.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LET'S TOSS IT OVER TO BERNIE.
>>>
SAVING LIVES IS NO EASY JOB,
BUT IF YOU ARE THE TYPE OF
PERSON WHO WANTS TO WORK HARD
WHILE ALSO HAVING FUN WITH THE
TEAM YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTING.
HERE TODAY TO TELL US ABOUT THE
CHALLENGING AND REWARDING
OPPORTUNITY IS CHIEF JOHN OF
THE KIDS BRING VOLUNTEER FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
SO WHAT IS THE LIFE OF A
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER LIKE?
>> SOMETIMES WE ARE ON DUTY FOR
SEVERAL SHIFTS IN A ROW AND
HAVE PRACTICALLY NO COST TO GO
TO.
OTHER TIMES EVEN THE OVERNIGHT
SHIFTS GET VERY LITTLE SLEEP OR
YOU MAY BE RUNNING TO DIFFERENT
TYPES OF THINGS TO ASSIST
MEDICAL PATIENTS OR FIGHT FIRES
OR ANSWER SMOKE DETECTOR ALARMS
OR CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS
SO IT CAN BE EXHILARATING, IT
CAN BE STRESSFUL AT TIMES
, BUT
IT IS VERY REWARDING WHEN YOU
CAN HELP OTHER PEOPLE AND YOU
MAKE GREAT NEW FRIENDS AS WELL.
>> I GOT TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT
OF TIME WITH
THE GUYS .
A FEW HOURS
.
AND THAT IS WHAT THEY KEPT
TALKING ABOUT WAS THE
FRIENDSHIP YOU GAIN FROM THIS.
WHAT KIND OF A PERSON MAKES A
GOOD VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER AND
A GOOD PART OF THE TEAM?
>> A PERSON
, FIRST OF ALL, THEY
NEED TO BE IN GOOD PHYSICAL
CONDITION BECAUSE OF THE WORK
THAT IS INVOLVED THERE.
WE ALSO LOOK FOR
SOMEONE WHO
LIKES TO BE AROUND OTHER
PEOPLE, LIKES TO HELP OTHER
PEOPLE .IT IS GREAT IF THEY
HAVE SKILLS THAT THEY ARE NOT
AFRAID OF HEIGHTS OR TIGHT
SPACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AFRAID OF THE DARK BECAUSE
UNDER SMOKING CONDITIONS YOU
CAN'T SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING ALL
AROUND YOU.
PEOPLE THAT ARE WELL-ROUNDED
AND ALSO WILLING TO PUT IN THE
DEDICATED HOURS INTO ROLE WITH
OUR FAMILY AS WELL.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS
FOR 20 YEARS?
WHAT DID YOU CHOOSE TO JOIN 20
YEARS AGO?
>> I ALWAYS HAD A HANKERING I
WANTED TO DO THAT FROM MY
CHILDHOOD.
WORK SCHEDULE AND OTHER
COMMITMENTS DIDN'T WORK UNTIL
ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO AND I WANTED
TO PUT SOMETHING BACK IN THE
COMMUNITY.
THIS HAS BEEN VERY REWARDING
FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
>> I AM SURE.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE
MOST FOR BOARDING PART OF THIS?
>> I THINK THE SATISFACTION YOU
CAN HELP SOMEONE ELSE AND TO
SEE
THE SMILE THAT COMES ON THE
FACE .PERHAPS THEY HAD A
LOSS
OR THEY COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE ,
WE TELL PEOPLE THAT BUILDINGS
CAN BE REPLACED
.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO SAVE
THE PERSONS LIFE AND MAKE SURE
THEY ARE CARED FOR AND THEN TO
PROTECT THE
PROPERTY AS WELL.
>> IF SOMEBODY IS INTERESTED ,
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, WHY SHOULD
THEY JOIN THE KIDS BRING FIRE
DEPARTMENT?
>> I THINK IT HELPTHE
COMMUNITY.
IF WE HAVE PAID FIREFIGHTERS
AROUND THE CLOCK IT TAKES MORE
MONEY TO DO THAT.
THE VOLUNTEERS AT OUR STATION
RECOVERED FROM 6 PM UNTIL 6
AM .
THE OVERNIGHT PART MONDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY 24 HOURS.
SO HOW CAN THEY DEDICATE THEIR
TIME BACK.
>> THEY CAN ACTUALLY SIGN UP
NOW AND THIS IS BEFORE THE FIRE
ACADEMY TRAINING STARTS.
HOW DO THEY DO THAT BUT >> THEY
CAN COME TO
OUR FIRE STATION OFF
OF BRANDENTON AVENUE .
THERE IS A PAPER APPLICATION
THEY CAN COMPLETE
.
SOMEONE WILL ALSO INTERVIEW
WITH THEM AND GIVE THEM A TOUR
OF THE STATIONAND TRY TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT
HAVE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
EXPERIENCES
.