Firefighters volunteer for many reasons

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VOLUNTEERS — Area firefighters assist each other under mutual aid.

AREA — It's easy to pay lip service to the idea of honoring our local firefighters, but walking a mile in those firefighters' boots is another matter altogether. 

Erik Poland, 24, has been a member of the Paris FD for seven years.

He says that there are difficulties that come along with the job.

"It's physically draining," he said. "We've had a long string of fires the last couple weeks. It takes a toll on your family life. There are plenty of missed meals, plenty of late nights not spent with your family."

And the job isn't getting any easier, in a world where the largely-volunteer services can be judged with the same critical eye that is cast on police officers and teachers.

"The expectations of the average citizen have gone up and up and up, with less people available to answer calls," said Poland.

But Poland, and others, say that the rewards of the job outweigh the obstacles.  They recommend the experience to those who want to make their community a better place.

Aaron Haslett, 20, has been volunteering with the Oxford FD for the last two years.

"I had always been interested in it," said Haslett. "One day, when I was 16, I had a small brush fire at my mother's house.  One of the guys that was on the department stopped by and said hey, there's a fire out back. My brother and I helped the firefighters that day."

The incident sparked his long-term interest into action, and that year, he and his twin brother started training to fight fires with the Naples FD.

Poland and Matt Moseley, who is also a member of the Paris FD, both say that, when they got involved, civic service wasn't their primary motivator.

"I had a lot of friends doing it, and it seemed like it was something they enjoyed," said Moseley.

Now, they both have maintained their involvement for reasons that run a little deeper.

"I enjoy the aspect of trying to help people when they're in need," said Poland.

"I think that with the fire service, part of the satisfaction is when you have an effect on someone else's life, it's kind of an instant gratification," said Moseley. "When you maybe save their property or help in some way, you can instantly see the impact you've had on their lives."

Haslett says that there's another positive aspect to the job that is sometimes overlooked by those who might be deterred by the commitment.

"It's just an overall fun job," he said. "I get a lot of enjoyment out of it."

Moseley says that, while his duties put a strain on his relationship with his fiancee at times, in the long run, she appreciates the service he is doing for the community.

"I think she appreciates it," he said. "She respects that it's a job that not everybody is inclined to or capable of doing, and she appreciates that fact."

The firefighters would like to see more volunteers join their ranks, but they are realistic about the demands of the job.

"It's a huge commitment," said Moseley. "I can understand their lack of enthusiasm about spending their off time doing this."

"The curriculum for firefighters and the required mandatory training has gotten to be quite a stringent workload over the last few years," said Poland.

"You gotta have the passion and want to do it," said Haslett. "If you don't have that, if you think it might be fun, but not have the passion for it, it might not be for you."

They cite various causes for a decline in volunteerism at the departments, from uncooperative employers who are unwilling to let their employees leave work to answer a call, to a lack of community spirit among the younger generation.

"I think it'd be nice to have some sort of a program at the high school level," said Moseley. "They have a law enforcement program and I don't see why they couldn't have a preparatory program for the fire department."

But all three firefighters say the experience can be extremely rewarding for the right person.

"You apply the experience you get to everything in life," said Haslett. He hopes that his service as a volunteer might help him to land a professional firefighting career one day.

"We get positive feedback," said Poland. "There's critics, but we have supporters that appreciate what we do."

"Usually when someone calls us, it's not exactly a pleasant time or a pleasant situation for them," said Moseley. "If we can do something to maybe mitigate that situation or make it a little easier for them, it feels like a job well done."