“No day is the same,” said Chief Dan Johnson. “You have days where they can’t pay you enough to do what you just had to do and days you can’t believe they pay you to do this job.”
The Laramie Fire Department is ready at any moment 24 hours a day to keep Laramie and the majority of Albany County safe. Laramie fire provides ambulance services with their team of trained EMTs and paramedics.
When asked how he deals with the events that he sees and deals with, Matt Ferguson said, “Those things happen whether you know or not, if you’re there or not.”
If a person’s life is in jeopardy, it is up to these emergency responders to do all they can to save a life
“If you can say, ‘I went to the training, I was prepared, I did what I was supposed to do; this was going poorly, but I did everything I was supposed to do, whatever happens after that kind of just is what it is,” added Ben Freer.
This career is more than just a job for these brave folks. “Serving the community” is the phrase floating around Station number one from nearly every person.
When asked what inspired these people to join the fire department, many explained that they wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves, something that wasn’t mundane, something that would help the community.
Gus Stonum, the training chief and a shift commander answered, “I tested the day before 9/11… and that really put the question in my head, ‘is that something that I really want to do?’”
The answer was yes for Stonum and now he works every day to keep the Laramie fire “family” trained and ready.
Each team member at the Laramie fire department is committed to an hour of physical fitness every day they work, in addition to a rigorous mental fitness training. Each day, the Laramie fire department trains their personnel to keep knowledge about machinery, equipment, medical terminology, and much more on the forefront of their minds.
In order to even begin the journey as a Laramie fire fighter, one must pass a strenuous physical exam which tests strength, agility and aerobics. However, the mind is just as important to the body, and these modern-day Spartans also must pass a lengthy written and oral exam. These exams cover mathematics, critical thinking, psychology and other crucial topics that come into play when one is expected to save a life.
Stonum encouraged anyone who is looking for a fast-paced career that is fulfilling and bigger than themselves to take the exams to be a Laramie fire fighter.
More information can be found on the City of Laramie Fire website.
