Jake ~ The Recycled Firefighter

My Story

As a full time firefighter working over 72 hours a week I realized that even with overtime pay I wasn't making enough money to support my growing family. With 10 years of firefighter experience under my belt it was time to venture into something new, teaching myself how to sew, and this grew into the extra income that I desperately needed. All this happened right as my wife gave birth to our first son in 2013.

I want you to know who I really am, what I’ve struggled to overcome and some of my biggest wins in life. My friends and family have watched as I struggled from one “great” idea to the next, all on this journey "From fighting fire, to sewing firehose!"

So take a few moments and read this short timeline of how I grew up and grew into a firefighter/entrepreneur. I hope it helps you get to know the REAL me! 

1989 - I really wanted to be an "Army man" growing up, or a Ghostbuster!

That's me on the right dressed up as a Ghostbuster back in 1989!

Many firefighters will tell you that they wanted to be a fireman since they were 10 years old. My desire to put on those cool uniforms and run into burning buildings didn't come as a child, actually. When I was 10 I really wanted to be an "Army man." I would frequently wear my camouflage Army clothes and go walking through the woods behind my country house in Illinois.

My twin brother and I would play a modified version of hide and seek where I would disguise myself in some bushes or trees and he would spend the next hour trying to find me. I actually thought I was Arnold Swarzenneger from the movie Predator when Arnold rubbed mud on himself in an attempt to camoflauge himself from the predator. 

1998 - Teaching myself how to play drums

My 3 year old playing the custom drums I built. 

As I began junior high I quickly grew out of the "Army man" phase and began the drumming phase. My older sister had a boyfriend that could play the drums and was in our local high school marching band. He took some time to teach me some of the drumming fundamentals and set me on a path to what I thought would be me becoming a punk rock star. I would practice for hours a day in the room above my garage, probably much to the annoyance of my parents, and quickly became good enough to try out for my freshman drum line. 

1999 - Getting cut from the drum line

What I thought would be an easy try out for my high school marching band drum line turned into a tough lesson in my early life. I was obviously too unskilled as a snare drummer to make the cut and was told by the band director that I should play the baritone instead. What seemed like a sure thing quickly turned into me teaching myself how to play a brass instrument instead. I went on to play baritone for a year until I could try out for the drum line my sophomore year. After another year of practice I successfully made the cut for the drum line and went on to really love marching band. 

2002 - Punk rock is dead

I was quickly learning as a senior in high school that the type of girls I was going after didn't date band nerds like I me. So instead of continuing with the drum line I started a punk rock band and began playing drums for local shows in our small town of Bloomington, Indiana. Early on I realized that not only would it take a lot of hard work to get my band a record deal, it was going to take a lot of luck. It soon became obvious after a year or so that our band was good, but lacked the star power most punk labels sought for a contract. 

This love of drumming actually turned into my first try at being an Entrepreneur. I began making and selling custom drums to friends and people I knew in the music scene. I did this as a hobby/part time job for several years until I lost interest and focused on the fire service. 

2003 - Going through Fire Academy 

This is me at Fire Academy graduation in 2004. 

After my high school graduation, I decided to move to Clearwater, Florida where I would attend St. Pete College’s Fire Academy. I didn't move down to Florida with the goal of becoming a firefighter. I was actually escaping the midwest, seeking new experiences and searching for a fresh start.

I remember driving down to Clearwater Beach and seeing this huge fire truck blazing past me. It was in that moment I realized I needed that sort of excitement in my life. So I drove down to the Community College and enrolled in the Fire Science program. As Emergency Medical School and the St. Pete College Fire Academy kicked off I realized that I had really found my calling.

Not only was I able to wear all the cool gear and uniforms, but I really excelled at the classroom work. I also loved learning how to tie knots and climb ladders all while wearing 60-75lbs of gear and tools. I wasn't much for the classroom experience growing up in school, but it's funny how things change when you are actually interested in the field of study. I was the top of my class in both EMT school and Fire Academy out of over 100 type A personalities. 

2004 - Moving to Louisville, KY from Clearwater, FL

After graduating Fire Academy I began looking for jobs at local fire departments. I applied at over 50 fire houses and began the long and arduous process of testing and interviewing before being told over and over that I wouldn't get the job. I sometimes drove for over 200 miles to other cities like Orlando and Orange County, Florida just to apply for 30 jobs with over 2,000 other applicants. This taught me two things: I had to keep trying no matter what and I needed better odds! So with the pestering of my twin brother, who lived in Louisville, Kentucky, I packed up my 1996 Ford Ranger with all of my belongings and moved back to the midwest.