Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age.
Help me embrace a little child, before it is too late,
Or save an older person from, the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently, to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling, and to give the best in me,
To guard my every neighbor, and protect his property.
And if according to my fate, I am to lose my life,
Please Bless with your protecting hand, my children
and my wife.
I'm laying in the darkness, I cannot fall asleep.
I wonder where my husband is, I wish he'd call or beep.
I saw him leave this morning, the black boots on his feet.
He said he had to run now, and I know he's on the street.
You'll know him when You see him, his truck is very loud.
He has no time to stop now, he doesn't want a crowd.
A caller said "Please hurry!" Come quickly if you will.
A young man with a motorbike is laying very still.
A mother calls in anguish, her child limp and blue.
HURRY! Come, I need you! I don't know what to do.
I hear his key turning, he's coming in the door.
I hear him drop his boots, then footsteps on the floor.
I hear him in the kitchen, I can tell from his walk,
He'll soon come and wake me, and ask if we can talk.
We'll sit out in the moonlight, and listen to the night.
He talks about a shooting, a streetgang in a fight.
A car crash, a drowning, a small child hurt at play.
The things he needs to talk about, the things he did today.
The old, the sick, the injured, some so very small.
He did all he could to help them, he answered every call.
Every day he has a mission, he knows it in his heart.
He does everything he can and always does his part.
If you are sick or injured and you need to reach my Hon,
I can tell you how to reach him, his number is ......911
What do you call that person,
The one you owe your life?
What do you call that friend,
That helped you in your strife?
Who is it that you call for,
When death is at your door?
Who is it that you pray for,
when your knees fall to the floor?
In life we have those few,
Who we count on without fear,
They stand beside you endlessly,
and help you shed your tear.
They help face the demons,
That come for us at night,
They boldly stand beside us,
Beside us they stand to fight,
When they fall,
We are there,
To fight along their side,
And when they fear,
We are there,
to give them a place to hide.
Through all time,
Back and forth,
Never keeping count,
We stand, Beside each other,
Wherever trouble mounts,
It is this special bond,
That leads one to give his life,
So that the other one,
Can return safely to his wife,
It is because of this relationship,
And reasons so few can see,
That every other firefighter,
Known or unknown to me,
Will be called my Brother,
And their Brother will I be.
-Michael Ballew
The pagers go off, calling us out.
The dispatcher gives the address, with a loud shout.
I jump out of bed as fast as I can.
Grab my shoes and my keys as they page us again.
I go out to my truck, plug in the dash light.
Cause somewhere in town is a fire I must fight.
Wipeing the sleep from my eyes, I see a bright glow in the distance.
A policeman yells over the radio "Code 3, I need assistance"
He said there is screaming, coming from inside.
I think to myself, someone is trapped, but alive.
The pain they must feel, I can't imagine the scare.
I see the station up the road, the chief's already there.
I pray to God "Please let us get there in time,
To save an unknown life, Lord if you must, instead take mine."
I speed up a little faster, but still driving safe.
Still praying to God that I won't be too late.
I finally get to the station, put on my turn out gear.
The chief starts the fire engine and yells "We're outta here!"
The sirens sound off, the red strobe are so bright,
I pray once again,"Lord watch over us tonight."
I suit up for action putting on the S.C.B.A.
The chief makes the comment "Boys the Devil wants to play!"
We arrive on scene, not ever thinking one time,
"Why am I doing this?" or "Why do I put my life on the line?"
As we observe the silence and think "this person is dead."
All of a sudden I see the shadow of a small head.
Looking real hard, trying to figure out what it is.
Oh dear Lord, it can't be. It's just a small kid.
Then all of sudden the head moved, "this kid's still alive!"
So I try to reassure her by yelling "Everything's gonna be alright!"
I always said "I'd die if it would save another life."
But never once did i think that it could happen tonight.
I run to the front door, Kick it open and run in.
Praying once more,"God, we can't let the Devil win."
Crawling on the floor, moving slowly toward the crying.
I noticed a strong smell and loud hissing. Oh No! It's a gas line!
I knew I had to hurry so I got up and ran towards the cry
I found that little girl, she could barely open her eyes.
The smoke was thick and very hot and getting ready to flash.
I took off my jacket, wrapped her in it and gave her my air mask.
I heard a firefighter outside say, "The roof's coming down,
if they are getting out alive, they better get out right now."
I grabed the young girl as if she were a football,
tucked her in close and ran to the window.
The chief ran up and took her from my arm
My other one's broken, but at least she is out of the way of harm.
Then I remembered the gas line. So I too climbed out the window.
And sure enough, that gas line did blow.
The explosion knocked me down, but I got right back up on my feet.
Took no more than 3 steps, then I hit my knees.
Through my blurred vision, I watched that little girl,
with her mom and dad all crying, having a face with a smile.
She then walked over to me and grabbed me by the hand.
She said isn a soft sweet voice "Thank you Mr. Fireman."
We put out the fire, got ready to go home one more time.
I helped roll the hoses, thanking God that nobody died.
And thank you Dear Lord for letting us be on time.
HE STARES IN THE FACE OF DEATH
WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT
TO SAVE THAT ONE SPECIAL LIFE
THAT HE SO BRAVELY SOUGHT
HE HAS WALKED AS CLOSE TO
"HELL ON EARTH"
AS ANY MAN COULD DO
AND HE'S SO PROUD OF THE JOB HE DID
FOR PEOPLE HE NEVER KNEW
HE PUTS HIS LIFE ON THE LINE
EVERYTIME DUTY CALLS
ALWAYS DOING WHAT NEEDS TO DONE
WITHOUT EVEN A PAUSE
HE IS A FIREMAN
WITH OVERWHELMING PRIDE
NEVER AFRAID TO TAKE A CHANCE
WHEN SAVING SOMEONES LIFE
OFTEN HE SAYS
"IT'S MY JOB"
BUT WE REALLY KNOW
THAT HE IS VERY SPECIAL
AND ALWAYS READY TO GO
SO WHEN YOU HEAR THE SIRENS WAIL
OR SEE THE FLASHING LIGHTS
STAND ASIDE AND LOOK WITH PRIDE
HE'S GOING TO SAVE A LIFE.
The pager makes it's beeping noise,
The scanner comes to life.
You see excitement on his face
As he goes off to fight.
No matter what you're doing
Or whatever the current plan,
All you can say is "Later Hon"
As he gets those keys in hand.
You say a little prayer
That God will keep him safe,
That with all the pride and bravery
No one will make a mistake.
You know those men are Brothers
And fiercely will protect
The lives of each other and others--
They will truly give their best!
You and your "man's best friend"
Are both loyal and true.
You keep each other company
Waiting for him to return to you.
And when that front door opens
With "Honey I'm home" again,
You thank the Lord he's back OK,
Your brave and strong Fireman.
By J. Krrell
Together they work, eat and sleep.
For hour upon hour they have constant companionship yet in their eyes is loneliness not many people see.
Their time is well occupied, if not with daily tasks then with hard unpredictable work.
For most, the life they lead, beyond those four walls, is what keeps them going in the slowest and roughest times.
The death they often see only makes them stronger, more sensitive and appreciative of all they have.
Some say their job is easy enough but I know differently; I am in love with a man who makes his living fighting fires and saving lives.
When he leaves me he is excited for what lies ahead, and when he returns he's exhausted, sometimes sad from a death of a little girl, and not very easy to live with for a while.
But he's home and alive and well, and I know I'm part of the reason why.
Although I know he loves me I sometimes wonder if I am second to his job.
But he comes home from a hard shift, quiet and in need of only someone he can be next to who loves and understands him, and knows his mood will soon change.
It's that security that makes his life beyond the station so needed and so important.
My father was a fireman.
He drove a big red truck
and when he'd go to work each day he'd say, "Mother wish me luck." Then Dad would not come home again 'til sometime the next day.
But the thing that bothered me the most
was things some folks would say,
"A fireman's life is easy, he eats and sleeps and plays,
and sometimes he won't fight a fire for days."
When I first heard these words I was young to understand,
but I knew when people had trouble Dad was there to lend a hand.
Then my father went to work one day and kissed us all goodbye,
but little did we realize that night we would all cry.
My father lost his life that night when the floor gave way below
and I'd wondered why he'd risk his life for someone he did not know.
But, now I truly realize the greatest gift a man can give
is to lay his life upon the line so that someone else might live.
So as we go from day to day and we pray to God above,
say a prayer for your local fireman.
He may save the one's you love.
AND YOU'D ASK ME WHAT IT WOULD BE?
A FIREMAN I WOULD ANSWER AND THIS IS WHY YOU SEE
THEY GO INTO A FIRE NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL.
THEY DO NOT HESITATE ONCE, AFTER YOU HAVE PLACED THAT CALL
FORGETTING ABOUT THEMSELVES AND DOING WHAT THEY LOVE AND KNOW
THIS IS NOT AN ACT NOR IS IT A SHOW
THEY WILL RACE DEEP WITHIN THE HEART OF A FIRE WE CALL THE BEAST
TO THEM BEATING IT IS THEIR ULTIMATE FEAST
TO THEM THIS IS THEIR JOB AND WHAT THEY LIKE TO DO
BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS WHERE THE UTMOST RESPECT IS DUE
RESPECT IS WHAT THEY DESERVE FROM EVERYONE ALL THE TIME
NOT JUST WHEN THEY LOOSE A BROTHER WHILE FIGHTING THAT FRONT LINE
FOR ALL THAT HAVE COME TO PAY THEIR RESPECT WHICH IS GREATLY DUE
JUST GO HOME AND THINK WHAT A FIREMAN MEANS TO YOU
THEY DO NOT RESPECT YOU PART OF THE TIME
OR ELSE THEIR LIVES THEY WOULD NOT LAY ON THE LINE
SO THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE A FIREMAN THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
TELL THEM THEY ARE LOVED AND GIVE THEM THE RESPECT THEY ARE DUE
THIS COMES TO YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
I WANT ALL YOU FIREFIGHTERS TO KNOW MY LIFE YOU ARE A PART
I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AND HOPE YOU'LL ALL STAY SAFE
I KNOW AT LEAST IN MY HEART YOU ALL HAVE A SPACE
Brother when you weep for me
Remember that it was meant to be
Lay me down and when you leave
Remember I'll be at your sleeve
In every dark and choking hall
I'll be there as you slowly crawl
On every roof in driving snow
I'll hold your coat and you will know
In cellars hot with searing heat
At windows where a gate you meet
In closets where young children hide
You know I'll be there at your side
The house from which I now respond
Is overstaffed with heroes gone
Men who answered one last bell
Did the job and did it well
As firemen we understand
That death's a card dealt in our hand
A card we hope we never play
But one we hold there anyway
That card is something we ignore
As we crawl across a weakened floor
For we know that we're the only prayer
For anyone that might be there
So remember as you wipe your tears
The joy I knew throughout the years
As I did the job I loved to do
I pray that thought will see you through.
-Author Unknown
"The True Meaning of the Confederate Flag"
"The True Definition of a Redneck"
"About me" website
"Confederate Flag History"