Captain Pete Corte is another individual who wanted to be a firefighter from the very beginning. He achieved his goal by becoming a volunteer firefighter at first, then getting hired by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. Pete worked in Takoma Park, Bethesda, Glen Echo, Glenmont, and Chevy Chase, rising through the ranks. He also spent some time as a safety officer.

After some injuries caught up with him, he knew it was time to hang up his helmet. He has since moved down south, where he now works for the Georgia State Fire Marshall's office. Since retiring, he has found a renewed connection with God and a contentment that had eluded him for many many years.

Pete can be found on Instagram at @thecaptainskitchen and on Facebook at Pete Corte.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicide, dial 988 for help.

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From the time he was first introduced to the fire service in high school, Marshall Moneymaker knew this was what he wanted to do with his life. However, the road to get there definitely was not easy.

Eventually he did manage to get hired by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, and made his way to station six in Bethesda...working in the high rise district of southern Montgomery County. It was there he got to drive and tiller Truck 706, a position he greatly enjoyed for many years.

Unfortunately an injury cut his career short, and what followed was a very difficult battle with the county over retirement benefits. Marshall's story is raw, real, and powerful, and he credits his wife and the memory of his shift mates with helping him get through some of the darker times.

Marshall is also known as "The Pink Fireman" for his involvement with For Three Sisters, an organization he helped to establish which aims to support people going through cancer. You can find more information about For Three Sisters at F3S.org

Marshall can be reached at pinkfireman@icloud.com

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Alex Aquino has always had a heart yearning for adventure, and all of his immediate family members were the same. So it was no surprise (kind of) that he ended up in the fire department.

After an almost 30-year career, all of his adventures, both on the job and off, caught up to him physically. It was his desire to continue having adventures with his family that led him to hang up his turn out gear.

Alex can be reached at fishtripn@yahoo.com

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