MY FIREMEN

by Danna Shirley

I was the “girl Friday” at the Ocean Springs Fire Department (MS) and was just as excited when the tone would sound as any firefighter that responded to the call. I had been a secretary all of my adult years but the fire department was not like any “office” job I had ever held. Everything was new and different; everything was on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly schedule and most had the potential of life or death. 

I considered myself an essential part of the workings of the department because, among my office duties, I scheduled ladder testing, hydrant flow testing, annual pumper testing, S.C.B.A. testing, turnout gear inspections, and anything else that might deal with a safety issue—for the men and the public. If any of these failed it could be detrimental to the firefighter or to the extinguishment of the fire they were fighting. 

Since I was the first woman in the department, never mind that I was in the office and not pulling hose, it took t-i-m-e for the crews to accept me, especially knowing that I was within ear shot of their conversations. I was told later that they had been informed (warned) to watch their language.

Most of them I won over pretty quickly but there were a few that were very reserved around me. One captain in particular was down right rough, gruff, and gave me a cold chill whenever I invaded his domain, which I had to do to get to the restroom. I dreaded having to approach him to discuss department business. Sometimes I would ask my chief to relay a message if I knew he was going into the dayroom. One day, after asking this favor one more time, my Fire Chief said, “You know you’re going to have to deal with this eventually, you might as well work it out now before it gets any worse.”     

The opportunity presented itself when the captain was standing outside my door going through some papers. I asked if he could come in and talk with me. Over the course of this cool conversation I discovered that he misunderstood a comment I had made about some of the firefighter’s equipment. I explained what I had meant and apologized that it had put us at odds.  It seemed to satisfy him and things began to warm up immediately, as I would make my way down the hall thereafter. I knew I had arrived when this shift played a practical joke on me. My last holdout in the department was a Firefighter named David. When he called me by my first name, instead of her, I knew I had finally been accepted by all.

Two events stand out in my mind. The first was a controlled burn that got out of control. The local wildlife preserve was burning off underbrush at the sparse end of town but unexpected winds had picked up and the fire was coming our way. At the instruction of the Fire Chief I called in our off-duty firemen. When one of them came back to Central station to get the reserve pumper, he invited me to come along. He knew he wasn’t going to be driving into the thick of things but would locate along the perimeter and wait with the reserve water tank. I could see off in the distance the black smoke hanging in the sky. I knew there were a few homes in that area and I prayed for their safety. Nothing was lost but trees and underbrush, and whatever animals that could not escape. 

The second was very emotional for me. The tone had sounded just prior to my getting off work one day so I decided to go by the scene and watch my guys at work. It turned out to be an exploded carburetor which caught a shed on fire located close to a house. The victim was severely burned on his face and hands. I hadn’t expected to see someone injured. I thought it was just a shed fire. After that I wasn’t so quick to go to any scene unless I was called upon to take something that was needed.

I understand now why the adrenaline flows when the tone goes off. Firefighters never know what situation they will face or if they will need to attempt a search and rescue. They place themselves in harms way to take victims out of harms way. 

It is funny how a job can begin as just a job, a paycheck and benefits, but very quickly it becomes a lifelong love. Even though I am no longer working with my firemen due to relocating in another state, I still keep in touch with them. They are very special to me . . . some as brothers, some as sons, all as family.