People ask me all the time, “don’t you ever worry?” “Worry about what?” I ask. “Worry about your dad being a firefighter,” they say. My honest answer? Yes and no. I’ve grown up my whole life with the idea that my dad is a fireman, and when I was little, when he was going into the fires, I didn’t understand what it really meant to be a fireman. I just knew that my dad had a cool job.

When I got older, and fully understood, my dad was no longer running into burning buildings. Instead, he drives the firetruck and pumps the water to the other fireman fighting the fire. Nonetheless, growing up the daughter of a firefighter has both pros and cons.

1. He constantly reminds me to be safe, and be aware of my surroundings at all times.

When I first started driving and going out with friends on my own, before I left the house, my dad would always tell me to be aware of my surroundings. Soon it became second nature, and my understanding of this statement was clear.

He sees things other people don’t see. He runs calls because some kids were being stupid and played with matches, and received third degree burns. He sees the girl who slammed her car into the telephone pole was texting her friend instead of paying attention to the road. He sees these things and doesn’t want them to happen to me or my brother.

As annoying as it is to be constantly told to use your head, not make stupid decisions, and to be aware, it has definitely made me think twice before doing something.

2. I sometimes miss out on the “cool” things.

Remember those shoes with wheels built into them that every kid had to have called Heeleys? As much as I wanted a pair, I wasn’t allowed to have them. My dad saw them as unsafe, and didn’t want me getting hurt. After talking with my dad, my mom told me that if I got a pair, I would have to wear a helmet. I gave up on that dream real fast at that point.

3. He misses some of my events because he’s saving other people’s lives.

There have been countless times that my dad has missed important moments in my family’s life because he had to go to work. However, my family has learned to accommodate these times. For example, if he has to work Christmas day, then we get up at 4 a.m. to open gifts, so he can be at work by 7 to relieve another fireman, who is waiting to celebrate with his family. Not only does he sometimes work on major holidays, but he’s missed major sports and school events for both, my brother and I. While some kids have their parents supporting them at every game, my dad would take us to practice when he knew he was going to miss out on a game. He did things like this, to show that our activities were important to him even when he couldn’t attend. Of course, when he did miss out on our games or something big at school, he would always call that night to ask us how the event went.

4. I get to go to the firehouse anytime I want.

In elementary school, most kids take a field trip to the local firehouse, and many times that would be their first time seeing a firetruck or ambulance up close. I began going to the firehouse when I was a baby. When dad was working and it was a weekend, mom would pack me and my brother up and go visit him at the firehouse. There are countless photos of me and my brother sitting and “driving” the firetrucks from a very young age.

5. My dad would come to my classes and activities to talk about fire safety.

Don’t play with matches, don’t leave candles burning unattended, unplug small appliances once you’re finished with it, etc. These are all things we are taught when we are young, and while many people don’t necessarily listen to these rules, these have been a mantra in my home. As a kid, participating in girl scouts, my dad came in and taught my troop first aid, and other fire safety tips. I also remember when he came to my preschool class, after talking to us, he put on his turnout gear, so he could teach us that if we saw someone dressed similarly, not to be afraid, and to go to them especially in case of a fire. Firemen dressed in their air mask and turnout gear can look very scary to young children, especially in a smoke filled room.

As the daughter of a firefighter, these are just some of the things that go on in my everyday life. For seventeen years, I was only the daughter of a firefighter, but now I am a sister of one too. Luckily for my family, my dad and brother are both on the same shift, so they work on the same days, just at different stations.

While a lot of people don’t and won’t ever understand my life, the days that my dad works, and how it affects my family, I wouldn’t be me without it. No matter how annoying it can get being constantly reminded to be safe, careful and aware of my surroundings, I know it’s because my dad cares about me, and doesn’t want me to end up like some of the kids he sees on calls.

While you only see a fireman on a fire truck battling a fire, driving to a call, tending to a sick person, to someone else, that’s their boyfriend, husband, son, father, mother, daughter etc. and only want them to come home safe the next day. These men and women risk their lives every day to ensure that you are safe and protected, and while that is their job, many times they go into work wishing that they don’t have to run a call, and everyone will be okay.