Firefighting

Ever since I was a kid, I grew up around the fire house. I have family that still to this day do the job.I watched from the sidelines as trucks drove past me on their way to help someone in need. Q sirens whaling and the air horns blasting, you knew they were in a rush to get somewhere quick. its really hard to explain why we do what we do without sounding like an action junky. The best way I know how to put it is that this job, if you can even call it that, is one big family. These people you work with would lay their life on the line for yours at the drop of a hat if you were in trouble. you work side by side for 24hrs with people I consider brothers and sisters. you laugh and cry together. that bond that no one unless they have done the job could ever understand. you spend this time, rushing from one call to the next. No matter how many years you have on the job, no job is ever the same. Some have similarities but nothing we do is ever the same.

I started my career with the Fire Department on September 11th 2012. My training was very physically demanding and tested me daily. I always loved the saying that there is fit and then there is Firefighter fit.

I completed my training and I was assigned to Station 65. Best house in the department if I do say so myself =)

As the years went on, I learned more and more as time went on. I became an Engineer a few years later. Talk about responsibility.
When your instructor tells you that everyones lives from the time the truck leaves the station to the time you pull the parking break on scene are in your hands, it kind of opens ur eyes a little. Fast forward to June 14th 2015 that was the day that the Sockeye Fire started in Willow Alaska. The sockeye was my first experience with large scale wild land firefighting. I was the Engineer on Brush 61, one of the first due brush trucks that responded to this incident.

Driving to this incident from our area, we see the gigantic coloum of smoke coming from the Willow area. At that moment we knew this was going to be a long job. When we finally get there and your just engulfed in smoke the whole time it feels like a war zone.

That day 7,220 achers were lost, not the biggest fire by any means. But the biggest loss were the homes. That day 55 homes were lost. 55 familys lost everything they had because someone who didn't use proper burning practices. That was my first major incedent responding as an engineer.

One of the other jobs on the department that I have the privilege to do is teaching. I am one of the Lead instructors for our recruit class, Firefighter 1 and 2 classes.
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I have been teaching new Firefighters how to the job for about 4 years now. Iv always had a passion for teaching. I'v been very fortunate to be able to pass what I know, on to the future generation of firefighters.

The greatest part of teaching someone to do the job, is watching them come in day one not even knowing how to put their bunkers on in under two minutes to doing fire attack, or victim rescue. Watching that spark in there eye and that look on their face when all the stuff you have been yelling at them for finally makes senesce.

Its been a hell of a time doing all the things iv done and achieved over the years. all my accomplishments from making Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 to making Engineer and later on achieving the rank of Lieutenant. I still have many more years a head of me before I hang up my boots. But I can tell you now it will never get old, and ill never stop learning.

When that bell rings, and someone needs help ill be there. And when I see a kid with a big smile on their face waving as we go by with lights and sirens and horns blasting ill always think back to the times I did the same thing.

Thanks again for taking the time to read my post. All photos used in this post are my own, if you want to see more make sure to follow me on Instagram at kahler907 and also check me out on Facebook at Snowdrift Photography.

Thanks again.