A Tribute to Firefighters

lewopschall
Apr 1, 2015
2 min read

In Cincinnati today, one man’s life is being celebrated after he passed away during a rescue operation last week. Downtown thousands of firefighters from across the country will line the streets honoring him. That man is Daryl Gordon, a 30-year Cincinnati Fire veteran.

I didn’t know Mr. Gordon personally, however during my time in Cincinnati I have gotten to know the fire department community well. Back in July I took part in a “Fire Ops 101” class. I was partnered with a firefighter who walked me through several of the firefighter’s exercises. I went into a flashover simulator.

Basically, all objects within a space become heated to their ignition point. The temperature can reach over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes you will see flames ignite from thin air above your head.

For me, the most impactful experience was performing a search and rescue. I had to climb multiple staircases to get to where the victim was. Once inside, everything was black, you couldn’t see anything. I immediately felt disoriented. I was told to always have my hand on the wall so I could find the doorways leading to where I needed to go. Once I found the victim’s body (a dummy full of sand,) I struggled to carry it. During the exercise I couldn’t help but feel panicked… and to think this was only an exercise.

You can say what you want about firefighters. It’s a bunch of (mostly) guys living in a “frat house” until a siren rings. Those guys though, go to work everyday putting their lives at risk to protect our own. They leave their families every workday facing the reality that they might not ever come home.

Today I want to honor not just Daryl Gordon but all those men and woman who have chosen to serve. Thank you for all the things you risk to protect millions of people, including myself, across the nation.