The piece below was submitted to us via email. We wanted to share the poem, which was written by Janet Butler for her husband, Ed Butler, when he retired as BLFD Battalion Chief in 2010.
I’ve seen my husband spend many hours studying for his college
degree in Fire Science and he got it,
- …but he’s only a volunteer.
I’ve seen him study to become an EMT to meet requirements and
he did it.
- …but he’s only a volunteer.
I’ve seen him leave to go to the fire department for drills EVERY
Tuesday night to learn and then in later years to teach and
sometimes on Saturdays after church,
- …but he’s only a volunteer.
I’ve seen him come home from working a long hard day at his
“paid” job and then 1 to 2 hours later his pager goes off and he
leaves to a medical emergency or fire,
- …but he’s only a volunteer.
I’ve knelt beside him at church in prayer and his pager would go
off and he would quietly get up and leave,
- …but he’s only a volunteer.
We have had family and extended family for a holiday dinner and
as we say our prayers of thanksgiving and begin to eat, the pager
would go off and he would leave,
- …but he’s only a volunteer.
I have laid in his arms in the quiet of the night and the pager goes
off and he leaves,
- …but he’s only a volunteer.
What is a volunteer? It is a 24-hour a day, 7 days a week
commitment to your community,
- …and he’s my husband.