Yes, Mr. Citizen, I’m that Volunteer Fireman. I chew tobacco and I have one of those silly red lights on my Squad. I even blow my horn at you when I’m going on a call. Sometimes my siren wakes you up at night and, at times, you may have to wait at a light a little longer to let me by. But I’m not going to apologize.

You complain about me wasting your tax money, but don’t understand when I say I can’t tie equipment up pumping out your pool. You say I don’t know my job, but when you smell smoke at night and call me, suddenly I’m an expert. You complain because my boss lets me leave work for a fire and doesn’t let you leave for your social club meeting but you forget the night the plant caught fire and I saved your job.

You say I’m only in it for excitement, but you fail to see my tiredness and exhaustion following a fire. You say I like auto injuries and that death doesn’t bother me, but how could you understand my sleepless nights because of the life I couldn’t save. I pray that you and others in the community never need my services, and all I ask in return is that you pray for me while I do my job. I’m not a perfect person, Im just one of you and I’ll never say I am, but, yes Mr. Citizen, I’m a Volunteer Fireman, and pretty proud of it.