PUBLIC SAFETY
I have been involved in Public Safety since 1997. I often find myself in situations that are not seen every day. As my career has grown I find I am often no longer in a primary role, which allows me the operturnity to capture great images.
Fire Officer getting a pet to a resident during a duplex fire
Stevens County Sheriff's Dive team practice drill
Skycrane lifting after filling with water in Lake Roosevelt, WA
Extrication training during EMT class
British Aerospace Avro RJ 85 dropping retardant during a wildland fire
Firefighter being washed down after working under a mobile home during a fire
Now that I have you inspired, if you are interested in being part of one of the most fulfilling things you can do please consider getting out and volunteering. There is a massive shortage of volunteer Firefighters and EMTs. As the link shows, over 70% of Firefighters in the US are volunteer. Here are 2 resources for more information: Volunteer FD and National Volunteer Fire Council. Both of these deal largely with Firefighters, but rural EMS agencies need help too. Please check with your local agency for more information.
Maybe you are not up for the challenges that Firefighters and EMTs go through. Maybe right now it requires more time then you can commit. This does not mean you are powerless, consider taking time to learn CPR and first aid. Lives are saved every day by ordinary people who know what to do when an emergency arises. Will you know what to do until help arrives? Consider getting trained in CPR and first aid through either the American Heart Association or Red Cross.
During my public safety career I have had either a still camera or a video camera. Since my role as a paramedic usually leaves me with lots of down time, I took photos. People were always asking me to send them pictures. As much as I wanted to, it usually did not work out.
In 2014 I started a Facebook page to make it easier to share incident pictures. It has expanded from it's original role, to include all public safety pictures I take. I will continue to use that page for those images.
If you are interrested please check out, Wildland Fire Pics