March is a very special month for Cal Fire fighters in our local area, as It is the month that these brave men and women get back to work before the fire season is expected to be at its peak.
June being the most commonly known month where fires are popping up around local areas, most of these firefighters will spend the months from March to May preparing for the summer season ahead of them.
Nic Moroni is a Cal-Fire Firefighter who is currently with station 40 in Smartsville, California sat down to answer a few questions with the roadrunner about the busy upcoming season, letting us know a little bit more about the job of saving lives and preventing wildfire outbreaks in our local area.
Being a firefighter comes with both physical and mental demands, this job can be very hard on a person as they spend years lugging around heavy equipment and witness some brutal things no person wants to see firsthand.
Getting into the job was the easy choice for Nic Moroni stating, “I wanted a physically demanding job, one that required me to stay in shape, to perform well. To help save lives.” He states that being able to work as a team is a crucial benefit as well, this makes him push himself even harder for his crew. During the fire season the people around him are not only his crew but also his inspiration to keep going.
While there are many cool things about being a fire fighter there are also some very demanding aspects of the job as well.
Fighting fires in the hot summer heat of the Northern California area is not an easy task. Especially when you are lugging around 45 pounds worth of gear. To make matters worse is the schedule that these men and women have to live by and it seems that little to no sleep is the “norm” during these periods. Put those two things together and you are working in conditions that are no one’s idea of a perfect summer day.
Throughout all of these demands there are some key factors that help keep these firefighters afloat, and some that Moroni says are crucial to surviving your first year as a rookie. “Have a good attitude. Be a team player.” Moroni says, “Have an ethic to work hard, you never stop learning, there is always something new you won’t know.”
As we walked more he informed us on what demands there were at the fire station as well, especially for someone that was new to the job. “Be the first to wake up, do the dishes.”
“The demands on this job don’t stop, for the average 2-3 day shifts, you are always doing something or getting your hands dirty, being ready to change your clothes in a matter of 2 minutes and out the door to a call is the “norm” on a shift.”
Remembering to separate one’s work from reality is also a very important skill that you have to learn.
With an everyday experience as harsh as these fire fighters constantly face it is important to have a good support system around you as well. “Your crew is a second family.” Moroni says, “Lean on them. Having good friends and family around you with a job as demanding as this one is a must, their support means everything. It means we are never alone, even if we may feel like it at times.”
These brave men and women all started somewhere. If you are interested in the mental and physical demands of this job and believe in yourself and your abilities, Moroni would like to leave you with this,
“Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Go to a fire academy and get your EMT certification.”
