[0:00] (uplifting music) [0:15] (soft music) [0:15] - My primary role as a fire inspector [0:17] is to educate the community. [0:19] My name's Ron Crook, fire inspector, firefighter [0:22] for the City of Bloomington. [0:23] I became a paid on-call firefighter in 2016 [0:26] and a full-time firefighter fire inspector in 2022. [0:30] That's going to schools to [0:33] educate the little ones, [0:34] or even going to like a senior living facilities [0:36] to do presentations there. [0:38] It takes a long time, [0:39] not just to learn the city, [0:40] but to learn and understand the code book. [0:43] You always gotta go back to the book. [0:44] Fire inspecting not only are you educating [0:46] while you're doing it, [0:47] but you're pointing out, in real time, [0:49] kind of issues that you find. [0:50] Usually there's a good blend of computer work, field work, [0:54] and then what people would maybe think [0:55] of like actual firefighting. [0:57] In January, I received the Firefighter of the Year award [1:00] from Bloomington Fire Department. [1:01] It feels pretty good to be recognized. [1:04] I know that there's plenty of others [1:06] that probably would be perfect candidates, [1:08] but it feels pretty good [1:10] and I do appreciate the award. [1:11] - Nobody works harder than Ron since [1:14] before he was full-time. [1:15] He was somebody you could always rely on. [1:17] He's always here. [1:18] He's the kind of guy that you can depend on. [1:20] - So what I enjoy the most [1:21] about this job is kind of the unknowns. [1:23] A lot of it you just don't know what you're gonna see, [1:25] what you're gonna run into, [1:26] and that goes for both for inspections, [1:29] investigations, [1:30] fires, or just emergency incidences. [1:33] Being somebody who loves adventure and challenges, [1:35] that to me is just why I love doing this job. [1:37] - [Aaron] Ron, just he's super funny and super nice guy. [1:40] If you see him out in the community, [1:41] make sure you congratulate him for Firefighter of the Year [1:43] because he really deserves it. [1:44] (uplifting music continues)