By Anne Gagliano
When firefighters go to work…they get up in the wee, small hours of the morning. They must rise early for the long commute, the extra-long commute into the big cities they serve but in which they typically cannot afford to live.
When firefighters go to work…they pack a bag. In it they place several changes of clothing: socks, shorts, T-shirts, a sweatshirt or coat, and an extra uniform or two. In this bag they carry a towel and toiletries, as they may need to take at least one shower during their shift if they’re covered by soot or sweat or blood. They add a bottle of pills to the bag, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, for the pain they will endure from muscle exertion, injury, or stress headaches. They hang their neatly washed and pressed uniform (some or all of which they must pay for out of their own wages) on a hanger. The uniform bears their shiny badge, their name, the name of their department, and their rank. They hang it carefully to change into when they arrive at the station so it will not be wrinkled during the long commute, as this uniform represents them to the public they serve and they wear it with pride.
When firefighters go to work…they must bring lots of cash. They need cash for breakfast, cash for lunch, and cash for dinner, as all three meals will be eaten at the station. They need cash to pay house dues. The dues cover napkins, spices, and dish soap and any other items needed in the kitchen. The dues also pay for the chairs they will sit on and the TV, whether they ever get to use them or not. And they need cash to pay for some of the tools they need to do the job that the department cannot or will not provide. Contrary to what many citizens think, these and many other daily necessities of the typical work environment do not come at the taxpayer’s expense.
When firefighters go to work…they must shift gears. They must mentally and emotionally prepare themselves to change from “normalcy” mode or that of home life to “anything goes” mode or that of chaos. They never know what they may face; there is no such thing as a regular work day with established tasks or routines. That day they may have to pull tattered victims from a massive car wreck. They may have to perform CPR on Grandpa in a grocery store while Grandma looks on, screaming hysterically. They may have to charge into a raging inferno, risking their lives for those trapped inside. They may have to console the traumatized, sobbing parents of a SIDS baby. Or they may have to witness the death of a beloved co-worker and friend. Anything goes.
When firefighters go to work…they enter the deadliest of environments. There’s no cushy office routine or quiet comfort and structure. For them it is fire out of control with heat that burns even through bunkers. It is smoke, deadly black smoke in which they can neither see nor breathe. It is a cloud of steam from a fire hose that sears exposed skin. It is unsteady collapse and cascading debris. And it is a deafening roar of sound as loud as thunder over which they must strain to hear the cries of both comrades and victims. In all of this they must control their fear while keeping their head.
When firefighters go to work…they don’t get any “breaks.” Each meal can be interrupted and must be heated and reheated sometimes to the point of unrecognizability. When they’re on a run they go full-tilt boogie through narrow city streets with lights flashing and horns blaring and adrenaline rushing, and each of these runs can last many hours. When they’re not on a run, they’re drilling. When they’re not drilling they’re cleaning. And if a firefighter is an officer, there are mountains of paperwork always to do, constant personnel issues, and perpetual fighting with headquarters for the things the station needs to simply do the job.
When firefighters go to work…they take along bedding. They take along bedding because they will not be going home at the end of their long and tiring day to sleep in their own beds next to their spouse. They will instead be spending the night at the station where they will lie down in waiting anticipation for the lights to come on and the bell to sound. For this reason they cannot or will not sleep too soundly. If they do happen to doze off from utter fatigue, when the bell hits at 0-dark-30, the shock of it will cause their heart rates to spike to as much as 80% of maximum. Such spikes, over time, can cause permanent damage and render them more likely to have a heart attack.
When firefighters go to work…they kiss their spouse goodbye. In the darkness of the early morning hours he tells her he loves her and she him. Firefighter couples must never fail to do so. As firefighters pull out of their driveways, they glance at the homes they love filled with the people they love for, perhaps, the last time. When firefighters go to work, they might never come home again.
Anne Gagliano has been married to Captain Mike Gagliano of the Seattle (WA) Fire Department for 28 years. She and her husband lecture together on building and maintaining a strong marriage.
