Just a…….(2012)

Two years ago I attended a fire training conference. I had a great time, albeit a case of food poisoning, and for nearly a week I was judged by my fellow firefighters not by my pay status, but rather by my actions. For a vollie, this is the ultimate. I exercise, hone, and test my skills and knowledge along side vollie and career alike. For that short week, I felt like fire fighting was my career, and not just an all consuming hobby. This is a good thing; a recharging of the passion battery. I was able to focus all of my energy on fire fighting without the normal distractions of my life.

This week, I have the opportunity to attend the same conference (different classes; I know some of you were thinking…). I am sitting in a motel room, four hours from my “other life”, playing fireman, again. Time will tell whether this conference will yield the same results as last time (I don’t mean the food poisoning!), but just having the chance to network and share with such a diverse group of people, all with a common focus, is sure to be well worth the time away from my family.

And when I return, I’ll have whole new box of tools to share with those I “work” with that cannot afford to take the time off to be here.

Yeah, time off. I burned three days vacation to be here. From my real job. It’s a once per year deal I’ve worked out with my better half. I won’t waste our family time, aka vacation days, to go traipsing around the countryside attending classes for my “hobby”. I get a few days a year to play (not including all the evenings and weekends used for “other” fire events). A tough balancing act, and no doubt the long way to getting IFSAC and other industry certs.

But I’m not complaining, I’m just saying… If you are in a career position,  don’t ever, ever, ever take it for granted. Don’t be the one that “works for a fire department”. Everyday there are thousands of us volunteers giving up our time and our family’s time to get even a glimpse into what it must be like… to live the dream, even if just for a few days, or hours, or even just minutes.

No matter what category you fall into, be a fire fighter. Strive to be the best. Make a difference. Recently, I have been questioned, and even criticized, for the name Just A Vollie. Typically, the critics visualize the name as selling volunteer fire fighters short. This is not the intent. A number of years ago a good friend and fellow vollie left this corner of the world to return to his native state and began a new career. Today, he is a truckie on the 28 Ladder, FDNY. When he left, he told me that although I may be just a vollie, I should strive to be the best. He wouldn’t let me use my vollie status to make excuses or to be less. So with that said, take the name for what it means to me: I may be just a vollie, but look what I can do!