Investigating and Sharing the Stories of Our Community's Heroes

Abstract

This short documentary shines a light on Greenville Fire-Rescue, its daily operations, and the men and women who serve the Greenville community from behind the scenes. Greenville Fire-Rescue follows a nationwide trend in combining firefighting and emergency medical services (EMS) into one department, meaning no worker is just a paramedic or a firefighter. This documentary follows Greenville Fire-Rescue workers in the field on fire and EMS calls, training and working at the station, and solidifying the bonds that characterize the family they have formed with each other.. All video footage and interviews were shot during volunteer ride-alongs on ambulances and fire trucks with two Greenville Fire-Rescue stations. This piece showcases the history of these departments, the tasks of its workers, and the emotions experienced by those dedicating their lives to saving others. The purpose of the documentary is to provide a unique perspective into the rarely shared culture of the men and women heroically serving the Greenville community, beyond the stereotypes of the general public and information the media shares. The components in this documentary bring life to a necessity that is all too often trivialized or taken for granted by those it serves. Here, through video, I explore not only what the Greenville Fire-Rescue workers do, but also how they do it, and more importantly why they do it.