The Seldom Seen Firefighter

A couple of shifts ago we had a ride along. She happened to be the wife of one of our soon to be retired ranks.

Since she has been the wife of a firefighter for many many years she has had the opportunity to visit the station and be with the guys quite often. She has been able to see how the young firefighters grow and mature both in the department and with their own families.

She has had a front row seat to a strange, and at first glance, an almost darwinistic culture. We aren't exactly known for sympathy. As mentioned on other blogs the time to start to worry is when the other firefighters stop making fun of you.

She has seen how we can laugh at anything and everything. We are seldom serious. And we love practical jokes.

So it was interesting to hear her what she thought about her ride along. She was simply amazed at the transformation that takes place as we walk into an emergency scene. She said that we became professional and courteous. We quickly examined and treated the patient. It's something that I haven't thought about much. When I talked to my wife about it she wasn't surprised at all. She said she has seen it at the scene of traffic accidents that I have stopped at while off duty.

Luckily they haven't picked up on our subtle games that can be going on even while we are on scene.

Boys will be boys.