A Fire Fighter is a lonely man holding a midmorning
watch with book in hand and a telephone within
a split seconds reach. A darkened apparatus floor,a
complicated alarm system, now silient,
but perhaps within the next blink of en eye or turn
of a page will scream out with the
clanging of bells, the turning of gears,
and the ticking of tape.
What is as Fire Fighter?
He is years of constant training that must guide him
in every move once that Great Silver Bell again must exact
"Awake ye from your beds! "
Your heavy resting hearts within the sigh of an
awakening must now beat with the strength of an athelete,
a fighter, for a fighter you are.
A fire fighter is a man responsible for thousands of dollars
of equipment, and for the lives of his fellowmen
he knows he must protect.
He is a man constanltly studying for promotions,
not content that as a private he already represents
leadership in the community. For a young girl or
boy there is no doubt who he is.
Yes he was the one who found time to smile down at them.
From the top of his protective helmet to the bottoms
of his steel reinforced boots he apperead to be a giant,
"Get back!" he shouted, as he strained to move hundreds
of pounds of water-filled hose
only to diiappear into a hell of smoke and heat.
Are you worried about your smoking habits?
The fire fighter must now inhale the truly
kingsize of them all, three stories high and filled
with foreign and domestic sofas, carpets, paints,and woods.
The Tolls are great among these men,
greater then almost every other occupation.
The rewards; long hours, working weekends and holidays.
He gives up time with his own family for the sake
and safeguard of those who see only the superficial man
and not the superman that perhaps he is.
For this he is if only in the heart and mind of a child
not blinded by the isms of life, but instead opened
by a tear as his floppy-eared puppy
responds to the carefully applied artificail respiration
given to it by a combination doctor, fire fighter,
truck driver and yes, maybe a superman.
Perhaps that tear is the fire fighter's reward.
Someday he too may shed a tear for a fallen comrade,
sillently praying that his own
last alarm will herald the end to a glorious career
through retirement, and not through death or injury.
What is a fire fighter?
Ask the people that he has helped in times of fire,
flood, plane, car and boat disasters,
accidents through carelessness or in times of war.
When others walk away the fire fighter must now
take on the responsibilities of saving lives and property.
A giant, a superman, a constant vigiil for the
prevention of fire.
Oh, to have the eyes and faith of a child,
If only grown-ups were so blessed, the fire
fighters's life would be the richest on earth.
Copyrighted 1969, Author: Jim Taylor