A day in the life of firemen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jarvie Z. Wallace
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
Kadena Air Base, Japan --  Ever wondered what the life of a fireman is like?

My curiosity led me to spend an entire 24-hour shift with the heroes at Kadena's Fire Station 1 to see what the rigorous daily grind is like.

My day started at 7:30 a.m.

Eager to see what lay ahead, I met Senior Airman Sean Murphy, a 27-year-old, five-year veteran from El Paso, Texas.

I asked him to tell me about the most memorable event he's had as a fireman. He recalled being stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., his first duty assignment, where dispatch received a call about a burning trailer.

"This was my very first real-world call; not only was the trailer on fire, this lady had live munitions inside so we had to duck and stay in a prone position to hose the flames [while we heard] the bullets go, Pop! Pop!" said Murphy. With a huge grin on his face he uttered, "This is a story I hope to tell my grandchildren one day."

Next, I went along for a ride to a live-fire structural training session, which is an annual certification requirement for firemen. The training objectives were to extinguish live-fire scenarios which involved firemen using tactical techniques of rescue, attack, and ventilation under live-fire conditions. The training enhances the tactical skills of various teams through the application of strong leadership and command techniques.

"The significance of the training is to continue with the skills they've learned over the years and hope they will improve in the future," said Master Sgt. Chauncey Cruger, 18th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of training.

After that two-hour training, which seemed exhausting, I was amazed that a few of guys had the energy to do a workout at gym inside the facility. Seeing their enthusiasm of going to the gym, I quickly changed and joined in on the workout.

Murphy, who reminds me of a workout guru, led the session and decided they were going to do a back workout that day which comprised of bent-over rows, incline rows, kneeling rows, seated high rows, and close grip pulldowns. I thought he was going to shout at his workout partner like a drill sergeant, but instead he spoke gently whenever he would ask to be spotted.

I wanted to see more of what these men do during their downtime, so we went grocery shopping. The fact that these firemen spend so much time together gave me a sense of great camaraderie among them. I mean, they literally do everything together.

This particular afternoon we went grocery shopping for dinner.

"I'm going to make my special pasta dish," Jarvis, a 13-year veteran from Boston, Mass., uttered with a wide ear-to-ear smile.

We bought penne rigate pasta, peppers, onions, and sauce, all the necessary ingredients needed to accomplish this task. We all dined together after Jarvis prepared a delightful meal for all five of us, which included Jarvis, myself, Murphy, and two Okinawan firemen assigned to the unit, Junichi Chibana and Naoya Miyagi.

After dinner, Jarvis' wife Rachel and their two young children, Nolan and Autumn, showed up for their usual visit, which has become a ritual. The children spend most of their time by playing catch with their dad and playing inside one of the fire trucks. By his joy and excitement, I wouldn't be surprised if Nolan followed his father's career path one day. Due to the long hours that are demanded of firemen, they spent a vast amount of time away from home, so family visits usually balance the hours they get to spend with their family.

"I try to bring the kids here every day that he's working so he can play with them," said Rachel.

I came to the realization that the unit was very close-knit by way the Jarvis family would ask other firemen how their families were doing.

Afterwards, everyone got ready for bed. While my day had been relatively uneventful because we didn't respond to any real-world contingencies, my time with these heroes was very inspiring.

The job is equally inspiring to the firemen .

"One of the most rewarding parts of my job is responding to medical calls involving children. I like to make them feel at ease and I hope someone will do the same for my kids," said Jarvis.

As my time with these guys expired, they returned home to their conventional families as the next group of firemen arrived for their shift.