The Interviews – Parts 1 & 2

Friday, July 13, 2007 and Saturday, July 14, 2007

The Interviews – Parts 1 & 2

Friday morning I began filming interviews for the documentary. Some of the eight people that I filmed are good friends, others I’ve met once or twice, but all of them were fascinating to me, for different reasons. I somehow managed in a single day to span a wide spectrum of people. Some talked of wonderful moments and tragic moments, some got misty-eyed, some made me cry, but mainly it was an incredible study in human behavior. Some people just walk out of the station and leave the emotional baggage there; others take their experiences and integrate them into their everyday lives as lessons learned. There are some who go out and participate in sports to drive out the emotions, some who write it down and others still who simply talk it out with their fellow firefighters and go on from there.

It was amazing to me to learn of just some of the experiences that these people have lived through and they have managed to stay sane and move ahead. They truly are a unique breed of people – despite the fact that each of them is an individual and they are each different from the other, I found that there is a standard… they all love the job. They don’t seem to mind laying their lives on the line for total strangers. In all honesty, they really don’t seem to look at it that way – “I’m just doing my job,” they say.

Well, that may be true, but I’m still of the opinion that firefighters are Everyday Heroes. I don’t mean to offend any of those who took the time to talk with me, because some said that they actually do not like to be called heroes. I simply cannot think of any other way to put it – except maybe…

Everyday Extraordinary People.