Sean C. Morgan
Being a paramedic and fighting fires is in Peter Hall’s blood.
His father, grandfather and an uncle all had different levels of medic training, so it was a natural step for Hall, who is Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District’s newest paramedic.
Hall began working on July 1, filling a brand new paid paramedic-firefighter position.
He works six days alternating on and off then taking four days off in a schedule opposite Chris Johnson. This means that about two-thirds of the time, the department has three paid paramedic-firefighters on duty.
When the new fire and ambulance district was formed in 2000, it had two paid personnel on each of three 24-hour shifts.
The department’s goal was to have three paid paramedics on each of the three shifts, Chief Mike Beaver said.
Hall, 29, comes to Sweet Home from Veneta where he grew up and graduated from Elmira High School.
He earned his associate’s degree and paramedic certification at Lane Community College.
He started volunteering with Lane County Fire District station one at the age of 18. He earned his basic and intermediate certification while volunteering there, then he worked at McKenzie Willamette Hospital.
He had been working for West Ambulance, a private ambulance service in Roseburg, for about three months when he was hired by Sweet Home. He had been looking for a paramedic-firefighter position.
Hall had only previously driven through Sweet Home or played high school sports here.
“I like it,” he said of Sweet Home. “I’m getting to know the place trying to find a place to live.”
It’s comparable in size to Veneta, but Sweet Home is geographically larger, Hall said.
Being a paramedic “is in the blood,” Hall said. Why he enjoys it, “I don’t know where to start on that one. I’ve always loved it. I like getting up and moving. Offices and computer’s don’t really thrill me.”
He enjoys the camaraderie of the fire fighting business, he said. “It’s a big family. It’s definitely a lifestyle. It’s not like an officer where you come home and change clothes,” leaving it all behind at the end of the day.
Hall is engaged to Sarah Wagner of the Eugene area.
He enjoys fishing, hiking and camping.