Firefighter Gives Orphan Kid Tour Around Fire Station, Boy Saves Him from Fire 22 Years Later – Story of the Day

Ever since he was a child, David dreamed of becoming a firefighter to help people in danger. When he grew up, he saved the man who inspired his dream.

To celebrate Fireman's Day, a town's special school for orphans held a special meet and greet with the local fire department. That year, the firemen had stopped a forest fire before it could reach houses and buildings. The local newspaper celebrated their feat with a front-page story.

The town's firefighters came to the school dressed in uniform and answered all the kids' questions. The firefighters explained how all their safety equipment works, including their fire-resistant uniforms, helmets, and hoses. Captain Joshua was the department leader and explained each team member's role.

"Everybody has to be in the right place at the right time," he explained to the children. Captain Joshua had suffered a noticeable burn mark above his eye during the blaze. After the demonstration, the kids presented the firemen with drawings they had made in class. All of the pictures were inspired by the firemen's heroics.

A young boy named David approached Captain Joshua with his drawing. David had stuck the newspaper front-page picture to his drawing. Joshua noticed that the young boy had a birthmark in the same spot as his burn mark.

"Nice drawing, little man. Hey, I guess we're kinda the same," Joshua told him while pointing at his burn mark. David blushed and smiled. The young boy had another request for Joshua but was too shy to ask at first. David turned to his teacher, Mrs. Humphries, for approval, and she gave him a thumb's up.

"Why do you want to be a fireman?"

"Would it be alright if I came to the fire station to see all the equipment and look at the trucks?" David asked timidly. The young boy explained that he dreamed of one day becoming a fireman, which is why he wanted to learn as much as possible.

Captain Joshua told David he would be happy to give the tour, but only if Mrs. Humphries agreed. "I'd be happy to accompany you and David on a tour of the station, but there is something you should know," Mrs. Humphries told the captain.

While watching the young boy playing with his friends, the teacher took a deep breath before saying, "The reason why he's so obsessed with firemen is that he lost his parents in a fire." Captain Joshua decided that the trip would be beneficial for David and agreed to the tour.

That Saturday, Joshua, Mrs. Humphries, and David all visited the fire department during the morning so that it wouldn't be hectic. Joshua introduced David to his teammates and took him around town in one of the trucks. David took as many pictures as he could and slid down the firemen's pole.

Joshua dedicated three hours of the morning to David because he sympathized with his story. Joshua was off-duty the day that David's parents died, but he had heard about the tragic story. He never thought he'd be able to spend time with the orphaned child, and he wanted to give him the best experience possible.

"This has been the best day of my life," David told him.

The boy was smiling from ear to ear. The three had hot dogs at the station before it was time for David and Mrs. Humphries to leave. "Why do you want to be a fireman?" Joshua asked David. The captain couldn't hide his curiosity.

A dangerous fire had taken David's parents from him at a young age, yet he wanted to risk his life in the same environment. "I want to save many lives so that children don't have to be sad. It made me happy when you saved the town from that fire. I want to be just like you when I grow up," David said.

Joshua gave an impressed nod of approval to Mrs. Humphries and said goodbye to them for the day. 22 years later, Joshua was home relaxing with his wife, Sarah. He had retired from being a firefighter many years ago.

An electrical fire broke out in his basement, and while trying to escape, he and Sarah were left trapped in the blaze. Luckily, their fire alarm had already gone off. In less than a couple minutes, firefighters arrived to come and help them.

"Back here in the kitchen! Help!" Joshua shouted as the firemen entered his home.

Firemen carried Joshua and Sarah out of the burning house. They laid them down in the front yard to receive medical attention. But before one of the firemen left them, Joshua grabbed his shoulder. There was something about him that Joshua recognized. Above the firemen's right eye was a birthmark.

"D—David, is that you?" he asked as he tried to catch his breath. Noticing the scar above Joshua's eye, David removed his hat and replied, "Captain Joshua?!" The two shared a long hug while fighting off tears. Just like David had promised all those years ago, he had fulfilled his dream of becoming a firefighter and saving lives.

"Thank you so much, David. Thank you for saving our lives. It's just like you said!" Joshua said. "No, Captain Joshua, it's just like you said. Everybody has to be in the right place at the right time," David replied with a wry smile.

David offered to let Joshua and Sarah stay with him until insurance paid for the damage to their home. Later that day, they shared hot dogs for old times' sake. Joshua and Sarah treated David like a son. David felt like he had rescued his parents from that fire all those years ago.

What can we learn from this story?

• Push others to follow their dreams. Joshua helped David believe in himself, and later in life, David managed to achieve his ambition.
• Face your fears. Even though David had lost his parents because of a fire, he decided he wouldn't be afraid. Rather he conquered the fire and can now save lives.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a firefighter who adopts a boy he rescued from a fire & it ends up saving his marriage.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.