By Jim Blanks

Even as a young man, Brandon West knew that he wanted to become a firefighter. It was always a dream for him, and as a member of the City of Tulare Fire Department, he is living it. But as with anything important in life, this hasn’t come easily for West. There have been struggles, trials and obstacles — and he has overcome them to become the Tulare Firefighters Club Firefighter of the Year. The award has come to represent many things to West, among them is his commitment to achieving the lofty goals of his youth.

“As cliché as it sounds,” he says, “I think my dream started when I watched reruns of the TV show ‘Emergency.’”

West’s parents wanted him to become a doctor, so after high school he entered a pre-med program in Virginia. While working as a paramedic, two sparks reignited his early goal and shaped his ambition in life. The first was a ride-along with the Richmond Fire Department. The second was proximity: He worked just ninety minutes from the Pentagon.

“I was working on 9/11,” he says. “I think the brave actions of the men and women of the fire service that day cemented my desire to be a firefighter.”

Although the desire was there, West still had many difficulties achieving his goals — along with having little experience he had to drastically improve his health and fitness.

“When I started with the City of Tulare in November 2008 I was not a favorite of my peers. I came into the hiring process without my Firefighter I certification and I was about 100 pounds heavier than I am currently.”

Earning His Place

The job description stated that those without proper certification must be able to become certified within one year.

“I thought to myself, ‘I can get that,’” West says. And his determination paid off. “It was a struggle to make it through probation, but eventually I earned the trust of my peers and became part of the family here.”

Becoming “part of the family” was critical to West, because he has such respect and admiration for his fellow firefighters.

“I could not have picked a better fire department to work at,” West says. “Every member of our fire department challenges each other to become the best they can be at our profession. When you are hired by the City of Tulare you might be on the payroll, but what is not mentioned in the job description benefits is that you are inserted into a family.”

Being Firefighter of the Year means that West has found many ways to excel at his profession. In his presentation speech, retiring Fire Chief Michael Threkeld highlighted West’s work ethic along with his involvement in the community. West helps teach the department’s medical training program, is the Vice President of the Tulare Firefighters Club, helps organize fundraisers and has become an adjunct instructor at the COS Fire Academy.

“I am fortunate enough to speak to the cadets on their first night and explain to them what being a firefighter means to me,” West says. “I give them their first glimpse about the values of the fire service, and teach them what honor, dedication and family truly mean.”

It is a busy schedule for West, who above everything else is a committed family man. It is his family that deserves a large part of the credit for his success, West says.

“In truth all that I am able to accomplish would not be possible without my impeccable support system at home. My family should really receive this honor.”

Family Support

His family has supported him throughout his career, and West admits that this is not always easy. The long hours and extreme demands of this career can take a toll on a family unit. But there is joy, too, and West is always mindful of the role a firefighter can play both in a community at large and in the personal interactions with a young child.

“A few weeks ago, my son came to visit me at the station. He loves being at the firehouse as much as I do,” West says. On that particular day, West — who recently became a driver on one of the engines — allowed his son to sit on the captain’s seat. “He had his headset on and looked over at me and told me, ‘Dad, when I grow up I want to work on this fire engine with you, and be just like you.’”

For West, moments such as these are rewards, too.

“I measure success through the eyes of my son,” he says. “I try to always be a person he can be proud of, to show him a path that will allow him to succeed. My son has had to sacrifice a lot of his time with me because of my profession, yet at the young age of 9 he understands the importance of what I do. While it makes me unbelievably proud to receive the (Firefighter of the Year) honor, what my son said to me means that I have succeeded.”

And so West continues to live his dream — a dream that has required an incredible amount of dedication and hard work, but one that has developed into a life that he could only have imagined as a young man watching television reruns.

“It is hard to narrow down one thing,” West says, “but I think the best part of being a firefighter is being able to make a difference in someone’s life almost every time I get dispatched out of the station. Be it fighting a structure fire, trying to preserve life using CPR and Advanced Cardiac Life Support, rescuing a cat from a tree or giving a child a first look inside a fire engine on a station tour — everything you do is to help somebody. You learn very quickly that being a firefighter is not just a job. It is a commitment to a lifestyle.”

As the Firefighter of the Year, West serves as a fine example of what can come from this level of commitment. Still humble despite the accolades, West says that he is simply upholding the high standards of the City of Tulare Fire Department — and the award is a reflection of the department’s commitment, and his family’s, as much as his own.

“I see this award as an accomplishment of my mentors and family, the people who are responsible for me being able to be a firefighter to the best of my ability. Being recognized by my superiors reinforces to me what I teach to the cadets, and the way I live my life is consistent with the best traditions of the fire service. More than ever I feel that I owe my family, superior officers, the fire service and the citizens of Tulare my best effort to be there when someone needs a hand, and to never quit no matter how tired I may become.”

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