Welcome to “The House”

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series The Calling.

You survived the academy. You earned the badge. Now comes the real test: stepping into your new family. Every shift has its own rhythm. Its own language. Its own culture. And if you think your training was the hard part, think again. Life is real and knowing how “the house” works can be tricky. Because entering a house or any first responder station isn’t just about doing the job. It’s about becoming part of a…

Training Day: “Earning the Right to Serve”

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series The Calling.

Let me be clear: you don’t get to call yourself a first responder just because you applied for the job. You earn that title—day by day, test by test, mistake by mistake. It all starts and ends with proper training. Not just the drills. Not just the certifications. But the character you build when no one’s watching. The way you push your limits, stay coachable, listen to sound instruction and commit to excellence before anyone…

The Calling

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series The Calling.

Why We Show Up You don’t stumble into the first responder’s life. You get called to it. Sometimes that call is loud—a siren in your soul that says, “This is what I was made for.” Maybe it’s a bell beneath your pillow that wakes you up at night. Other times, it’s a whisper that grows over time. But every first responder I know has felt it: that pull toward service, that instinct to run toward…