There’s no denying that being a firefighter is one of the most heroic jobs there is. Firefighters face serious risks on the job and work long hours, never give up, are incredibly smart, and most importantly, they inspire others. In Raymond, someone who’s been fighting fires and inspiring many people in the community is Andrew Jordan.
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| Firefighting runs in the blood of Raymond Fire Department Capt. Andrew Jordan, who has four generations of firemen on one side of his family and five generations on the other side. He has served with the Raymond Fire Department for 16 years. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
He still lives in Raymond and has worked for the Raymond Fire Department for 16 years. It all started back when he joined the crew as an explorer thanks to encouragement from his grandmother, Jane Jordan, who served on the department for many years.
After starting out as a fire explorer, Jordan was selected as a live-in firefighting student in Raymond. He went to attend Southern Maine Community College where he graduated with an associate of science degree in 2010.
Following graduation from college, Jordan worked his way up to the rank of captain in the fire department. As a captain, he oversees many aspects of the fire department, from issuing and inspecting gear and radios to driver training. He’s also the live-in student advisor, and he oversees four students who attend SMCC for both fire sciences and paramedics.
Firefighting is an extremely dangerous job, and Jordan often faces difficult challenges and problems to overcome on a daily basis. However, when it comes to what he views as the most challenging aspect of his job and profession, he didn’t even have to think twice.
“It’s hard to see people that work, live, and vacation in our community having the worst day of their lives,” said Jordan. “It’s also tough when people don’t call 911 when they’re in true need of help,
because being able to make a change in someone’s life is far more rewarding than anything else.”
Jordan also said he thinks there are a lot of misconceptions people have about firefighters, with the biggest being just the public’s view of what they do every day.
“The public doesn’t get to see all of the extra work we do because most of the day we spend checking our equipment and cleaning the station as it’s our home away from home,” he said. “We spend hundreds of hours just completing mandatory training set forth by the state in order to keep our EMS licenses and our fire skills sharp.”
Despite all the challenges and the misconceptions of being a firefighter, Jordan said he still loves his job and one thing about it stands out above the rest.
“I like helping others and seeing that their worst day be a little better, but what I enjoy most is challenging myself to overcome whatever is thrown at us,” said Jordan. “As a team we work to mitigate problems that take out of the box thinking, and this is why the fire service is a family.”
After being with the Raymond Fire Department for more than two decades, Jordan says he’s learned so many important lessons, but the biggest one he’s learned as a firefighter applies to all facets of life.
“The most important thing I have learned from work at the fire department is teamwork,” said Jordan. “That, as well as communication and empathy, will solve a lot more than you would think.”
And when it comes to being a firefighter, not only is it important to have courage and all of the other qualities one must need to do the job, but they also must have the support from their family, and Jordan luckily has that support.
“My family is very supportive of the work I do and think it’s fitting that I follow in the steps of family members before me,” said Jordan. “My wife and son keep my drive to learn more and do better, and they truly are my support system for the good and the bad.” <
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