My book the Look of Love is the second in my Forest Ridge Series. The stories revolve around a volunteer fire department, the fire fighters and their families.
In the United States 71% of all firefighters are volunteers and 29% are paid full time firefighters. Firefighters are both men and women working side by side. The National Fire Protection Association requires all volunteer firefighters to be trained and certified. Most volunteer fire departments comply with the N.F.P.A. by training on a weekly basis. The average volunteer firefighter spends 9 hours a week responding to fire department calls and training. Some of the reasons for the dedication of the firefighters are pride, giving back to the community, the love of excitement, the camaraderie of being on a well trained team and making a difference in the community.
Most firefighters I have known show pride in a job well done whether it was extinguishing a house fire or cutting a trapped passenger out of a vehicle at the scene of an auto accident. There is a real sense of excitement to jump on a fire engine and race to a fire call with the lights flashing and the siren roaring.
The adrenaline rush is real and very addicting. You must trust the firefighter who stands along side you because that firefighter literally has you life in their hands.
Some of the training required by the N.F.P.A. is first aid and CPR. Before a firefighter is allowed to put on an air pack called “Self Contained Breathing Apparatus” they must be trained on the correct usage which involves many hours of classroom and practical training. To be allowed to enter a burning building you must be certified as an “Entry Firefighter. Depending on the fire department the training could be 30 to 50 hours. There are countless hours of drills in the correct use of hoses, ladders, power tools and fire hand tools. The firefighters risk their lives and give countless hours back to the community without receiving any payment.
I have seen first hand the hard work of these heroes and I dedicated one of my books to them.
Hey, Rosemary! Just saw this post. It's amazing how much training firefighters have in every aspect of their jobs--even if it's as a volunteer.
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted you are shining a spotlight on these heroes (and heroines) in the pages of your books, and getting well-deserved rave reviews!