What is a Fireman?
He's the guy next door.
He's the man with the sharp memory of a little boy who never got
over the excitement of engines and sirens and smoke and danger.
He's a guy like you and me with warts and worries and unfulfilled
dreams.
Yet, he stands taller than most of us. He's a fireman. He puts
it all on the line when the bell rings.
A fireman is at once the most fortunate and the least fortunate
of men.
He's a man who savors life because he has seen too much death.
He's a gentle man because he has seen too much of the awesome
power of violent forces out of control.
He's a man responsive to a child's laughter because his arms have
held too many small bodies that will never laugh again.
He's a man who appreciates the simple pleasures of life…hot
coffee held in numbed fingers…the flush of fresh air pumping
through smoke convulsed lungs…a warm bed for home and muscle
compelled beyond feeling...the camaraderie of brave men…the
divine peace of selfless service and a job well done in the name
of all men.
He doesn't wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities, and
when he marches, it is to honor a fallen comrade.
He doesn't preach the brotherhood of man.
He lives it.
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