Better late than never: joining the ranks of volunteer firefighters

I’ve been doing a lot of things with all the free time I have now that I’m retired. Bought a couple of new guitars. Bought a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Founded the Guilderland Guitar Group. Even successfully pulled off a 50th reunion for my Class of 1973 grade-school classmates.

But I’d always talked about volunteering more when I finally had the time. Well, now I can report I am officially a member of the Guilderland Fire Department. That’s right, I’m the newest firefighter at the Guilderland Fire Department on Western Avenue.

I was driving by one day and the big flashing sign in front of the firehouse said “volunteers needed.” I’d seen that many times before, but that was when I was working full-time and raising a family.

Then, when the kids became adults, my wife’s parents and my parents all began a slow and steady decline. They all needed a lot of our attention. For a long time I was maintaining my in-laws’ house as well as my own. I honestly thought I didn’t have the time for anything extra, but I’ve learned now that wasn’t entirely true.

Tim O’Hara, a longtime member of Guilderland Fire Department, has been very helpful in bringing me on board. He told me that, when it comes to volunteering, most fire companies would gladly accept any amount of time you can give them.

You just do what you can do. Had I known that, I would have joined years ago. Well, better late than never, as the saying goes.

I actually have a history with GFD. They’ve been to my house at least three times. Once for hard-wired smoke detectors that refused to stop beeping (hint: check the backup batteries). Once when our carbon-monoxide detector went off. In case you don’t know, carbon-monoxide poisoning can kill you. That turned out to be a fireplace venting problem. Finally, I had them come when a propane barbecue tank was leaking. Very scary.

GFD comes when you need them; they are 100-percent professional and capable, and they do what needs to be done. To be a part of this organization now is just a dream come true.

Before I could become a member of the GFD, they had to do an arson background check on me. What’s that? Well, it turns out that the adrenaline rush of fighting fires is so addicting for some people that actual trained firefighters sometimes start fires just for the thrill of then putting them out.

This is why, if I had not spent a career in information technology, I would have gone into psychology or psychiatry, because you can never predict what people will do. I’m certain there’s never a dull moment in those fields.

Here is what I would tell a firefighter who craves adrenalin: Take all your gear — jacket, helmet, ax, air tank, etc. — and go talk to middle-school kids about firefighting. If a gymnasium full of sixth-graders hanging on your every word doesn’t get your adrenaline flowing, nothing will, haha.

To become a firefighter, you have to pass a basic physical exam, which I did. But there’s one thing I never knew about firefighting, which is you can’t have a beard or facial hair, other than a mustache.

This is because the gas mask you need to wear that provides breathable air from a backpack mounted tank must have a very tight fit in order to seal out smoke. Not only can’t I have a beard, but I have to shave every day now. I had been slacking off to shaving every three days in my retirement. The things we have to do to serve our community, haha.

Here’s something you may not know about firefighting. I certainly didn’t. Guess how much it costs to outfit a firefighter, including flame-resistant clothing, smoke-resistant mask, gloves (three different kinds), boots, and everything else? About $5,000.

So the next time the fire department sends out a fundraising letter, or when they offer Valentine roses, please do your part. Trust me, these men and women are very, very dedicated and totally deserving of all of our support.

I just went to my first Monday evening drill at GFD. What I saw there just about floored me. It involved Assistant Fire Chief Sean Smith, who had already put in a full day at his full-time job, performing a “bailout” exercise.

He did this two ways, both while wearing all his gear, including an air tank and gas mask. First he exited a second-story window, head first, while connected to a rappelling device. Once outside the window, he turned around and made it down the wall (two other firefighters held him on a “belay” rope for safety during this training, thankfully).

The second time, he came out of the window head first on a ladder. Then, while still on the ladder, he flipped himself upside down, which made him right side up, before descending. These were very athletic feats like you’d see at a ball game. Believe me when I say it. I was simply blown away.

Here’s how serious they are about safety at GFD. The ropes used in the above-mentioned training exercises can only be used so many times before they are discarded. This is to maximize safety above all else.

Talking about safety, the GFD building on Western Avenue is just huge. It is much bigger inside than it looks outside. Yet the whole place is as clean as a whistle, and it is a place where everything is in its place, stowed neatly and safely, ready for use at a moment's notice.

Believe me, as someone who spends wasted time looking for tools that I know I have, the level of organization and neatness at the firehouse is just through the roof.

When you see firefighters in a movie, it’s always a hunky guy taking a beautiful damsel in distress down a ladder. I always thought they did it this way because everyone likes looking at beautiful people.

But now that I’m a firefighter myself, it makes a lot of sense: The firefighter needs to be strong and, if the unlucky lady who needs to be rescued is a size 2, all the better. Just another reason for all of us to get in and stay in shape!

I’m finally a volunteer firefighter, in my retirement years of all things. Wow. Wish me luck.