John Orndorff says he’s an adrenaline junky - that’s one of the reasons he became a firefighter more than 17 years ago. But being a lieutenant at Frederick County Fire and Rescue in Winchester, Virginia, means some days are a little less high octane.
“We have an elderly community back here behind us that we service,” Orndorff says. “One lady back there is a diabetic and I physically sat down and had dinner with her twice because her sugar was low.”
It wasn’t a hard fall or building collapse that caused Orndorff’s back injury. It was a combination of hauling 100 pounds of protective clothing and gear and lifting elderly neighbors who had fallen that caused the discs in his spine to deteriorate.
“The continual stress of picking stuff up, it just builds and builds,” Orndorff says.