Jill Wiseman
I recently came across an entertaining article about why NOT to become a volunteer firefighter. When I was reading it, I realized why women are perfect for the fire service, which I would like to share with you:
- We don’t need sleep. Especially for those of us who have or have had children, sleep is a luxury we have learned to live without. From cramps, to pregnancy, screaming babies, and hot flashes, we are doomed to interrupted sleep pretty much our whole lives. Jumping out of bed in the middle of the night to deal with a crisis comes naturally to us. It’s what we do.
- We want to help. From an early age we have negotiated fights, talked friends through break ups, sat in hospital waiting rooms, comforted those who have lost loved ones, sewn costumes, and occasionally stayed up into the wee hours building a diorama with a teary-eyed middle schooler. Your problems are our problems. We got your back.
- We can handle the sweat. As a woman in midlife, I can say that we are well-prepared to deal with this particular challenge. It’s my lot in life at this point. Putting on 45 pounds of gear and running around the fire ground isn’t that much different than carting around a set of twins, hauling groceries, or running up and down two flights of stairs delivering laundry to seven kids. This is not to mention the hours sitting at the high school band fireworks booth in the blazing sun or at a soccer game, those long Saturday runs, hot yoga and sitting in the sauna hoping to drop a few pounds before my 20th high school reunion. No big deal.
- Breaking down doors and using big tools is like free therapy. I have to say that forceable entry is one of my favorite things to do. Bashing down doors is a great stress reliever for those tense days when I’ve had to let the dog out and in and out and in and out (I have a Husky), picked up yet another wet towel on the floor, and done the dishes left by the sink which is right next to the dishwasher. Chain saws can be fun too.
- We fear nothing. Fires? We’ve already put out lots of those. We got this. In fact, I think we will be joined by most mothers of multiples in saying that, “I’ve got twins. You can’t scare me.”
- Lights and Sirens. This is almost as awesome as forceable entry. There is nothing quite like the rush you get from driving a fire truck, lights and sirens blaring! Finally, people are getting out of my way.
- Volunteering is what we do. From volunteering at food banks, church garage sales, Boy Scouts, bake sales, road clean up, the animal shelter, and building a house with Habitat for Humanity, we’ve got this. We are naturals.
- Scene preservation. Want to figure out how this fire started? We are experts in working around messes made by other people and preserving evidence because believe me, we don’t want to destroy any evidence that someone, like say your 26-year-old-boomerang son who keeps having midnight cooking sessions, has left behind to be able to prove how this all started and who’s Responsible.
- Navy blue is actually slimming. Our duty crew shirts, like most departments, are navy blue and are a great cover for the extra 5 pounds that you picked up over the pandemic or over the winter.
- Being part of a close-knit group who trusts one another with their lives.
My husband and kids have had their lives in my hands for years and I trust that they are prepared to back me up. Right? Yeah, sure, dream on!
Being in a group of people who choose to face life altering events every day and help is truly inspiring. Going that extra mile for each other, getting more training, practicing skills so the muscle memory is there and learning about the science of fire to be able to react as things evolve is proof that we are worthy of the trust we put in each other.
Ladies? Do you have a fire in you? Its not unlike raising a family.