Firefighters are in the "worst day of your life" business. Just about every time that we're called, we land on the scene of something that makes our hair stand on end – fires, crashes, medical emergencies, haz-mat incidents…the kinds of situations most people want to steer clear of. Our goal is to contain the chaos, whether the worst of the worst unfolds, or just the bad. Our job is to help people prevent or survive a situation that could become one of the worst days of their lives.
Every 18 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the U.S., according to NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), the international nonprofit fire, building and life safety advocate. That's just fire, not the other emergencies served by local fire departments. NFPA's recent report shows that of the more than 20 million calls fire departments responded to in 2000, some 12 million were for medical assistance, two million were false alarms, and 320,000 were for hazardous materials. Roughly, here in Peabody we respond to about 20 calls, per day.
In a poll of Americans last December, conducted by USAToday, firefighters received the highest marks (90 percent) for ethics and honesty among 10 occupations listed. Nurses were next, at 84 percent. Everyone has a good story about a firefighter, someone who responded with skill, speed and kindness in a tough situation.
Stress comes with this turf, and to no one's wonder, just about 40 percent of all on-duty U.S. firefighter fatalities are related to heart attacks almost every year, according to NFPA. On-duty heart attacks are usually attributed to overexertion or stress. Other major causes of death include motor vehicle crashes, smoke inhalation or burns and traumatic injuries resulting from falls or from being struck by vehicles or other objects.
There are more than a million firefighters in the U.S. For more information on firefighter statistics or for fire safety tips, visit NFPA's Web site at www.nfpa.org.
Whether it was the time when the jaws-of-life were used to save your aunt in the car crash, or the prompt response when your kitchen caught fire, or the fire safety lessons your kids got at school, here in Peabody and elsewhere, it is always the ethical, honest, never-too-tired firefighter who shows up, no questions asked, to save the day.
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