Pat Scully moved to the Grand Marais area in 1975. He has been associated with the Grand Marais Fire Department as a member since 2010, has spent the last 36 years as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) on the North Shore ambulance crew, and with Cook County Search & Rescue. He was a founding member of the Medical First Response unit for Search & Rescue as well.
Pat’s inspiration to join the fire department and the medical first response field was motivated by many factors – certain shows on television when he was small that encouraged civil service, and family activities with several fire departments that showed him what a benefit serving others had on friends and neighbors. “There is a bonding experience that occurs with the people that you work with, and provide care for, that is hard to explain sometimes, but it is a gut feeling that is incredibly satisfying.”
Pat cites foremost his favorite part of being a member of the department is the feeling you get when you contribute to helping someone in need, which could just mean consoling a patient or relative involved in an incident. Another favorite part of Pat’s is the feeling of “brotherhood/ sisterhood” that you have with the people in the service that you encounter day-to-day. There is a real dedication to training and service that is shared by all members of the volunteer departments in the county, and Pat enjoys the mentoring aspect as well.
Emergency responder Pat Scully
With over 1,000 emergency calls under his belt, Pat says it is hard to discern which is his most memorable. There are so many different types of calls that it is hard to place one above the other as the most memorable, but none are commonplace.
If he had to tell someone why they should consider joining a fire department, Pat mentions the real need for volunteers in the county and the rewarding aspects of involvement. Membership is open to anyone with a commitment to helping your neighbor, old or young, male or female. Join as a firefighter, medical first responder, board member or as part of an auxiliary. All the departments in Cook County have retirement programs for accumulated years of service as an added benefit. There is always need for help at any level.
If you’re interested in getting involved, contact your local Volunteer Fire Department or the Office of Emergency Management at 218-387-3059. Answering the Call is a regular column featuring local volunteer fire departments. This week’s contributer is Valerie Marasco, Director of the Office of Emergency Management & Public Information.
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