ON THE COVER you never know who you will see . I would see people I knew from school , my neighborhood and elderly people I ’ d known all my life . It felt good reconnecting with the community and knowing I could be there to help anyone in the community who needed assistance .”
And though being a fireman can be fulfilling , Brassfield quickly notes it is not a glamorous job , nor one to be taken lightly .
“ We go to structure fires , accidents and assist Metro on calls so it can be a lot physically , as well as mentally ,” he said . “ You have to learn how to deal with some of the mental aspects as far as some of the not-so-good things you see such as lives lost and tragedies .”
In addition to physical and mental stressors , there is also the possibility of a firefighter not returning from a call . Brassfield said some things you just can ’ t prepare for .
“ Once you sign up for it and learn what the job entails , you accept all that comes with it — good , bad and indifferent ,” he said . “ You learn that every call is different . When I go to work , my goal is that me and the guys on my shift — we all go home . I know me not coming back after a call is a possibility , but I really don ’ t think about it . You can ’ t live in fear ; we all are going to leave this place someday .”
To decompress from on-the-job stressors , Brassfield said he usually spends time with people who work in other occupations , travels and participates in outdoor activities such as fishing and shooting guns and being out in the country .
During his childhood and school years , Brassfield enjoyed playing sports . He shares that enthusiasm with local youth by coaching city league basketball , ages 8 and under . He also helped coach a travel league basketball team , which , he said , was time consuming , but very enjoyable .
“ Working with youth is another way I feel I can serve the community ,” he said . “ I ’ d like to think I ’ m helping shape the future of the youth of our community . Anything I can do to help them in a positive way is always a plus .”
The father of a 2-year-old , Avery , also enjoys interacting with the community at local events and visiting schools .
“ Going on calls allows me to help others when they are in danger or need help is rewarding ,” he said . “ But I also enjoy when we have the opportunity to talk to students or participating at festivals and events like the Candy Crawl downtown . It ’ s important to take advantage of those opportunities to be a positive example , especially to our youth .” M
“ Growing up , I ’ d never seen a Black fireman in Meridian , so it ( becoming a fireman ) wasn ’ t a dream of mine . I also didn ’ t know what the job entailed or its significance in serving others , particularly the people of the community where you live .”
Briton Brassfield www . meridianstar . com
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