Five steps forward yet only one step back

ISM has been ramping up the past few weeks after introducing cold calling and emailing. I have not needed to cold call near the point as many other students as it is relatively simple to set up an interview or contact a firefighter, especially when I already know a few of them. This networking is what enabled me to have completed two interviews already, one with a firefighter, and the other with a Battalion Chief. They were both very insightful and helpful with my research and what direction I should look towards to become a firefighter. I asked questions like, "What challenges does the fire service face today that weren’t as prevalent when you started, and how do you see the fire department's role evolving in the future?" or, "As a battalion chief, you likely mentor many younger firefighters. What do you think is the most important lesson you’ve passed down to the next generation?" Despite my tailored questions to each person (they were different as one was a higher rank than the other so they would have had different experiences), there was one thing synonymous in both of my interviews.

At one point or another, they both stated how a major problem that firefighters deal with is the mental toll of the job and how they bring that home with them after every shift. This is a problem but no surprise as divorce rates are high when one of the spouses has a job as a first responder (police, firefighters, EMS). Knowing how demanding the job is made me reflect on my 'why'. Why do I want this job so bad? That answer hasn't changed, I want to be part of a team and put my life on the line for another's. The toll it takes isn't new information, but a sacrifice first responders make in order to help people. However, that doesn't mean it has to be as big as it is. Furthermore, I have decided to change my original project to something else. I can't say what, just that I probably bit off more than I could chew with my first idea. Time to go back to the drawing board.