The PBS documentary “Odd Hours, No Pay Cool Hat” travels across the U.S. to tell the story of volunteer firefighters. Volunteer firefighters, just like our department in Devils Lake, have some of the most selfless and hardworking people who look out for their community.
Volunteer firefighters are among the most unsung heroes that protect their communities. Whether its emergency medical services, fires, or even a cow that’s stuck in a pool, your local volunteer fire department answers the call. Our own Devils Lake Volunteer Fire Department aids the community in so many ways.
The work volunteer firefighters do is often thankless and unrecognized. Around the United States, volunteers at fire departments are working on call and on their own dime to come to the rescue when needed. Two filmmakers, Cameron Zohoori and Gary Matoso, set out to chronicle different volunteer fire departments all over the country. The result of those stories PBS’ “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat.”
The idea to do a story on volunteer fire departments came from executive producer Peter Yoakum said Matoso. “He became very passionate about volunteer fire service,” he said. “He understood the dire needs that they were having in terms of recruitment and retention of new firefighters.”
The film looks at departments from cities like Wheaton in Maryland to rural small towns like Exeter in Nebraska.
Zohoori said they received over 800 submissions from fire departments. The film focuses on seven.
Zohoori said while filming it opened his eyes to how “diverse” the services departments provided.
“I had my preconceptions of what a firefighter was or what that person was in that role, had to be, had to look like,” he added.
Interviews with volunteers range from teenagers to retired seniors to blue-collar workers to a Hasidic Jew. The film shows that it’s your neighbors, your family, and your friends who are putting in their time to do the volunteer work.
“It’s the kind of film that rises above a lot of the divisiveness in the country today,” Matoso said. “We’re just really happy to put something out there in the world that is positive and makes you just feel a bit better about your neighbors.
You can check out the full interview with the directors on the Devils Lake Journal’s YouTube channel.
“Odd Hours” No Pay, Cool Hat” is airing nationwide on PBS. Check your local listings for dates and times. The film is also available for rent or purchase on streaming websites.
