E4 specialist to E5 promotable of the US Army to Lieutenant O’Brien of the Antioch Fire Department, but one thing stayed the same: defend the red, white and blue.

I knew when I turned 18, I would defend the red, white and blue for the rest of my life. It all happened so fast. I was moving from different bases for my training. The training, the sleepless nights, the studying and thinking about the worst: the unknown. Two thousand ten was my year, it was time to leave the luxury of normal life and go into the blazing fire of Kandahar, Afghanistan. I fought along side my brothers and sisters for 13 months. No mom, no dad, just my brothers and sisters. After that miserable but life changing year, I was a lucky one that got to see my family again.

I got back and, for the first time in a year, I was able to step onto the soil of the land of the free because of the brave, like me. That is when I knew it was in my blood to serve my country and help the people of it.

I decided to become a man that will run into a smoldering building instead of running away from it. My job is not to just smother fires and rescue people; I overview the fire itself. I am the accompany officer. My job is to make sure everyone is safe and is able to work to their most efficient capability. Before we go busting through doors, we have to come to an agreement that this is the most safe and efficient way to approach the situation.

I wake up at 5 a.m. to begin my job. I drive to the fire station, shower, shave and put on my uniform, but that is only step one. My crew and I then have to check the engines and ambulances for proper equipment and make sure everything is functioning. If anything is broken, we must replace it. By 6 a.m. my crew and I are fully ready to respond to emergencies.

Now it is time for roll call. We sit around the kitchen table just like a family does; after all, we are a big family. We discuss our day and our players. Players meaning who has what certification, who is on what vehicle and who is assigned to what tools. After roll call we eat breakfast as a family. Everyone is around the table; small talk is going around, jokes are being cracked. Once breakfast is all cleaned up and dishes are done, food is put into the three different massive fridge raiders we have. Then we begin our day.

By the start of the day, we do not just sit around and wait for a call to come in. We do our weekly checks, which are a more in depth examination of our equipment, taking off the caps on the engines, checking tire pressure. Usually around 9 or 10 a.m. we begin our training. We train every week to keep us up to status with the most effective and new methods skills.

Depending on calls, it’s typically around noon when we eat lunch as a family again, whether it be going out or cooking for ourselves.  After lunch it is time for house chor-

   Beep* Beep* Boop*

Engine 211 car accident on 173 and 83*

Engine 211 car accident on 173 and 83*

This is second nature to me.

It is now around and time to do house chores. We do not have maids. We have to clean our own bathrooms and mop the floors, clean up the living room, clean the trucks and the truck floor. After all of our house chores are complete we do our reports. Basically, we sit down and go through a series of checklists about numerous things, whether it be the most recent call or just writing down what got fixed or what still needs to be fixed.

Typically around 3 o’clock, it is free time. Most guys work out because we have our own personal gym in the basement of the fire house. Depending on the day and how many calls we have pulled, some guys like to relax or study.

Beep* Beep* Boop*

Engine 211 report of a structure fire at 123 North Avenue

Engine 211 report of a structure fire at 123 North Avenue

That’s me again.

This happens on a regular basis; many times I have to stop what I am doing to attend to a call. Once we get back from a call, we debrief and that is when we discuss the call. Then it is just like normal. Everyone goes back to what they were doing. After dinner, all we usually do is attend to calls or play board or card games with each other; it’s our relaxation time until we go to bed.

When I do go to bed, I lay down and realize how much I truly do love my job and the people I work with. When I lay down in my bed every night, I say the fireman’s prayer.

“When I am called to duty, God,/ Whenever flames may rage;/ Give me strength to save some life,/ Whatever be its age./ Help me embrace a little child/ Before it is too late/ or save an older person/ from horror of that fate./ Enable me to be alert/ and hear the weakest shout,/ and quickly and efficiently/ to put the fire out./ I want to fill my calling/ and to give the best in me/ to guard my every neighbor/ and protect his property./ And if, according to my fate,/ I am to lose my life,/ Please bless with your protecting/ my children and my wife.”