Firefighters wear many hats, and most of those hats aren’t a surprise to the public. Yes, they respond to fires, car accidents, and falls at the playground. Yes, they respond along with an ambulance crew to medical emergencies of all varieties. Yes, they take care of calls with carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarms and the smell of smoke or gas.
But I’ve discovered that most people on a volunteer fire department (and I’m sure this is true with full-time career firefighters often too) do this job because while they like fires & car accidents & adrenaline rushes, they also care about their community.
When a fire department is willing to open its station doors, there’s a flood of community groups that are excited to come in, look around, ask questions, and learn. We have groups of youngsters who come for birthday parties at the fire station, cub scouts & boy scouts who come for tours and presentations on fire safety, 4-H clubs who come for the opportunity to see what volunteer fire departments do, and high school classes who visit during discussions on public service and career paths.
Little kids get the excitement of trucks, flashing lights, and heavy gear. Older kids get the knowledge of safety and prevention. And for the adults who come along to supervise their children, fire departments get the chance to spread the importance of properly marked addresses, answer questions regarding the use of tax dollars & insurance premiums, and improve public relations.
Being on a fire department isn’t about wearing a t-shirt with a logo, installing a flashing blue light in your truck, and showing off a pager on your belt.
It’s about being there, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, for your community.
The Pleasant Farm 
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