Having dream job meant studying
Despite being a lackadaisical student, Jack Wassman learned the value of studying and getting an education and ultimately earned a master’s degree and is doing a job he absolutely loves, even though in the early days it included a battle with cancer. “I love my job!”
“I get to help people, have a fun time, get to learn,” Wassman told sixth-grade students at Pea Ridge Middle School recently.
A full-time captain, paramedic, firefighter with the Rogers Fire Department, Wassman is a deputy fire chief and paramedic with the Pea Ridge Fire Department.
A native of Avoca, Wassman said he started working for Walmart when he was 17 and by 19, thought he would work up to management. A customer who worked for the Avoca Fire Department asked him when he was going to “help out” with the Avoca Fire Department.
“I went to the next meeting. That started the bug,” he laughed. “That started why and what I am.”
Wassman said he began taking classes working through first responder, emergency medical technician and paramedic. “There’s lot of EMS stuff,” he said.
“At your age,” he told the 12-year-olds, “I had to deal with medical issues with my family and hated being in the hospital. I didn’t like seeing shots.
“About a year and a half being a volunteer, I decided I wanted to do it full time,” he said, spurring him to go talk to the fire chief at Rogers. The law required a paid firefighter be 21 years of age. He said he turned in his application and began studying the book to take the test.
Several unexpected interruptions, including surgery, delayed Wassman taking the test. As he was preparing to take the test again, he was diagnosed with cancer.
“It’s 1995. It’s March. I’ve been married a year and a half. That changed my world,” he said. “I didn’t know how things were
going to go.”
Surgery and recovery prevented him from exercising and he lost 50 pounds, but he said he was determined to take the test. He still had staples and sutures in his side, but he said he didn’t tell anyone because he was determined to take, and pass the test which required a lot of physical agility.
“You have to be able to climb a ladder, carry a hose,” he said. He said he passed the written test with the highest score but the chief said he couldn’t be hired until he was released by a doctor. He was cleared on Friday and began working the following Sunday.
“That’s how I started in the fire service and it’s grown ever since,” Wassman said.
“Do you sleep at the fire house?” one boy asked.
“Some,” Wassman said, explaining that a shift is typically 24 hours on and 48 hours off, but now he’s on 48 hours on/ 36 hours off. “I love it.”
Recalling the difficulty getting to test and join the fire department, Wassman told the students that at one point, he was afraid it wasn’t meant to be.
“But, I didn’t give up,” he said.
“When I was in high school, grade school, I wasn’t a very good student at all. I didn’t care about school — I just didn’t think there was a need for it at all — just like you guys.”
He said he just barely did what he had to to get by, but now wishes he had pushed himself a lot harder. As he matured, he took more classes and took over 100 hours of college.
“The reason I didn’t know I was smart enough was I never really had to try at anything — just like you. You think you’re never going to use any of this. Believe me, you will,” he said, encouraging the students to do their best at their studies.
Over the years, he continued taking classes. “All I did was study,” he said, adding that for one year he didn’t watch TV or read for fun, but just studied.
He earned an associates degree in fire science, earned a bachelor’s degree, graduated from an executive fire officer program. Now, he has earned both his master’s and executive fire officer program in addition to hundreds of hours of certificate hours.
“Guys, study. Do that homework,” he said, adding that he tried to impress that lesson on his own children.
“I have three great kids, a great wife and the best job in the world,” he said. “It took a while. I was gone every third night… A third of my life was spent away from my family.”
But, that also meant that when he was home, especially during the summers, he had three days at home with his family for camping trips and family time.
“There is so much education that is so far above and beyond what you’re learning here,” he said. “If you want a good job, you have to start right now. I know that coming to school and going to class isn’t fun, but right now is the best time.”