Deaf Volunteer Firefighter in Florida

Deaf volunteer firefighter proud to serve

BY KATHERINE MANCIL
SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BANNER


Published: Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 6:30 a.m.
John Buccieri is a deaf support-level volunteer with Marion County Fire Rescue.
BY THE NUMBERS 2,000: number of deaf people living in Marion County
22,000-plus: number of hearing-impaired people living in the county
2.8 million: number of deaf and hearing-impaired people living in Florida
Sources: Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida; National Center for Health Statistics

BELLEVIEW - John Buccieri always wanted to serve the fire department. There was just one thing holding him back: He's deaf.

"I'm basically the same as everyone else. I just can't hear," Buccieri said Friday through his sign language interpreter, Deborah Flagg.

Buccieri, 39, is the father of two boys and is a full-time equipment operator at Georgia Pacific. He said his goal is to become a state-certified professional firefighter. For now, he said, he's excited to be a part of Marion County Fire Rescue as a support-level volunteer.

Michael McCracken, plant manager at Georgia Pacific, describes Buccieri as a "go-getter."

"John doesn't let his disability get in the way of anything he does," he said.

Bill Newman, Buccieri's supervisor at Georgia Pacific, added that Buccieri is a good communicator and works well with others.

"John is an individual you can count on to get the job done," said Newman.

Buccieri's attitude and determination are what convinced Division Chief Bart Walker to give him an opportunity to join the Marion County Fire Rescue team as a support-level volunteer just over a year ago. Now, Buccieri is proving himself to be a valuable asset to one of the county's busiest fire stations, Belleview Station 18.

Walker said Buccieri has completed 70 hours of training and is qualified to assist firefighters with duties at the periphery of fires. He stresses that the fire department would never allow Buccieri, crew members or citizens to be in danger because of a hearing impairment.

For instance, he said, Buccieri is not qualified to enter burning buildings. He can, however, serve in other vital capacities for the fire department, such as assisting with equipment at fires, providing support at vehicle crashes and completing tasks at the fire station.

During much of Buccieri's training, an interpreter was present to help overcome the communication obstacle, but on a day-to-day basis, he and the other crew members depend on real and made-up sign language to communicate with each other.

"Firefighting is a very visual skill, and we work as a team," Buccieri said.

Marion County Fire Rescue plans to utilize Buccieri's skills in reaching the county's hearing-impaired community. He will be helping to communicate important fire safety messages through sign language in the county's "Get Alarmed" smoke alarm program and will be on hand during installations of some alarms designed specifically for people who are deaf or hearing-impaired.

The alarms emit loud sounds and high frequency strobe lights during a fire emergency and are provided and installed free of charge for citizens who cannot afford them.

For more information on the program, call 291-8000 or visit marioncountyfl.org/firerescue.htm.