With so many different situations that need to be attended to, there are many who have felt a call toward service. Whether it be working to put out fires, protecting the public or assisting with medical emergencies, many individuals have given themselves over to answering that call.
One such individual is the California Fire Department's Brad Friedmeyer, who has given more than three decades of service to his community and will continue to do so as his department's interim fire chief. Joining the department when he was 19 years old in 1989, Friedmeyer said he was motivated by a number of personal influences to become a firefighter.
"My father inspired me to join," Friedmeyer said. "When (my family) moved here back in '77, our family business would burn down in '79. So I watched the firefighters try to put that out and that kind of inspired me as well. Seeing that is what really put a fire under me to try and do this. Other than that, I just like helping people and helping the community whenever I can."
With that in mind, Friedmeyer said he enjoys seeing people receive the help they need. He said the California Fire Department, unfortunately, sees residents on their worst days. However, he and his team always strive to make the community feel safe and protected. He said if they can get people to smile, then something good came out of them being there to help.
While Friedmeyer said his work as interim fire chief has not felt too different due to previous position as deputy fire chief, he was happy to step in and do the job following the retirement of long-time California Fire Chief Allen Smith earlier this year. Although he said that it can be difficult at times, being the interim fire chief -- and a part of the California Fire Department in general -- has been a very rewarding experience overall.
"The most rewarding part of working with the California Fire Department would probably be helping my community," Friedmeyer said. "Again, just knowing that I'm helping in any way I can is enough. This is a volunteer fire department, so we're always looking for new firefighters. Whenever we work, we try to respond as quickly as we can and safely as we can."