Some of Justin Martin’s earliest memories involve walking the halls of Fire Station 1 on Seventh Street South, waving at firefighters and visiting his mother, who worked as a dispatcher in the station office.
Decades later, Martin’s own children make similar visits to that same station, where he now works as a firefighter and engineer.
“I was probably 2, 3 years old, so I remember coming up here and seeing her and being around all the firemen,” Martin told The Dispatch on Monday. “I really enjoyed it then. … My wife brings my kids up here now to see me. It’s kind of a whirlwind coming back around.”
Martin joined Columbus Fire and Rescue in 2017 after a 10-year career at Core Fitness where he worked as a manager and personal trainer. It was there, he said, that his interest in firefighting resurfaced.
“I met a couple guys that were actual firemen, and they were telling me it’s a good career,” he said. “Then I got interested and there was a station right down the street. They were doing … the physical test, so I watched some of the guys do it, and I was like, ‘Man. I think I could do this.’ Then I started training for it, and the rest is history.”
Martin began his career as a firefighter and was promoted to engineer three years later. As an engineer he is often the first to move when alarms sound, preparing the truck and driving firefighters to emergency scenes.
Once there, he’s responsible for putting the truck into pumping mode, connecting it to a hydrant and pulling the equipment firefighters may need before entering a burning structure.
“I try to be the first one up,” he said Monday. “Because of that, you become a light sleeper. Just last night we had a fire and an unconscious patient … call that came in at 2 a.m. In that time, while you’re here, you can have nothing going on all day, but at the drop of a hat, you have three calls like that back-to-back and you have to be ready to perform.”
Many calls, including the house fire early Monday morning, end with everyone safe, Martin said. He recalls times when patients without a pulse were revived through resuscitation efforts or when crews arrived in time to stop a fire before a family lost everything. Not every call, however, has a happy ending.
“You see a lot of things, being a firefighter,” he said. “You see a lot of not so good things, but the best thing is just being there for somebody at their worst time. … Sometimes they have a happy ending. Sometimes they don’t. That’s the thing. Firefighting is not only physical, it’s mental. Sometimes you do your best and you did everything you could and they still don’t make it and the house still burns. … You can’t save everything, but we do our best to try to save lives and save property.”
When calls take a toll, Martin said he relies on both his family at home and his second family at the station.
“I go to the camaraderie with the guys here,” he said. “It goes back to having good guys that you can talk to about it. My wife, I talk to her … in times where I’ve had some rough calls and get down on myself, and she’s always there to pick me up.”
A humbling honor
Martin and his crewmates work about a dozen 24-hour shifts together each month, living at the station as a home away from home. He said he learns something new from them every day, whether it’s out in the line of duty or cooking dinner in the kitchen.
“We’ve got some guys that can really take their show on the road,” he said. “They could be chefs. I’ve learned some from them, but I like eating too. … I’m with these guys as much as I’m with my family. You build bonds with them. We cook. We wash trucks. We do pretty much everything together. It’s all about the crew. That’s what makes this job.”
Those very crewmates voted unanimously for Martin to be named Firefighter of the Year in October, an award presented by the Exchange Club.
Battalion Chief Chip Kain, who served as Martin’s captain when he first joined the station eight years ago, said the award reflects Martin’s leadership and dedication. Kain added he hopes Martin will continue advancing through the ranks, with an eye toward becoming a captain.
“You need people like him (with) his mentality, his leadership,” Kain told The Dispatch on Monday. “… He was the unanimous vote on his shift … for a reason. They see that leadership in him, that dedication. It’s just trying to push him on (and) continue to grow.”
Martin said he was humbled to be nominated by his peers.
“My biggest thing is to come to work, learn something new everyday, help everybody I can, and just be the best that I can be,” Martin said. “Without my shift and my guys, I wouldn’t be able to do it. … It feels good that your peers acknowledge (me) and see what (I) didn’t see.”
Firefighters are eligible to retire after 30 years of service, and eight years into his career, Martin said he plans to see it through.
“I got some more time on the truck,” he said. “I would love to retire from here. I love this career. … After those 30 years, I’ll be close to 60. I don’t know if I’m going to be jumping out of trucks, but definitely I’ll have to try to move up in another position.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
