Andover Fire Station

Today, I headed over to the Andover Fire Station with Sam Brown. Sam is one of Proctor's First Responders, and carries an undeniable enthusiasm along with his duties. Whether it be calls in the middle of class, or the middle of the night, Sam is ready to go. I wish you could see the disappointment on his face when I told him that I was able to ride on Franklin's new Engine. On our walk over, we spoke about his duties, and the restrictions he has in comparison to licensed fire fighters. Most of Sam's expertise is in EMT services, but he plans on continuing his current path to becoming a firefighter. Once we arrived at the fire station, my first impression was the size difference. Even though I pass it every time I leave Proctor, I never had anything to compare it to. The Franklin Fire Department is much bigger than that over Andover. However, as I entered, I felt as if I was in a familiar place. The red and white trucks no longer seemed foreign to me. Shortly there after, another first responder, Evan Gaskin, joined Sam and me. What I did notice, however, was the difference in the quality of the equipment. While both departments have maintained their equipment in pristine condition, the quality of the products in Franklin is superior to that of the equipment in Andover. This is, undoubtedly, due to the volume of calls that Franklin receives, as well as differences in budget. Despite these differences, all of the essentials were the same. The trucks and basic equipment were similar, and the gear was set up to be easily accessible at a moments notice. In closing, I want to point out perhaps my favorite, and most charismatic part of the Andover Fire Department. Each member of the FD is a volunteer member. Each member of the staff doesn't receive compensation for their services. Most times when a call comes in, they are at some stage of their daily routine, sometimes even work, and they drop what they are doing in order to race to the station to help respond to some sort of emergency. These people truly do this because they love it. They value the experiences that come along with serving their community. It is the purest example of what a community leader should be. I am thankful to Sam and Evan for sharing their experiences along with the Andover Fire Station with me.