On the second day of classes the mayor and city manager came to check out the 19 new fire cadets in our brand new uniforms, everyone of us nervous and excited to be selected. We had beat out over 600 applicants to earn a spot in this rookie school, a lot of hopes and dreams were riding on it. "Tell me cadet, why did you join the Springfield Fire Department?" asked the city manager to a fellow in the front row. He swallowed and said "Well sir, I have a wife and new baby girl to care for. I needed a job that would provide and give us a retirement..." "Whoa!" Shouted the mayor, waving his arms and jumping off of the chair he had been setting in. "You guys don't think that you are going to be retiring from this place do yeah?!" Then he put on his somber, official face and told us that public fire departments were a thing of the past. We were all going to loose our jobs within 10 years to a privatized fire department because they were cost effective.
Two things came out of that statement,
1: He had just set the tone of the employer/employee work relationship for the next 22 years. 2: My anti-authoritarian streak became a permanent part of my personality.
I am so thankful that God hears and answers prayers and he saw fit to see me through to the end of this career. Somewhere around 7800 calls of all types, 2600/24hr shifts and 6 different stations that were my home every third day. A lifetime happened in those years, I saw things and did stuff that I cannot forget. I met the love of my life and she said YES!
We built a house and had two awesome kids and a lot of dogs. We took every opportunity to see new things and travel but mostly we just LOVED.
You know what the coolest part of this is?
Our adventure is just getting started!
;)
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