With red and yellow flashing lights, loud sirens, and the sound of a powerful fan blowing into the house ventilating the smoke filled home, men and women prepare to risk their lives by entering the burning house.  The heat of the fire is felt 15 feet away and more like the scorching sun on a hot summer day.  Firefighters in their full uniform with huge oxygen tanks on their backs scurry outside the house as they prepare to enter the burning home.

“I was amazed by how big the fire was,” recalls John Jenkins, 11 years old at the time.  “The firefighters were very heroic and had a lot of courage.”

            John Jenkins is an intern of two and half years at the Station 51 headquarters of the Eugene Volunteer Firefighters.  He hopes to one day become an officer, one of the highest ranks as a Firefighter, working in either Eugene or Portland.  For the time being, he continues his internship and attends Lane Community College where he works towards his paramedic license.

John Jenkins, 27, recalls watching a burning home 16 years ago during a simulation, known as a burn alarm, to which his father had taken him.  His father, Jon Jenkins, a firefighter in Springfield, Oregon for 15 years, has been a role model for him throughout his life.  His father’s dedication, compassion, and enthusiasm inspired Jenkins to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a firefighter himself.  Knowing the hard work and commitment needed to be a firefighter, Jenkins’ passion engulfs his worries, providing him with the drive to be successful.

            “I enjoy helping the community and doing something positive,” said Jenkins.  “Helping someone in a crisis and seeing them at ease is always a good feeling.  It’s like Superman coming to the rescue.”

“J.J.,” as he is called among his colleagues at the fire department, was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon.  He always dreamt of doing something great with his life that involved helping others.  Watching his father go off to save lives inspired him to do the same.  He recalls several nights when his father was called to risk his life for the lives of others.

Jenkins thought first about joining the military, but later realized his true calling was to become a firefighter and instill a sense of security in the community.  He enjoys watching faces fill with relief as he arrives at the scene of a fire/accident.

“Words can’t describe it.  It’s priceless, like a sense of euphoria,” said Jenkins.  “You can’t put a true value on saving someone’s life.”

            Jenkins recalls stories of his father saving someone’s life, even when not on duty.  When he was eight years old swimming at the Amazon Pool in Eugene, a man went into cardiac arrest.  His father saved the man’s life by providing CPR.

            One of the toughest fire rescue missions that Jenkins has been on was a log deck fire off Highway 99 in Eugene.  The log deck fire occurred at a lumber yard, where rows of logs were kept for further processing.  This incident last winter called for a general alarm, which meant that everyone in the station would take part.  It even issued a third alarm, calling firefighters from different districts to aide in the mission.  “It was like a huge bonfire,” said Jenkins.

            The fire that started from an equipment malfunctioning engulfed rows and rows of logs.  The widespread damaged called for a ladder truck (the biggest fire truck a station owns), four tenders, which are water trucks, and four regular fire trucks.  Everyone had to work together, trusting one another and providing strong communication when facing such a destructive force.  Each crew worked in a designated area, grasping the hose tightly in hopes of extinguishing the fire.  Luckily no one was hurt; however, it took two days to secure the area and clean up the harmful mess the fire caused.

            Asides from his internship requiring a minimum of 32 hours a month, Jenkins also works two other jobs, as a personal trainer for a Eugene fitness center and ER Tech for Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene.  His hard work and commitment shows the dedication it takes to be a firefighter.

            “I try to pull a 24 hour shift because that is what an actual firefighter does,” he said.  “The more time you get in, the better chance you have of getting a job.”

            As an intern Jenkins is assigned a designated fire truck that he must maintain.  Other duties include responding to calls, taking out the trash, cleaning around the fire department, attending and taking part in drills every Monday, either in the morning or at night.

            The drills on Mondays are practice simulations where fire trucks and ambulances are taken out to old houses in the community donated by families.  The purpose of the simulation is to train firefighters on different situations that could happen at the spur of the moment.  These drills are videotaped, so the crew can get together and discuss the positives and negatives of the simulation and learn from each other’s mistakes.

            “You want everyone to learn because, at some point, your life could be in their hands,” he said.  “I trust them with my life and they trust me.”

            One Monday night, Jenkins, along with other volunteer firefighters were taken to an old house off Hallett Street in Eugene.  The fire department had set off smoke bombs inside the home.  The night was filled with dark clouds, cold winds, and pouring rain, conditions for which firefighters must be prepared.  His uniform adding about 70 pounds of extra weight to his athletic body, Jenkins crawled into the house and worked to put out the smoke bombs as if they were real fires.

            A three-year-old boy next to his mother stood within five feet of the simulation, taking cover from the pouring rain in an old rickety storage shed.  His brand new firefighter shoes flashing bright red lights, the little boy gazed at the smoky house, watching the firefighters practice what they do best, being heroes.  The loud sirens and flashing lights brightened his eyes, similar to Jenkins’ first fire simulation experience with his father.  As a child, Jenkins looked to his father as a role model.  Perhaps Jenkins is the role model for this boy, who could be the next hero among heroes.