Living the Dream

Ah the dream. Every kid has one right? To be a doctor, or a fireman. Perhaps a police officer, carpenter, or even the occasional garbage man. It's not like some snot nosed little kid is running around playing pharmacy tech filling moms pretend feel good pills. They want the cool jobs, the ones with some sort of equipment and big bad ass trucks.Well that was me, I wanted to be a fireman. Pretty generic as I think every little boy wants to be one at some point. But me, I was different. I had all the latest toys, the helmets and plastic coats. I visited stations and ran outside every time I heard a siren. There was no mistaking that little ol' me was just set on becoming a fireman. No real reason why, although I believe most true firemen were born with it in their blood. Perhaps my Irish ancestry had something to do with it.

Well I got through high school, met the love of my life and started college. I was in a phase where I didn't have a clue what I wanted. Of course the passion for being a fireman was still there but as a young immature teen, I was too focused on sleeping and partying to do anything about it. Time went on and street racing became my thing. A phase i'm not entirely proud of but everyone does something stupid during their lifespan. I had no job, lived with my girlfriend and our two roommates which provided for some great memories but nothing was being done to advance my life until I eventually got enough courage to propose to my girlfriend, which was my first step in the right direction. I give her credit to this day for most of the good things that have happened in my life. Finally a short time down the road, my life changed forever as that little childhood dream was finally about to come true.

It was the day I bought my first gun. My wife and I decided to go "look around" so we headed off to the store and of course the first thing I see as we pull in the parking lot was a bright shiny red fire truck. As usual when I saw a firetruck, I looked at it and imagined what it would be like to actually ride one of those but this one was different. There was a banner attached to the back with some information about joining the department. Bam! It hit me like a home run at the hands of Babe Ruth! What the hell have I been waiting for? Lightning hit my brain and told me to get off my ass and get that dream under way so we go inside and low and behold, the firefighters are standing at the gun counter. It just had to be a sign of some sort. My wife began encouraging me to go talk to them but I didn't really want to bother the guys, plus i'll admit I was a little shy. Back then I wasn't one to just walk up to some random person and begin a conversation. She kept egging me on and I wouldn't budge until she gave up and just went over herself. I'm of course standing over by the counter like some middle school kid making a friend go talk to the new girl for me. She comes back with a phone number and a smirk, and we go about looking at guns. In case you are wondering, I ended up buying a black 12 gauge ass kicking machine. So my dream was finally coming true and I couldn't believe it was finally happening. There are few days that I hold priceless, but the one where I bought my first gun and joined the fire department is for sure at the top. Outdone only by the day my child was born.

12 years later, I'm sitting at the firehouse reflecting back on that childhood. I can't help but remember running around with my little plastic fire helmet dreaming of the day I would be right here, wearing this uniform, with a real fire helmet sitting on the front dash of a pumper. Oh and what a time it's been. I now question those childhood dreams and wonder if this is really as glorious as I made it out to be. The proverbial heroes, running in while everyone is running out or whatever they like to say. Now don't get me wrong, I love being a fireman more than anything in the world but the glory is for the birds. Sure we do our bit of good in the world but a majority of the time, we are dealing with the stupidest people you could ever imagine. It's pretty entertaining at times although the sleepless nights get old, especially when people expect the fire department to come take care of their menial tasks. Things that i'm certain are not "Emergencies". But on the other hand, it's part of the job I love and i'm willing to suffer through those sleepless nights because thick or thin, I will always love being a fireman.

So along with the good and the bad, I'm living the dream. The dream that encompassed my mind day in and day out in what seems to be only yesterday. Now, I wound like to share with the world what it's like to be a true "emergency" worker. I absolutely love to write and have said for a long time that I would write a book although I've never been able to settle on a topic. I know this isn't a book but it's the next best thing. A place where I can share my thoughts and experiences one crazy chapter at a time. This blog won't necessarily be about me but about what I do so i'll spare you the personal details and we can get down to business. This is not what you see on television, it's more than putting water on fire, and it's nothing like you've ever imagined, so sit back and enjoy your behind the scenes pass to the real fire service. Welcome, to the dark side of 911.