Hawkins finds his calling as latest Greencastle firefighter

By ERIC BERNSEE

Editor

For many adolescent boys, the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is invariably accompanied by visions of fire engines dancing in their heads.

The city's newest firefighter, Jonathan Hawkins, is officially sworn in by Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray Tuesday afternoon at City Hall. Hawkins previously served as a reserve firefighter for the department the past 23 months.

"I want to be a fireman" endures as perhaps the most common response to the age-old occupational query.

So enter Jonathan Hawkins, sworn in Tuesday afternoon at City Hall as Greencastle's newest firefighter. But being a firefighter wasn't on his radar as a boy or even when he graduated from Cloverdale High School in 2001.

Now 31, Hawkins said he "went from job to job" without finding anything satisfying or rewarding.

Then he spotted an ad in the newspaper. The Greencastle Fire Department was looking for reserves. He was intrigued. His interest was piqued.

"But to be honest, I didn't think I be in it for a career," Hawkins said after being sworn by Mayor Sue Murray with wife Kathy, five-week-old baby Emma and mom and dad Dale and Patty Hawkins looking on (sister Diane Dickerson of Greencastle was unable to attend the ceremony).

The obviously excited Hawkins, who moved to Greencastle in late 2001, was "very aggressive in his training the last two years," Fire Chief Bill Newgent praised.

"He really went after it," dad Dale Hawkins assured. "He worked hard at it."

That work ethic resulted in Firefighter I and Firefighter II certifications for Hawkins, along with a Haz Mat Tech endorsement and EMT training.

Hawkins is now a Greencastle firefighter on C shift with Assistant Chief Jeff Mace as the shift officer.

"I saw something worth doing," Hawkins said, "and I was hooked.

"This is what I want to do the rest of my life. I don't want to do anything else."