This page is dedicated to my brother and sister firefighters and emergency medical technicians. It is also aimed squarely at all those TV shows that present a glorified, unrealistic image of emergency services. The fact is, despite all we can do, people die, often it is dirty, bloody, downright nasty. Not exactly the stuff TV producers like, so they ignore that side of things. Many people think of the fire or EMS service as a closed society of drinking buddies. Well, that is partially true, the nature of the work and the stresses associated tend to cause us to develop strong ties within the system.Those in emergency services daily lay their lives on the line to protect the health and welfare of strangers.  It is not possible for someone , even a loved one on the outside to fully understand the things we feel. There is also a certain bond that develops between those that stand side by side in danger.

You may have gotten the idea by now that I feel those involved in emergency services are special people. They are, very few have what it takes to even try, and most of those only last for a couple of years. The old days of the fire house being a good ole boy clubhouse are gone forever. Today's firefighter or EMS person, paid or volunteer, are professionals. Many hours of training have gone into bringing them to the point of being effective members of the team. The training continues throughout their careers. Your average EMT-CC for example has somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 hours of training just to get certified. They are required to attend about 15 to 20 hours of continuing medical education a year to maintain their on line status. This is in addition to squad training, conferences, instructor time, etc. Every three years, they have to take a refresher course to maintain their certification. This adds another 60 or more hours to their training. Add to this meetings, and calls, and you can see that paid or not, it can be a full time job.

As tough as it can be, there are rewards. The thanks you get from those you have helped. The hug from the child you rescued from inside the car, or the building. The knowledge that today at least, you made a difference, that someone is alive today because you did your job and did it well. The child that saved themselves, or a loved one because of the training you did at the local school. Last but not least, there is the lifelong friendships you build with you fellow firefighters and medics.

As I get time, I will be adding links to this page. I hope to add some training files, and links to related web sites. This job keeps getting bigger and bigger, so bear with me while I get some other pages done. I hope you enjoy, and if you are interested in emergency services, I hope I have not scared you off. The rewards are worth it! God Bless.

Kevin