not long after I joined they consolidated the numbers to eliminate gaps and I ended up being 26. I have so many memories from being on the department. Some great, some not so great. But I think you always have to take the good with the bad.

Some interior shots of the fire house. The picture on the left is and pan shot of the trucks. The picture on the right is our gear rack.

I think my favorite calls to go on would have to be grass/field fires or weather watch. Weather watch was always fun. While everyone else is in there homes, we take 4x4's out, park them in a ditch, and sit through the storm watching for possible tornadoes. Then we drive around our district making sure the wind didn't do any damage to power lines or to make sure that the roads are clear.

The only call that would top weather watch would have to be field fires. Most guys on the department like structure fires. But to me, there's nothing like sitting on top of a brush track haul'n across some field and shoot what amounts to a giant water gun off the side. I guess it comes down to toys, and we had some pretty cool ones!

These are some pictures of Engine 1. The one on the right is a picture of the controls on the midship for controlling the various lines coming off the engine.

While these were my favorite calls, they aren't what I think of as the best part of being on the department. That belongs to kids. I loved whenever we got the chance to do fire safety things with the children. Whether it be around Mechanicsburg, the fairgrounds, or somewhere in Springfield. There's just something about firefighters and fire engines that make a child’s eyes light up. Especially when you let them pull the air horn or dress up in our gear. Plus the fact that we were actually teaching them things that might one day save their lives... totally awesome!

These are pictures of Brush 3 and Tanker 5. I think you can tell which is which.

Thinking back, I really have seen and been a part of so much. I will never forget some of the guys I've served with and worked beside. Men I've seen save lives. I will also never forget the lives we couldn't save. I will never forget the adrenaline of hopping in a truck and tearing out of the firehouse or the thrill of driving one of the trucks. I've gotten to drive them all at some point by the way.

I guess I will end by saying a couple of things. First, if you know a firefighter, tell them thanks, it goes along way. Whenever possible, support your local fire department, or any emergency response for that matter. Whether it be police, fire, or EMT. Lastly, and this is a pet peeve of mine, IF YOU SEE FLASHING BLUE OR RED LIGHTS IN YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR OR IN FRONT OF YOU PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD! It could be your house, relative, or property we're trying to get to. Besides, I don't think you would want to go head to head with an engine anyways:

Grrrrrrrr!!!