The quiet autumn afternoon is suddenly disrupted by the wail of the large siren that sits atop the pale gray fire station next to the library. At Bill's Auto Repair, the shrill beeping of Tom's pager is heard over the sound of running car engines. Tom quickly slips out of his coveralls and wipes grease from his hands as he runs down the hill, just a short block from the fire station.

The quiet, gray building suddenly comes alive as several cars and pickup trucks converge almost instantaneously at its front and sides-headlights on, green lights flashing. Within seconds, the large bay doors open, red/white/red lights begin flashing as powerful diesel engines sputter into action. A swarm of yellow-clad volunteers cling to the now rolling red engine as the first blasts of its siren resound through the streets and buildings of this small town.

And so it is in the majority of towns and cities throughout the world. Buildings, houses, crops, and property are protected by a handful of dutiful, caring men and women who proudly but shyly identify themselves as that community's fire protection.

Nearly 1,105,000 volunteer firefighters (over 80 percent of the 1,360,000 total firefighters) serve their communities on a daily basis. Today, even in larger cities and heavily-populated rural areas, the community-minded individual can still be seen racing towards the fire station-day or night-to answer the call for help, sometimes augmenting on-duty firefighters.

Your neighbors, friends, the baker, shift workers, the local optometrist, and other dedicated people concede to the continual interrupting of their lives by the beep of the pager or the wail of the siren. Missed or cold meals, short nights, and incomplete picnics are all part of the volunteer's ever-active schedule. Fires and medical emergencies don't take vacations.

In days of old, you were probably asked by a friend or a neighbor if you wanted to join the volunteer fire department. After some prodding, you agreed and went to the next monthly firefighters' meeting. There you saw a lot of familiar faces and warm smiles and before the night was over, you'd agreed to join the volunteers. With your new, heavy canvas coat and duck-billed fire helmet in hand, you went home with instructions from the Chief to "race to the fire station" when you heard the old siren wail.

With about 85 fire calls a year, you picked up a few skills here and there to help those experienced firemen when duty called. And at the monthly fire drill-before the cards and checkers were brought out-you spent a good 15 minutes going over all this strange-looking equipment and listened to some unbelievable stories. Ah, the life of a volunteer firefighter!!

Not so anymore, folks! The beeper interruptions have multiplied and the frequent training is hard, technical, and covers a wide variety of hazardous conditions. Miss too many drills and you are out of the organization. Rules, policies, procedures, and standards are commonplace in the organization. As a matter of fact, the one test you might flunk in Volunteer Recruit School could slam the door on your chances of being a volunteer. All this just to be a volunteer? Why? Who would put up with all these demands when your life is busy enough? The answer-your neighbor, friend, the baker, shift workers and the local optometrist.

The call for help is still there, only incredibly more frequent. Car accidents, brush fires, electrocutions, plane crashes, barn fires, bike crashes, drowning, rescues, building fires, children not breathing-the list goes on, the tragedies never stop, nor does the desire to reach out and help.

So, what keeps a volunteer coming back? And what brings a volunteer through all the prerequisites and schooling just to become a member? It must be the thrill, the danger, and the experience of expertly subduing a disastrous foe. Or driving the huge red and chrome war machines through the streets of the community while the world moves over to let you by. Without a doubt, the closeness and the brotherhood of fellow volunteers creates an inexpressible bond. After all, you share danger and disaster together. And you earnestly struggle against the cold sway of death together ... and your very life sometimes literally depends on your brother volunteer.

So the next time you hear that eerie fire whistle blow in the dark cold and rain of the night, and your imagination wonders what kind of tragedy the firefighters are hurrying to at this hour of the night; and you snuggle just a little farther down in the warmth of your bed, be thankful and say a little prayer for your friend, your neighbor, the baker, the shift workers, and the local optometrist. They deserve every bit of your admiration.

Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact Fire 4 today!