Firefighters the world around work to make the lives of the people around them safer and more fulfilling. Beyond their more obvious and impactful contributions of fighting fires and saving lives, they contribute much more to the communities they are found in. Many young boys say they want to grow up to be firemen because of how much they revere the men and women who put their lives on the line to save other people’s property and lives. Firefighters have continued to live up to their reputations and work hard to make our lives better.
While you obviously expect firefighters to fires, they also do a huge amount of other crucial life saving tasks. When there is a car crash and a person needs to be taken to the hospital, it is the firefighters using the Jaws of Life to pry open a hole to pull the person through. When an earthquake takes down a building and there are people trapped inside, it is the firefighters that crawl inside to get them out. They even receive medical training to help them do everything in their power to keep a person alive until they can reach a hospital. In just about any catastrophic disaster, you will find firefighters doing everything they can to save lives.
The firefighting extends beyond just putting out buildings that are on fire. When a wild fire is roaring through a forest or open plain, threatening the lives and property of the people living there, it is firefighters that stop it. Every year, countless acres are consumed by wildfire around the world, and it is the efforts of these firefighters that keep that number as small as possible. They actually sometimes set the fires themselves, but only in an entirely controlled manner which is meant to reduce the risk of an uncontrolled blaze in high risk areas.
When firefighters aren’t saving lives, they do many community friendly activities. One thing that many firefighters do is give talks at local schools about how to prevent fires, what to do if you see a fire, and how to safely evacuate the premises. Some firefighters also give basic lessons on CPR and other medical techniques to help people keep a person alive until paramedics can arrive.
Because preventing a fire is preferred over putting a fire, firefighters put a lot of effort into preventing potential blazes. In addition to what they teach children when they visit schools, firefighters also inspect buildings to determine how at risk they are and how well they can withstand a fire if it does happen. In some areas, local firefighters even go around to residential houses in their district and inspect the areas for potential fire hazards such as excessive brush, or debris on rooftops. They also distribute brochures and give demonstrations.
Firefighters all over the world work tirelessly to save lives. While the namesake of their occupation is their primary concern, they also cover many other areas. When you see a disaster, you can be sure you’ll see firefighters there to fight it.