"Firefighters: Part of America's Backbone"

Firefighters do more than respond to emergencies—they demonstrate the grit, determination, and selfless service that have long been part of America's foundation. A conversation on why they're an important part of America's backbone.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:07

So as we kind of move into this last segment um and more focused on the 250th anniversary that's coming up, um as we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, what does this historic milestone mean to you?

SPEAKER_00 0:22

So I I always I always talk about how I would like to sit and be able to just to talk to the people that's been around for you know these major milestones, you know, when the when the car first came out. Um, you know, America's first, you know, 100th birthday or whatever. So just being being around to where, you know, being alive for something like that is is is pretty cool. I'm one of the most patriotic people around. I I like to think so anyway. So um I have a lot of pride for my country, I have a lot of pride for the military, for those that are putting their lives on the line so that we can have the freedoms that we enjoy. So just being able to just to be alive to say, yeah, I I was there, you know, is uh I don't know. Just I can't explain it, but it it does, it it it means a lot.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Yeah. Uh how do first responders help reflect re help reflect uh the values America was built on?

SPEAKER_00 1:17

I would say just showing the grit, determination, um is given all-out effort. Uh just being that kind of person that uh to ha have just having those values to push forward no matter what the consequences are. I guess that's that's all I can think of.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Yeah, yeah, no, that's a good answer. Yeah. There's a uh there's a lot of values that come from first responders, uh, like we just talk about in the community, but really is the is the backbone to America um you know that we see every day. Uh what gives you hope and where do you see the future of first responders?

SPEAKER_00 1:59

Well, what gives me hope is right now the amount of of young folks that we do have, um, you know, even though commute recruitment is low, the the amount of 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds, um, that gives me some hope that you know the younger generation isn't as bad as what we think. You know, of course, you know, my parents you know thought that too. All the younger generation has gone the pot. Now I'm starting to act, you know, being that where I'm I'm looking at kids that are you know 30 years younger than me, and I'm thinking, man, our generate this generation, what in the world? Um, but just the the the amount of phone calls that I get from high schoolers, you know, and emails that are saying, hey, you know, I I'm looking at a job in the fire service. I'm wanting to get into this, you know, can I come in and do some ride time? Do you have some kind of a cadet program or an internship? I'm surprised at how many of those emails and phone calls I actually get.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Um, especially in today's day and age where a lot of the young folks want to be YouTubers or you know, they want to make their money doing that. Yeah, there is quite a there are quite a few that that do want to actually go into the workforce. Um so just seeing the number of those folks that are that age group that are asking and inquiring about a job like this, that that does give me some hope that, hey, okay, maybe, you know, maybe the youth isn't as bad as I think.