In some of the darkest times of our lives, we meet firefighters.
In situations where everyone is running from danger, they’re among the first responders heading right for it.
They’re trained to help us when we can’t help ourselves, and many of them volunteer their time to do this.
Robynne Henry The Henry Hype
Since I started working for the Nouvelle, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with the local firefighters on a number of occasions. The last couple of weeks alone I’ve spent almost every Tuesday evening at Station 5 in preparation for our fire prevention section, which ran in last week’s paper, and I’ve had the chance to chat with many of the volunteers.
Cpt. Dwayne Ethier stressed that anyone can sign up to be a member, because it’s open to everyone. Even though a majority of people see them as superheroes for what they do, he said anyone can do it.
While I agree that almost everyone has the ability to become a firefighter, I disagreed with Ethier when he said not all of their volunteers are like superheros. By simply taking the time that they do to volunteer, to me, they’re superheroes.
These men and women see it as a privilege to help the community by being a firefighter, and the fact that they want to help out the area in anyway that they can leaves an impact. They take time away from their jobs, their families, and their friends to help people when they need it most.
When I asked a number of the local members why they signed up, the overwhelming response was to give back in a meaningful way. A lot of them had family members who also joined, and saw it as a family tradition to join.
None of them had to sign up, and a majority of them don’t get paid. They put themselves at risk on a regular basis, and see some truly horrifying events at collisions and fires. But, that doesn’t stop them from strapping on their gear and answering the next call.
While they don’t do it for the thanks, I’m dedicating this Henry Hype to all of the local volunteer firefighters for what they do. I also encourage anyone reading this to consider signing up for the department, just like I do every time I interact with them. You’ll be able to help so many people through it, and join what Cpt. Dustin Ruck described as “a brotherhood.”
Plus, you’ll be seen as a local superhero. Who doesn’t want to be able to put that on your resume?
