South Pole reflection 1

This picture explains pretty well our position at the South Pole in my opinion. We are the shadows that lurk in the dark. We are the people who are there not for a hugely contributory purpose but for the reasons that everyone takes for granted.

We, the Antarctica Fire Department, are there in support of the Air Force and the LC-130s that fly in with 50% of the South Pole's fuel, 100% of its food and materials, and 95% its people. But since we do not have "regular active tasking," people take us for granted. We are the people who do building inspections, help in the galley, help out cargo, help the wasties, or "take up computer space" when everyone "else" on station is finally free from work. But what they do not see is that we have to be on the flight line getting ready an hour before the LC-130 gets there. Then we have to standby while it is giving the South Pole its much-needed and precious AN8 fuel or its fresh vegetables or the support material for drilling or the personnel who are needed to run the day-to-day activities at the bottom of the world.

People only see us "working" when we come into their work centers and say "Fire Inspection" and then "shake some fire extinguishers" and leave, just to send them a "nasty" email about how they are blocking emergency exits or how their flammable storage cabinets are blocked or have "stuff" on them. What people never see is the 440+ hours it took to become a basic firefighter and that doesn't include the 300+ hours for EMT or the 900+ hours for a Paramedic -- or how about the 60 hours just for ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting) training. Oh, that is right: the fire brigade members have a 40-hour fire "academy" that is supposed to prepare them for the workings of an actual emergency scene where they could be required to pull one of their station mates out of a bad situation.

But even with my ramblings there is absolutely no other job in the world that I would rather be doing. I absolutely love the fact that people take firefighters for granted until they absolutely need us. We get called for everything from the cliché cat in a tree, to the unresponsive person, from the car accidents, to the fires or the aircraft emergencies. This is a job that I have stayed awake for 48+ hours at a time for. I have left a girlfriend at dinner for a call -- it was a double date and both of us guys went to an unresponsive leaving our dates at the table -- and missed work for a call. I've bled and broken bones for my job. Then they tell me because of my hard work and attitude I get to be one of the 0.0001% of the population to go to the South Pole. This is the profession that I want and the profession that I love. I wouldn't give this up for anything.