Joe Kimball
Cyber Security Consultant. Gardener. Volunteer Firefighter.
When Joe moved to Glen Ellyn in 2021 from Chicago, he had a strong desire to put down roots—to really become a part of the community. Plus, he is adventurous and loves a challenge. So when a flier about becoming a volunteer firefighter showed up in the mail, Joe almost didn’t believe it could be real. “I thought it was too good to be true and might be a scam or something—a citizen’s police type of thing. I imagined it would be something like, show up, and you can wash the baseboards only. I was really cautious,” says Joe. “I always knew when I was growing up that firefighting jobs were hard to get, and that it was even more rare to become a firefighter in the place that you lived—especially if you were in a suburb.” Once he confirmed it was the real deal, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I was drawn to the idea of getting all that training and being able to protect your community and give back to your actual town,” says Joe. He found the whole experience of training to be novel and, because of that, exciting. It was far different from his normal job as a Cyber Security Consultant—both in the physical and mental challenges and the ways of thinking.
In addition, he appreciated the experience of starting from a blank slate. “As an adult, I have been an expert at the things I do for a long time. Then in training, all of the sudden there were moments when I didn’t even know what a certain tool is called. It was brand new, unique, and exciting—a rare opportunity,” says Joe.
He loved having his eyes opened to the world of firefighting—what he considers to be an incredible profession. Two rewards have really stood out to him. One is the satisfying start and finish of a call. “Often, there is a well defined problem, and you go solve that problem within 20-30 minutes. You leave, or you put out the fire, and everything is done,” says Joe. “In my normal job, projects are a quarter, a year, or even multi-years and you don’t know—success is not so well defined.”
And another reward is the team. “I love working with my brothers and sisters there at the fire company,” says Joe. “In the middle of the night, when it’s 2 am and those guys show up on a different rig and you see them—even if you’re extremely tired or it’s cold—it puts a smile on your face. You are in it together.”
“As a volunteer firefighter, you will be part of the team that saves someone’s life—and it will happen again and again,”
Perhaps his best example of both of these rewards coming together can be told through this story. Joe answered a call at an ice skating rink where someone had slipped. When the team arrived, they discovered the patient was in the middle of the rink. The team entered the ice as best as they could in their gear with their boots on.
“It was the slipperiest ice I had ever been on,” says Joe. “People on the outside of the rink were filming and waiting for us to slip. We shuffled along to the patient and provided care. When it was clear the patient was fine, we carefully got the patient to the other side of the rink. Thank goodness the entire time we didn’t injure ourselves and have to do it all again!” This story demonstrates the problem solving, the camaraderie, and one final reward at its conclusion: “Right as we exited, we heard everyone erupt in cheers, just like at a hockey game,” says Joe.
Joe believes Glen Ellyn deserves the best fire company and the best firefighters. So he and all the firefighters push each other to give their best. While they don’t need applause at all for what they do, they know the community appreciates the company. “People thank you for your help—for the work you do, and for saving their lives,” says Joe.
“We need smart, capable people who are willing to work hard. We’ll train you and give you everything you need—and you will be helping people who really do need your help.”
Joe’s top three reasons to volunteer:
-
It’s the real deal. “You are not going to experience anything like this anywhere else,” says Joe.
-
Serve your community. “Within a few months I had already helped several of the people on my street,” says Joe. “Soon enough, you will literally help your next door neighbors.”
-
You will save lives. “As a volunteer firefighter, you will be part of the team that saves someone’s life—and it will happen again and again,” says Joe.
