Meet Firefighter/EMT John McGrath

Where are you stationed?

Fire Station 8 (Lien Road) on the 'A' shift

What was your first experience with a firefighter or paramedic?

For me, my most memorable experience was being in grade school and getting to take a tour of my local fire station in Oregon, Wisconsin. They were really welcoming and were happy to answer all the questions that I had for them, which at the time were a lot of questions.

Since graduating the Academy, what are among the most memorable experiences you've had?

We've gone on some pretty fun calls. My first swing at Station 12, I got a vehicle fire, which was a lot of fun. I could feel my heart pounding when I heard the tones go off for that one. We've also gotten to go on some good EMS calls, which have definitely been good learning experiences, and they've helped a lot in enhancing the skills necessary to perform well in the pre-hospital setting.

Do you have any family in the EMS or fire services?

No immediate family in the fire service, however my brother worked as an EMT before becoming a Physician's Assistant at UW Hospital. My mom also worked as an ER nurse at UW for a very long time.