Believe It Or Not

After thirty six years in emergency services, I have finally retired…hung it up…answered my last emergency call…finished.

Hard to believe, but yesterday, I turned in my resignation at ADPS. Fighting fires is a young man’s job and my body has not kept up with my young man’s sense of still wanting to play.

After the city did away with the part-time Driver Operators last summer, I stated to get a sense that this was not too far off.

Even though I was now “only a volunteer”, I still received a stipend that amounted to about $1,400/year….but I was not doing anything to earn it and felt guilty about that.

And the day has come and I am no longer “a member”.

My daughter came by Station #3 during my last shift as a Driver/Operator for the city last June and took a few photos.

I was thinking about it and here is a list of all the agencies I worked with over the years:

Warren Twp. (NJ) Community Fire Company #3
Green Brook (NJ) Raritan Valley Hospital Emergency Room
Warren Twp. (NJ) Rescue Squad
Summit (NJ) Overlook Hospital Mobile Intensive Care Unit (Medic 1 & Medic II)
Emmitsburg, (MD) Mt. St. Mary’s College EMS (Founding member with Tom Dolan)
Emmitsburg (MD) Vigilant Hose Co. #6

Emmitsburg (MD) Community Ambulance Co. #26
Gettysburg (PA) AM Warner Hospital, ER Tech.
Freehold (NJ) First Aid Squad
Manvile (NJ) First Aid & Rescue Squad
NDMS D-MAT/D-MORT MD-1
NJ State Police (NJ) Office of Emergency Management
Middlesex (NJ) First Aid & Rescue Squad
Monroe County (PA) West End Ambulance Co. #8
Monroe County (PA) EMS Station #9
Aiken (SC) Department of Public Safety, Fire Division

I met a lot of super people over the years while helping babies be born, looking into the eyes of those dying and everything in between. I cannot think of a better way to have spent all those years and I will carry those memories with me for the rest of my days. Sure beat playing golf.