'My whole life has been about trying to help people'

Marty Calveneau, a Grand Rapids Township (Mich.) firefighter and member of UAW Local 19, says he has "the best job out there."

Marty Calveneau is a hero, although he doesn't think so. A member of UAW Local 19 at the Grand Rapids Township (Mich.) Fire Department, Calveneau saves lives. But to him, "it's just a job."

You be the judge: Calveneau is the "on the tip" at most fires, which means he's the guy on the front line, hosing down a burning building.

Literally being in the "line of fire" isn't new to him.

"I guess my whole life has been about trying to help people and doing the right thing. I served six months on the front lines in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, building forward operating bases for the Marine Corps to train Iraqi forces. Maybe that helped train me for this job," he said.

Like many businesseses, the fire department has been downsizing. At its height, it had nearly 30 members; now it's down to 17.

Four, full-time firefighters are salaried and rotate duties for 72-hour shifts.

The part-timers are on call and paid as they are needed, instead of a regular wage.

"The one thing I like about doing the job is putting out fires or rescuing people from a traffic accident. I'm on the tip a lot, and I like that. I think being a firefighter is the best job out there," Calveneau said.

John Hammond