Firefighter Michael Hollingsworth has been serving the CCFR community since mid-2016.
Why did you become a firefighter?
I met a group of firemen through a friend and, after spending some time with them and hearing some of their stories, I really felt it was the right profession for me. I also have experience as a paramedic — I worked for a drug study company for a year, and then spent almost four years working in North County’s Northeast Ambulance and Fire District.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I really enjoy helping people in the community we serve.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I like to stay active and enjoy hunting and fishing in the great outdoors.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I have two search & rescue dogs, which I trained myself. My dogs are part of the MO Region C K-9 unit.
Describe a typical day at the firehouse.
We start each day by checking the fire trucks and their equipment to make sure everything is ready when it’s time to respond to a call. Then we take care of chores around the firehouse. Otherwise, every day is different — some days we do training, it really depends on how many calls we receive, which changes day to day.
What are two things about your job that would surprise non-firefighters?
We work 48-hour shifts. The air bottle we wear into fires contains filtered, compressed air — not pure oxygen, as many people assume.
Where do you live?
I live in St. Peters’ Country Hill South subdivision.