Raging sirens. Flashing lights. Racing to their call.
The average firefighter makes $47,000 a year. That's not even $20 an hour. Which is not much.
Especially when you're supporting a family.
They go through tough training, long nights, sometimes injuries, and they're away from their loved ones.
They're the first ones to go in a fire and the last to come out.
"Two in, two out"
They drop whatever they're doing - showering, eating, using the bathroom, etc. to be able to respond to a call in a timely manner.
They put their lives on the line, every shift - somehow, someway.
All for strangers.
Somedays they are slow, somedays they are super busy.
Most people don't get it. For example: my dad works 24 hour shifts. JCCFD full time & HFD part time.
He is away from his family.
My dad puts HIS life on the line for STRANGERS. People that he doesn't know.
Sometimes he has to work multiple days in a row. The most days I remember him working in a row was 6. The station is my dad's home away from home.
He would miss school events, ball games, family functions, etc.
Holidays aren't the same, sometimes he has to work Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, etc. But he's got to do what he's got to do. When he does have to work all the crew's families come up, have dinner + just enjoy being with them.
It's not always easy not having him around a lot, but we make it work.
On the plus side of being a firefighter's daughter, I have a bunch of other moms and dads. We are all a big family.
Why does he, as well as our family sacrifice all this?!
Because he LOVES his job + wouldn't trade it for the world.
I couldn't be more proud of him for all he does for our family and how hard he works to provide for us.
I wouldn't trade being a firefighters daughter for anything. Firefighting is in my blood. My pawpaw was a firefighter. My grandaddy was a firefighter. My husband was a firefighter. My dad is a firefighter. My brother plans to be a firefighter.
To be quite honest, it's fun.
Every shift's phone call ends with
"Daddy loves ya"
"Daughter loves ya"
