It’s been more than 30 years since I first raised my right hand and took the oath to become a firefighter. While that day continues to become more distant, the excitement and anticipation I felt on that day remain remarkably clear. With a gleam in my eyes and pride-induced deafness in my ears, I echoed the words, “I will faithfully and impartially discharge my duties as a firefighter representing the Wilder Fire Department, in accordance with the laws of the state of Kentucky, to the best of my abilities, so help me God.”
I took this oath as a second-generation firefighter, firmly acknowledging that I had assumed a responsibility to serve my community and the citizens thereof. That being said, I honestly can’t say that at the time I fully understood the consequences of what this new role might bring or the true gravity of this call of duty.
Fast forward to 2017. It’s been 12 years since a major hurricane has made landfall in the United States when suddenly the community you serve is thrust into the national news and hit with more than 50 inches of rain and catastrophic flooding. Hundreds of thousands of homes in your community have been flooded, including your own. More than 17,000 of the citizens you’ve sworn to protect are in desperate need of rescue, three of which are members of your own family. Welcome to your modern-day call of duty.
Not long after, the winds pick up in the southern reaches of the United States as the catastrophic forces of a Category 5 hurricane strike land. Faced with extreme damages and nearly 100 fatalities—and not knowing if any of the fatally injured are friends or family—you receive the call of duty.
The winds have now subsided, but the devastating aftermath remains. With still months, if not years, of cleanup and recovery ahead, Mother Nature once again begins to show her fury. While the impact is distant from your immediate response area, the devastating effects demand an immediate response, thereby diverting the relief resources that you and your crews so desperately need. The devastation of this storm creates an island-wide communication blackout, destroys a previously compromised electrical grid, and leaves an entire population in despair. It is on this day that you affirm that a firefighter’s call of duty is one without borders. You call and we come.
Back at home, you’ve settled in for a restful Sunday evening, when the tones drop for a reported shooting at a major hotel and casino. Your heart begins to pound profusely with anticipation as the dispatcher upgrades the response to a mass-casualty incident with dozens of gunshot victims. As you arrive, the panic-stricken screams of fleeing civilians are quickly overshadowed by the rapid succession of high-caliber gunfire. It’s at this moment that you suddenly realize that you’re on the scene of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Welcome to the unimaginable call of duty.
As the investigation continues and the emotional toll begins to become a reality, the untamed power and devastation of fire ignites more than 3,000 homes and claims a yet-to-be-determined number of lives in some of the most precious wine regions of our country. Fires erupt in the northern and southern parts of the state, backed by winds that intensify the rapid growth and development. Surrounded by the ashes of a once-peaceful neighborhood, you somehow begin to acknowledge the unspeakable consequences of the call of duty.
Over the last two months, firefighters from all reaches of the country have been faced with some of the most challenging responses in our nation’s history. Some have been imposed by nature, while others have been the vicious acts of the mentally deranged, but all have been met with the courageous and selfless response of our nation’s bravest.
To each of you who have met the demands of the call of duty in these trying times, I share my thanks and heartfelt gratitude. You represent the best of our profession, and you make each of us who have shared the oath proud to serve.
Thank you for answering the call.
