EDMONDS — At any moment, Dr. David Peck may be called to pick up a fire ax and bunker gear.
Peck, an ophthalmologist by day, is a volunteer fireman by night. He’s been at it for more than 40 years, half that time in Snohomish County.
“Volunteer firefighting is very rewarding,” Peck said. “The challenge and excitement of the calls are each unique. There are opportunities to help the community and help people who need you when they are scared or hurt, when they need someone to help them more at that moment than at any moment of their lives.”
For Peck, it all started with a family connection. The chief of the Evanston, Ill., fire department had worked for his grandfather. It was 1967, and Peck thought firefighting sounded both enjoyable and challenging, a great way to give back to the community.
“Like most new firemen, the draw was the red lights and sirens,” Peck said. “But then you find that there is more to it once you arrive at a call. You learn street-corner medical procedure, fire dynamics, architecture … the job is an ongoing education.”
The experiences that he had then as a rookie firefighter are not to far afield from his current experiences as a volunteer lieutenant, with perhaps the exception of a few large commercial structure fires.
“The fire that really stands out in my mind is the Rust-Oleum Paint Plant. There were acres of fully involved vats of paint thinners and other flammables,” Peck said.
Even his move from Illinois to Edmonds 20 years ago was made with volunteer firefighting in mind.
“I asked the real estate agent for a house close to the fire department,” Peck said. “All the departments had volunteers, but I wound up asking to see houses in Fire District 1 in unincorporated Snohomish.”
Peck quickly passed his physical agility tests, background checks as well as his oral board examination. The fire district determined he would be a good volunteer firefighter, and he was given a position immediately.
While serving Fire District 1, Peck has seen his share of calls: residential house fires, medical calls, mutual aid calls and brush fires. But it’s not all about fighting fires, and as a volunteer Peck spends a lot of time in the community.
“Volunteers do quite a bit of public relations events,” Peck said. “We provide bicycle helmets to kids and teens, we take part in parades and we install smoke detectors. We spend a lot of time volunteering in the community.”
When asked if volunteering for more than 40 years has gotten to be a chore, Peck said “If I had the last 40 years to do over again, I’d do it again in a heartbeat … when the tones go off, I’m still as excited as when I was 20 years old.”
Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.
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