From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Bob Carlson, and this is unfictional.

Unfictional is KCRW's program of peculiar and memorable stories and documentaries.

It's part of KCRW's independent producer project,

kind of a laboratory for independent radio producers,

writers and performers. And on this episode, when you're stuck on a cliff

or the world is burning around you, there is somebody whose job it is to bail you out.

It's like what you look forward to. We come to work and we go to

someone's worst day. Today on unfictional stories of rescue from both sides of the

transaction, the rescuers, and the rescued.

Beginning with this story about a volunteer fire department,

Kensington, Maryland is a town just outside of Washington, D.C.

And they use a volunteer crew of firefighters and EMTs to work

overnights when the career paid force is off duty.

A lot of these volunteers are young people and they can get money toward their education and even a free place to sleep there at the firehouse.

Producer Rob Sachs lives in Kensington and he spent a week hanging out with the young crew

to see how living at a firehouse changes them as they spend their time saving others.

The county provides firefighters at the station.

Three of us are here from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

and the other two come in from 7 in the morning until 5 in the evening.

At that set time in the evening, they all go home.

The firehouse is then staffed with volunteers and volunteers.

This is going to be in a lineup. staff with

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