Lance Ryan is one of 10 firefighters in training for the Eugene Fire Department.
He got into firefighting as a volunteer in Silverton (a small city northeast of Salem-his hometown) and after completing paramedic school, he’s spent the last 10 months as a probationary firefighter, undergoing a series of physical, written and oral exams in Eugene.
ODE: What do you like about it?
LR: “It’s exhilarating, to say the least,” he said. “At times it’s very exciting. Eugene’s a busy city.” Besides, “It’s a great job. You get up in the morning with a smile on your face.”
ODE: How do you like your co-workers?
LR “It’s like a family away from your family,” he said. “The generations before you pass on their knowledge.”
ODE: So, have you gotten any hazing?
LR: “Aw, no, no there’s teasing and laughter,” he said. “The way I see it, if they don’t tease you they probably don’t like you.”
Ryan will be buying ice cream for the other firefighters today. That’s what happens in Eugene when a fighter gets in the paper.