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Guarino shares bond with nation's firefighters Story and photo by Katherine Fore, Public Relations It’s 2 a.m. and pager tones roar in Ladson firefighters’ homes. David Guarino’s pager reads “medicode 2.” Someone is trapped in a car. During Tuesday's “drill night,” Guarino turns up the pressure as he and his men prepare a yearly test of the engine hoses. Each year the hoses are tested to ensure they will stand the high pressure of the water in an event of an emergency.  As Guarino describes a typical scenario, he says what he does is more than a hobby; it’s a passion.  He raced down the stairs and jumped into his fire suit he always has ready by the door. He ran to his car and took off to the station. “I always knew that I wanted to be a fireman,” he said. After retirement from the Navy, Guarino became a volunteer firefighter at the Caromi Fire Department in Ladson in 1989. As assistant chief, Guarino is third to the chief and deputy chief. Also in Guarino's family are  from left: Deputy Chief Dale Johnston, Spencer Fey, Leo Kalbuneh, Assistant Chief Dave Guarino and Chief Engineer Stacey Parris. As he and the other firefighters arrived at the station, Engine 11 was ready to take off to the scene. Guarino explained they never know what to expect, but help was on the way. “You never know what you will see when you get there,” Guarino said. “But the adrenaline starts to pump and all you want to do is help.” Although fighting fires is Guarino’s first love, MUSC provides a great balance in his life. For three years he has been administrative assistant to Carol Dobos, Ph.D., director of children's services. David Guarino suits up and gets ready for an emergency call on Engine 12, the “Cadillac” of fire engines. “There is no money involved in what I do at the station,” he said. “It is all personal satisfaction.” Within the fire department, 60-70 percent of the firefighters are not paid, yet still volunteer because they love it.  “The passion of the job comes first,” he said. “Once you get it in your blood, you can’t get it out. Sometimes the scene can be tough, but the feeling of helping others makes it all worth it.” As Engine 11 arrived, Guarino and the other firefighters saw the scene for the first time. It was car versus dump truck, he explained. A 19-year-old girl was trapped in the front seat of the car.  “When I am saving victims, I try to calm them down as much as possible,” he said.  Guarino said he jumped out of 11 and ran to the mangled car. He popped his head through the window and cheerfully said to the girl, “Hi, my name is Dave. How are you? Let me tell you about my life.” Guarino and his team worked hard to free the girl from the entrapment he remarked. It only took a few minutes for the job to be completed. Caromi Fire Department Engine 11 was originally supposed to be red, the traditional fire engine color. After the first engine was delivered painted yellow, they decided to keep it. Berkeley County is the only county in South Carolina with yellow fire engines.  Helping others is a bonus for Guarino. He shares a special bond with each firefighter throughout the United States. Guarino visited Ground Zero early this year and witnessed a call right before him. “It was very emotional,” he said. “New York’s finest had a call right there in front of me. I was able to talk to one of their engineers and give him a Caromi Fire Department patch and congratulate him on their amazing dedication.” After the job was complete, Guarino felt his dedication sink in. He was exhausted, yet encouraged, as he retreated back to the station at around 4 a.m. He and his fire family smiled at each other with the satisfaction of another life saved.  Guarino can’t say enough about the close-knit family that he gained from his affiliation with this department. “If I am ever hurt, I want the men and women of my department to be there for me,” he said. “These folks are at their best, they are really special people.”   Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.