My Time

My time has finally come, I have been waiting my whole life for this. This was my only thought on my 16th birthday. I was finally able to join the firehouse I grew up in, Berwyn Fire Company. I spent my entire life watching my father and family work and serve our community, this firehouse is like my home. At 16 you are not allowed to go into fires or be on any rescue teams. Despite this you can begin training to become a full firefighter at 17 years old.

At 17 I also began my training to become an EMT and started running ambulance calls. This gave me a new perspective on serving and also pushed me towards entering the medical field. Soon after becoming an EMT, I applied for allied health through my school and spent my senior year interning at a local hospital and learning about all of the different departments. Although the ambulance inspired me and showed me the impact that I can make, it also presented me with new challenges. I try to focus on those who we have saved and have made a positive impact, but there are always those that were not fortunate. The losses are what really makes the job difficult but the saves are what stands out in the end.

Now that I am a full Firefighter and EMT I have really gained a new perspective on my community and what it means to serve. My first fire is something I will never forget. I was sitting at the firehouse eating my lunch, this is when we saw the alert. I ran to the truck and got all my gear on. Upon arriving at the fire, me and one of my family friends pulled the hoseline and ran inside. Immediately we could feel the heat and the smoke was stinging our eyes. We started communicating with the other crews and finally located the source of the fire, it was burning up the attic. We climbed into the attic and I began to put the water on the fire. I had to be sure to keep the fire from steaming over. Once all the visible fire was extinguished, we started opening up the walls and checking for extension. We saved the house and there was only minimal damage to the house. This was one my the proudest days in my life and I am continually thankful that I can serve my community.