Dedicated, humble and patient are just a few of the many adjectives that describe the personality of Marshell Walker. He is a 27-year-old firefighter with the Jamaica Fire Brigade, who decided from a tender age that he wanted to venture on this career path after his home was destroyed by a fire.

“I chose to become a firefighter because, at age 11, I experienced the loss of my home to a fire. I then decided that my aim was to join the fire brigade to prevent others from sharing those hurtful experiences that I endured,” he told Our Today.

“A firefighter is a superhero; we go in when other people are running out. It takes hard work and dedication to be a firefighter. You must have a made-up mind to do firefighting,” said Walker.

Civil servants are considered everyday heroes, who go above and beyond to serve their country. These individuals work selflessly to ensure that citizens are safe and provide quality healthcare and education.

Walker explained that the role of a firefighter entails humanitarian aid, such as working closely with the community development services to conduct school tours and talks to educate the public on how to prevent potentially harmful fires and how to survive during these incidents.

“The role of a firefighter also entails emergency medical services. This is pre-hospital care which offers medical services to traffic accident emergencies, life threatening traumas, cardiovascular emergencies and unconscious patients,” he added.

However, the role of a firefighter is not without challenges. For Walker, these challenges include limited resources to carry out the tasks at hand and the distance travelled from responding bases.

Despite these challenges, Walker enjoys the thrill that comes with the job during firefighting and rescue operations.

“What excites me [the] most about my career is the rush of excitement and the sound of the siren alerting other road users to stop and give way to the heroes in the fire unit responding to the emergencies at hand,” he said.

Walker also provided some helpful tips for individuals who are planning to join the Jamaica Fire Brigade.

“You must be committed, hardworking and prepared to undergo the different situations that the job entails,” he said.

Other requirements he listed were:

• Jamaican citizenship
• Minimum height of 5’6″ for males and 5’5″ for females
• Between the ages of 18-33
• Physically and mentally fit
• Five CXC subjects (English language and Mathematics are compulsory)

Applications can be dropped off or sent to the Human Resource Director, the Fire Brigade Headquarters, 85 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10, Jamaica.