One Page Overview

For my capstone project, I am highly considering becoming a firefighter as a career. I have been
given the opportunity to do it by my dad. I am going to be shadowing my dad as a firefighter and
act as one. I am planning on observing the usual daily activities in which they partake in
alongside going to all the emergency calls that they are dispatched to.

I am planning to research from my own observations alongside interviewing the firefighters on

why the job may be both rewarding mentally and physically. I am going to write an interview list
of all the firefighters upon asking them a series of questions, gathering the answers and proving
whether given their responses, and my firsthand experiences, I believe if the job is rewarding
both mentally and physically. The importance of mental health plays a big part in the takeaway
of the job. I believe this opportunity isn’t just for me to complete the capstone, I believe this is a
great opportunity for me to gather more knowledge on if this is a career I want to do in the
future.

I plan to create a collection of interviews and all the pictures I will take combined into a
slideshow, and everything pasted into my website. This will be an adequate display of my
capstone because I can display all the pictures, I took documenting my journey and all the
activities I did.

This job is a lot more than fighting fires. It involves being first responders to car accidents,
overdoses, medical calls, lift assists, and any non police related emergency. Being a firefighter
also involves many practical life skills. In order to even qualify you must pass fitness tests and
be strong. This can come in handy in a multitude of scenarios especially in first aid calls in
which lifting someone is necessary. You also cook at the halls; homemade meals are a key
aspect to the firefighters maintaining their physical health. Cleaning is also very important. The
fire department utilizes a paramilitary system. The captain is always referred to as “Captain”, or
“Cap”, and rookies are the ones responsible for cooking, cleaning, and making sure the hall is
always spotless. The first few years as a firefighter is called the probation period where they
must be on constant excellent behaviour because they can be released from the job if they are
not keeping up and exceeding expectations. Since the position is rather competitive, excellent
behaviour is a must.

I believe this opportunity is great because I can learn some valuable lessons in which I can
apply to my outside life. I am grateful for the opportunity, and I can’t wait to work with the
firemen and dive a bit deeper on my knowledge of the topic.