Firefighting

Firefighting Career, Makanda Township Fire Department (2001-2004)

I started my firefighting career at the Makanda Township Fire Department, in Makanda, Illinois. Makanda is located just south of the Carbondale area, which is where I went to college. The department covers 36 square miles of moderately rugged terrain. MTFD also covered portions of the well know Giant City State Park. My career began around September, 2001.

In August of 2002 I moved into an apartment located 45 seconds from Station 2, which is on the east side of the township on Giant City Road. Over the next 2 years I gained a lot of experience very quickly. As anyone who has known me for a while can tell you, I have an eXtreme fascination with emergency lights and sirens. I responded all of the equipment at Station 2 to emergency calls repeatedly.

I was promoted to Lieutenant around August of 2003. I was (and continue to be) very proud of my new rank. Between my promotion and March 2004 I concentrated on teaching my crew the lessons that I had learned while at MTFD. It took a lot of time and hard work, but I had established myself as a respected member of the fire department.

In March of 2004 Fayanne and I made a decision that would end my career with MTFD. Teaching jobs in Southern Illinois were next to impossible to find, and I had to keep my promise. We decided that we should move back to my home in Central Illinois. This was a terribly hard decision to leave my family in Makanda. However, I knew it was a step in the right direction.

Firefighting Career Continues, Lincoln Fire Protection District (2004+)

On May 5th I was interviewed by the Lincoln Fire Protection District, Station 3 (Mattoon, IL). There were eight people looking to get on the department, one of which was a past member of the department. In previous conversations with Denny Wilson (chief) I was told that I would be given priority due to my past experience. My concern was that there was only one spot available, and eight people wanting to fill it. There was also a chance that the department would want the previous member before me. Either way, I wasn't going to give up.

On June 5th Steve called me with news that I had been voted on the department, along with two others. I am now officially a firefighter for LFPD Station 3 (6-22-2004).