The Fire Chief

All his life, the fire chief has trained for this one moment. Every single move he makes could mean the difference between life and death. He is constantly in combat with one of mother natures truly dominating and unpredictable elements. The heat it brings instigates a rush of blood to each limb, an adrenaline rush of the heart and mind. Although he is not a religious man, the experience of merely escaping being consumed in the heart of the fire is a constant reminder to him of how precious the gift of life really is.

He is a 45 year old, middle-class man, thankful for what he has. His hunger for material items was lost the first time he witnessed another family’s house being swallowed by a circus of hot red, orange and yellow flames, spiralling as high as 80ft into the air. All that remained was the hot gray ash, still glowing orange as the wind blew and the immensely dense, thick, black smog, impairing the vision of everyone it encountered. The parents left in a fragile state of mind to pick up the pieces and start anew.

The fire chief is a humble hero living in amongst an urban society, quietly and unrecognised he goes about his days with no regrets. Each day he awakens with the sunrise, says goodbye to his beautiful wife and two girls, never knowing whether it will be his last. Simply the thought of losing them, provides him with the endurance and determination he needs to pull himself through each vigorous day.

He is a masculine, strong and courageous being, a leader in amongst the ruin, he gives hope to those that have given up, he provides direction to those that are lost, he reassures the uncertain and more importantly he protects the vulnerable; children, families and the elderly. He truly is a gem amongst a pure breed of selfless beings; a genuine breed respected internationally for their noble work. Without the fire chief, his immense strength and his leadership, the others would be lost.

And lastly, he is a role model. He is more than just a “fire chief”. He is what almost every little boy dreams of growing up to be when their young. Little do they know then, that chances are they will grow up to be something completely different. Perhaps, trapped in an office all day, wondering what that dream could have been like to fulfil. But, my point is that it is the character and nature of the fire chief that draws us to him. It’s not what he does necessarily, but who he is.