In January of 2002, a coworker of mine walked into my office and asked me point-blank "When are you going to join the fire department?" Tom was a member of the PFD, and had been for over a decade. I've known him since I was a student at the University and we worked together at the OIT helpdesk where we helped students and staff with computer issues. I gained a lot of respect for Tom during that time and occasionally heard stories about his

experiences on the department. I always thought that it would be an interesting hobby to be a volunteer firefighter, but never thought that it would be for me. I still had the stereotype of the small town volunteer firefighter in my mind - you know, a barrel-chested brute who sits around the department and drinks beer with his buddies until it was time to put out a fire. I knew Tom wasn't like that at all. He has a lot of pride in his department and a very professional attitude about it.

So, between that and my desire to get out of the house and do something positive for the community, I decided to take a chance. My response was "When are you going to get me an app?" As I've said before, this was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Soon after I applied, I received a call from one of the other members to set up an interview. A few weeks later, I attended my first department meeting and was issued turnout gear and a pager. Since then, I've met some great people who genuinely care about being the best firefighters they can be and serving and protecting their community. Its a serious business and they treat it as such.

I've gained a great respect for firefighters, law enforcement, EMTs and the others who put their own lives on the line to protect total strangers. They put in countless hours of training to learn the needed skills required to use the specialized equipment an handle the unique situations they are put in. They see things nobody should have to see and are sometimes required to do things that nobody should have to do. Many do it without any expectations of pay, recognition, or anything. They do it because it needs to be done. It's pretty hard to think of the police officer as a hero when they are writing you a speeding ticket, but you have to ask yourself who is going to be the person that would be responding to the accident they might be preventing. I have been to auto accidents. I have seen what can happen when people are careless - or reckless - or drunk - or going faster than they should. Trust me. If getting a ticket makes you think twice about how you drive, you got off cheap. The officer just might have saved your life or the life of someone you love.

To get a better idea of what its like to be a firefighter/EMT in a small town, I highly recommend you read Population: 485 - Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time. Written by Michael Perry. Michael is an EMT and volunteer firefighter in a small town in northwestern Wisconsin. I've read this book a few times and enjoy it every time. Its funny, its heart-wrenching, it makes you think and hits close to home for me. See reviews of it on Amazon.com

One last thing... When it comes time to vote, make sure you find the candidate's views and prior voting history on issues of emergency services. Equipment and training is expensive, and is desperately needed every year. Please, vote to protect the people who protect you.