Being a firefighter much more than holding a hose

“I was a firefighter for years, but recently took early retirement.

“Overall, firemen are pretty well educated, but a lot of people don’t give them credit. They think, how hard can it be to stand there with a hose in your hand? But there’s a lot of science involved in various aspects of the job.

“The job can be exciting, but it can also be very boring at times. There’s no set time for emergencies. You can go all day and not turn the wheel and then be up all night, or all day and then sleep all night. It goes in spurts.

“I got used to that routine. I’m getting used to the retired routine now.”