Elizabeth Bourne May 24, 2024 I have been a volunteer firefighter with Warriors Mark Franklin VFD for 1 year and volunteering with Big Valley EMS for 3 months. Volunteering with these two organizations has made a big impact in my life. Several reasons lead me to join these two organizations and get my EMT certification. My Dad has always played a big role in my life with showing me good morals to live by, a big one being helping others no matter who they are. This was my primary reason for becoming a firefighter. He has been a firefighter/EMT for over 20 years. Every time the pager went off, he would drop whatever he was doing and leave to help whoever was in danger. This had a really big impact on my life and showed me that every life mattered. It didn’t matter to him or any of the other firefighters what you looked like, your social status, or anything. All that mattered was that you needed help. When I started getting older, Dad would take me to the fire company and show me the trucks and I got to meet some of the firefighters. I grew so attached to what they did that I decided to join the fire company in my sophomore year of high school. I still remember my first incident like it was yesterday. It was a minor rear-end crash, nothing big or complicated. But when I left the scene to go home, I knew that the fire company was where I belonged. After helping at car crashes, I decided I wanted to do more with public safety than just firefighting. I decided to get my EMT license, just like my Dad. I found a local EMT class and spent a lot of time working on learning not only the book knowledge but also the skills. Several of my instructors told the entire class and kept working it into our heads that all of the book knowledge is great, but without the skills, you can’t be a good EMT. They worked on skills with us for a long time till we could do the skills without having to think twice about it. After I got my EMT certification, I joined Big Valley EMS, where I have been volunteering since fall of 2023. Another big reason I started volunteering as a firefighter/EMT was to help the community. The community has helped me with so many things, from donating to the local 4-H club that I am a part of to hosting learning experiences. I wanted to give back to the community as my way of thanking them for all they do for me. I want to be there for the people in my community and lend them a hand in their biggest time of need. My final reason for volunteering as a firefighter/EMT is because it is my way of serving the country. Serving in the Armed Forces isn’t the only way to serve the United States. We also need people on the home front to serve the small and large communities in the United States. Serving the community is an amazing feeling. From giving someone oxygen who is struggling to breathe to giving someone a bottle of water at a fire, you are giving your community a great service. There is a great need for firefighters and EMTs. This need led me to become a firefighter/EMT.