My
name is Lucas Hirst, I am 23 years old, born and raised in Argentina. I
have always had an interest in Fire Fighting and recently have picked up
an interest in medicine.Currently I serve the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District as a
Volunteer Videographer / Photographer , Reserve Fire Fighter, Communications Volunteer, and as a CERT Instructor.
Here is an article from The Valley Fire Monitor which explains what I do and how I do it.
You’ve
probably enjoyed more than a few photos or videos produced by Volunteer
Videographer Lucas Hirst. His work has been shown at employee dinners,
training sessions, in the District newsletter and on the District’s
website. But there are a few things you probably don’t know about
the 20-year-old Argentina native, who spoke very little English when he
arrived in the United States in 1997 at age of 12.
Like the fact his photo skills are mainly self taught after picking up
a Pentax SLR camera owned by his grandfather and taking photos until he
liked the results. He later took a digital photography class where he
perfected his skills, as well as a webpage course so he could design his
own dynamic and dramatic webpage (Lucas911.com). In fact, he never used
a computer until 1997.
Fire engine sirens originally drew Hirst to his first emergency scene.
He recalls riding his bike to a vehicle accident on Morgan Dr / San Ramon
Valley Blvd. and photographing the landing of a Reach helicopter. From
there, his appetite for emergency scene photography became almost insatiable.
He emailed some of his work to then Fire Chief Probert who forwarded his
photos to Training Battalion Chief Hart. From there came an invitation
to an academy graduation and training burns, and finally the production
of his own videos. He did replace his bicycle with a car which has enhanced
his ability to get to an emergency scene in time for important action
shots.
Lucas utilized his video skills during his time at Monte Vista High School
as well, working as editor-in-chief of the school yearbook and becoming
involved in the video production of “Every
15 Minutes”. It was during production of “Every 15 Minutes”
that he met Fire Prevention’s Erick Hubbard. Hubbard introduced
then Captain Derek Krause to Lucas and Krause asked him to document training
efforts and other district events for video display.
He now aspires to a career in the fire service and is attending Las Positas
College. He is presently a member of the Districts Reserve Academy and
will graduate mid-February. He also serves as a Communications Volunteer
and has set his sights on obtaining his paramedic certification next.
And, incase you were wondering he’s loaded down with an iPod, cell
phone, pager, PDA, keys, and his wallet. Oh, and don’t forget the
strong work ethic and ability to run on very little sleep.
