6 A.M.: Fire department ready to serve at all hours

Don’t know who to call when in a jam? Call the firefighters.

When some people were just getting up to go to work — or some college students just getting to bed after a long night — the men wearing the blue badge were just ending their 24-hour shift.

At 6 a.m. Saturday, Sgt. Michael Dunham and Officer Doug Lobsinger of the Mount Pleasant Fire Department began last-minute paperwork and final clean-up before the next shift started at 8 a.m.

Dunham and Lobsinger work 24-hour shifts every third day, which can take its toll after awhile.

“You spend 121 days away from your family,” Lobsinger said. “We spend more time together on a shift than we do with our wives.”

Saturday morning was pretty quiet, but they would be ready to go at a moment’s notice, with their boots and equipment placed just a couple of feet away from the fire engines.

“As soon as the bell drops, it’s time to go to work,” Dunham said.

From the time the alarm rings, Dunham said they try to be out of the station in about a minute. To help, a yellow plastic twisty slide is used now instead of a fire pole.

But, for now, they just prepared to clean the equipment to ready the fire hall for the next few who would start the routine all over again.

“If you keep the equipment clean, it shows the community you appreciate what they provide for you,” Dunham said.

Cleaning usually entails washing the red fire engine and washing down the floors, which can take about an hour.

Despite the peace around the station, Dunham and Lobsinger have seen their share of unique calls.

They have been called to rescue a kid out of a tree and free a puppy from under a car seat.

“If someone needs help and they don’t know who to call, we get called for it,” Dunham said.

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