At one point in most people’s lives they admire men who put their lives on the line and risk everything to perform a heroic deed in protecting a community. Firefighting is what these men do for a living. Now think about the respect and thanks these men should get because of what these men do on a daily basis. They are usually the first responders on any scene of an accident or anywhere where someone may be hurt or even just an alarm goes off. They also of course are the ones who put out all the fires. There are many statements that can be made to describe firefighting.
What constitutes the meaning of firefighting some may ask. According to a dictionary definition as a noun firefighting is the occupation of attempting to control and extinguish fires (Dictionary.com 1). The verb definition of firefighting would be the act of using all intended materials and skills possessed to extinguish a fire, while being able to preserve as much property as possible in the shortest amount of time. However, to me firefighting is a whole different thing. Firefighting is the job and passion of man to be a symbol in the community of protection. Going above and beyond in any way possible to not only put out fires and saves citizens lives, but to show the community that they care and want to make an impact on everyone is the way of firefighting. It may be bland and boring to know the dictionary definition of firefighting but being painted a picture is a much better way of understanding the word.
While I have not actually been in the spot of a firefighter at the scene of a fire or other emergency I do know the physical toll that the job takes on you. Twice in the past two years I have taken the firefighting combat test with the Longmont Fire Department. While doing this I had to run through an obstacle course fit with ordinary skills and movements that a firefighter would have to do during any call. When it was all said and done I had to carry a ladder across a line and back, bags and a simulated tool around cones and back, and also fire extinguishers and a rolled up hose up and down three flights of stairs. I also had to drag a dummy and a hose a certain distance before I could return them to the original position. The last thing in the obstacle course was hitting a block and a sled half way down the groove. However, there is no alternative to ever having the same feeling as doing the actual job. Just imagine, the big ball of joy and pride in the pit of your stomach for all that you are doing and planning to do for a community. The feeling of knowing that you are saving lives and property everyday to make the world a better place. Also with the job would come an immensely large feeling of accomplishment, that could never be compared to anything else in the world. Just the uniqueness of the feeling would be more than most can imagine and is a more than real feeling to many men and women around the world. Another thing that could never be truly felt is being in the spot and firefighting. The initial alarm goes off and you rush to the engine. In an instant the bunker gear seems to climb on you as if it were a second skin, while the fire truck pulls out of the house. Looking out the window at the passing scenes, and preparing the mind for an unmistakable touch with death. The vibration of the truck on your feet stops as the truck comes to a stop starring directly into the depth of the inferno. You step down with the helmet and oxygen pack adjusted to your body now. The weight is unusual, but in a moments time becomes part of you, and moisture starts to gather on your brow as you get to work pulling out the hose and attaching it to a fire hydrant. The limp hose fills gradually faster, and faster until it is at full capacity in your hands as you walk towards the burning flames. You take position and pull the lever on the hose and a sudden burst of water flooding from the charged hose in your hands. It feels like you are the one contributing the water; the way the your hands shake, and how your mind loses reality you believe you have been given the power to summon water and expel it from your body at such a rapid force. Finally at the end when all that is left is smoke you look at the rubble as your body starts to shut down. You start to feel a little weak, as you realize your adrenaline is starting to vanish. The ride back to the house is very uneventful. Your body is in the moment but your mind is still at the fire, and it will be for the rest of the day. Firefighting would be nothing today if it were not for the original pioneers of the profession.
The act of firefighting can be traced back thousands of years before any of the modern technology was at the disposable of man. There is not much history in my life about firefighting. However as stated before I have done a couple combat tests, and I have been around firefighters and seen the lifestyle that they live. The world on the other hand has seen much more history on firefighting than myself. The first organized combat against fire is dated back to ancient Egypt, where hand-operated pumps were used to douse the flames. One of the first fire brigades were formed in 6 AD in Rome. After the Great Fire in London in 1666 insurance companies formed fire brigades to protect building of the insurance company's clients. The invention of the fire hose came to be in 1672 when the Dutch inventor Jan Van der Heiden put together a flexible leather hose equipped with brass fittings every 50 feet. In 1725 the first fire engine was constructed. The original design was a cart that was pulled to the fire. The cart were equipped with pumps, which in turn were hand-operated. These manned pumps could generate up to 160 gallons per minute at up to 120 feet. It is also a fact that one of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, is responsible for creating the Union Fire Company in 1736 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Finally the first steam engines used by firefighters were made in 1829, but lost interest once internal combustion engines came onto the scene in 1907 (FirefightersBBQ.com 1). In the modern day firefighting is a very organized matter with the technology to match. Firefighters are equipped in today's world with respirator packs for oxygen and all the tools necessary to put fires out while keeping property damages low. They also have very advanced fire trucks. These trucks are customized to the needs of the department and the standards are set by the people who know the most about them.
Firefighting is an intriguing word. It is a word familiar to all of us, yet to me it presents a possible career and lifestyle. So next time you see a fire truck in your rear view mirror with the sirens blaring and lights flashing move out of the way because they are just trying to protect you and me from danger. "You have to do something in your life that is honorable and not cowardly if you are to live in peace with yourself, and for the firefighter it is fire" -Larry Brown.


Works Cited
"Firefighter | Define Firefighter at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. .
"Firefighter Quotes, Firefighting Sayings, Fireman, Firemen." The Quote Garden - Quotes, Sayings, Quotations, Verses. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. .
"History Of FireFighters." Firefighters' BBQ.com Home Page. Chef Matt Llc. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. .