Volunteering as a First Responder by Austin S.
When we are younger, most kids see firefighters, police officers, and EMTs as heroes in
the world, so I wondered what it would be like being on the other side of the fence. In other
words, how would it be being one of them? About a year and a half ago I thought to myself I
guess there is only one way to find out, and that is joining the ranks as a volunteer firefighter.
After about nine months of training and testing, I finally became a certified firefighter. For
about the last year and a half now, I have been a firefighter out of station 604 in Stoystown, I
never thought I'd be where I am right now. I feel privileged to be doing what I do every day and
able to help the people in my community and neighboring communities.
Like most good things in life, there are some bad that goes with it. The bad in this line of
work, if you will, is waking up at random times in the middle of the night, going on the long calls
that last throughout the night, but the worst of all is going on the bad calls. The calls that stay in
your mind and never leave and permanently leave an imprint. That is the worst part of this job.
But, no matter what happens, we will always be here to help whenever that tone drops and will
help all who request it.
After the last year and a half, I have made a decision that I am going to dedicate my life
to public service. I personally believe that this is what I was put here to do and I plan on doing it
the rest of my life. I just recently enrolled in an EMT class that I'm taking this summer. The
amazing quote I always remember when I am on the job is “ I may not be able to change the
world but I can change my corner of it.”
To me, I believe that giving back to others is better than receiving and I feel that there is
no better way than being a volunteer, I truly found a passion for what I do and I plan on making
a “career” out of it. Personally, I wish more people would do this, especially in their free time. It
usually doesn't take much of your time and you truly get the opportunity to help people that
usually are having the worst day of their life, and we try our best to restore faith.
