"You are going to lead our department one day," my fire chief told me. Whenever my coworkers performed their duties unsafely, I tried to help them to work safer. The oil and petrochemical industry, a fast-growing field, contains many hazards that could lead to catastrophes, many times due to lack of environmentally safe conditions and adequate employee preparation. My experience as acting shift captain gave me the direct responsibility of leading other less-experienced firemen.
Accidents happen. I will never forget when one of my friends passed away because of a wastewater treatment plant fire. I had just left work on my way back home when I heard the alarm, signaling to any firefighter to respond even when off duty. A mixture of different types of chemical material and hydrocarbon materials ignited, ultimately leading to my friend sustaining fatal burns. Though it was a horrible occurrence, I learned from it and it indeed helped me to become a better fireman, one who teaches others the principles of prevention so such accidents are avoided.
It was an honor leading other firemen as acting shift captain and, at the same time, learning so much about the field and leadership. I held many positions in my organization, from fireman to acting shift captain. I also participated in quarter safety inspections as an assignment, when I learned how to properly inspect and determine the source of hazards. This included a thorough analysis of the situation and taking the proper steps to minimize the surrounding risk.
As many people know, being a fireman is very challenging work, but there are also some lulls during the shifts. It was during these times that I kept myself busy by studying English and English literature. My objective was to improve my language fluency in order to give better safety awareness presentations to our department workers. I eventually graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English literature from King Abdulaziz University, while working in a field with strict principles that involved helping, protecting and saving the environment from hazards, like fires. Working hard full-time as a fireman and studying were difficult. This was definitely the most challenging period in my life. Although this period in my life was invaluable, just responding to dangerous situations was not enough for me. I realized that I wanted to learn more about environmental hazard prevention and occupational safety. My aspiration is to participate in making safer environments for our future generations and to prevent hazards that can drastically affect our future.
I am excited to have the opportunity to continue my studies here in America. I can say with certainty that I look forward to meeting and learning from the faculty at the University of New Haven's Fire Science department, especially Dr. Iliescu, Professor Struble, and Professor O'Connor, whose combined experiences as fire chiefs, firemen, and experience in the fire science field will allow me to add to my own knowledge. Furthermore, I am confident that my specialization in fire/arson investigation and/or fire administration will adequately prepare me to become an even better leader in the field and also prepare me for my doctoral studies. I am very excited to learn from top professionals in the field at the University of New Haven.
