Dating as a Firefighter Part 1

Holding hands, arms around each other and such may sound common in a traditional dating relationships, but is not always possible when you are dating a fellow firefighter. 

I met a guy while I was training in the fire academy. He was my first boyfriend. So, a lot of the relationship was not only about learning how to be in a relationship, but also navigating the fire departments connection to my relationship. 

While we were together, we participated in many different fire events together. We would not show any physical contact beyond what was necessary because we wanted to stay professional. We both agreed that while we are working, we do not need to be over the top or public about our relationship status. This does not mean we did not do the little things. Such as riding together, sharing snacks, teaming up on a task, and eating meals with the guys together.

We eventually told our fire departments, and our relationship became a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Both departments had lots of opinions about us dating. It was always interesting to see how the guys would treat him. They were not the most welcoming group of guys to him at the time. They had a lot of opinions about who I needed to be in a relationship with. They were worried he was going to hurt me, and they wanted to do anything they could to prevent that. 

I live on a small island. So, when I date someone they have to date my whole family including the fire department. My family loved my boyfriend, but my fire family was much more hesitant towards the relationship. They did not want me to be in a relationship in general. In their minds, I would not be able to spend as much time at the fire house. They thought I would start skipping calls and trainings more and more to spend time with him. 

This was not the case. He and I would have "date night" at fire trainings. We would grab dinner before trainings and would have combined department trainings afterwards. He was one of my number one supporters when it came to me and my firefighting skills or fears. I loved having him around to support me, but also learning more about the fire world and grow together in it. 

All these bonds and experiences make it really hard once you both decide to part ways. After he and I broke up, we still had to go through the rest of the fire academy, Basic EMT, department trainings, and even some calls together. At first, it was awkward, but in time you find your footing and become friends that support each other and have each others back. Even though we are not together, we still know one another's skill sets and work well together. 

(This is the only photo that he and I very took that had us showing "PDA" on a fire event.)