Firefighting and Public Speaking

As a firefighter/paramedic we are constantly communicating and interacting with the public. It is very common for fire departments to be asked to attend school events or birthday parties. Public speaking is something that I was once very nervous about but with time and practice I am much more comfortable and even enjoy it now. Several months ago my co-workers and I attended a church event with about 100  kids and were asked to speak and show off our equipment. Surprisingly, I found that the toughest part of the presentation was answering the questions that the kids had for us. You would be surprised what questions a group of 10-13 year old kids can think to ask. Because I have had practice over the last 2 years with public speaking, I have became a more confident public speaker. At events with a large crowd I am generally the first person to volunteer to begin the event and speak. Like anything, practice makes better.