With any new job, there’s a lot of uncertainty and a lot to learn. But for probationary firefighter/EMT Calvin Chaney the rigors of his first year with the Crawfordsville Fire Department have only cemented his choice of professions.
“I really enjoy doing this,” he said. “There’s a lot of work, but it doesn’t feel like a job.”
Chaney began his professional training in mid-June of 2023 and started working at the station in the beginning of October. He is assigned to the engine.
“The first year there is a lot of extra training as you learn to adapt to the life of a firefighter,” he said. “During that time, you figure out if you are qualified and able to do the job.”
Chaney was initially introduced to the firefighting profession through his West Central Career and Technical Education classes while a student at Crawfordsville High School. However, after graduation in 2018, Chaney pursued a four-year degree at Ball State University in Muncie. In 2022, he earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources, and then entered the workforce.
“I began working, using my degree, but discovered I didn’t care for it,” he said.
After several discussions with his fiancée’s father, a longtime firefighter/paramedic who works in Zionsville, Chaney chose a new career path.
“Becoming a firefighter was always in the back of my mind, but I went to college, and I thought I should use my degree, but I really didn’t like it,” Chaney said. “My fiancée’s dad reignited that spark in me.”
With his desire to become a firefighter rekindled, Chaney applied and was hired at the Crawfordsville Fire Department.
Although he had earned his state certifications while in the CTE program, it had been a few years and Chaney was eager to complete the 16 weeks of required training at the academy.
“It was a good refresher for me and was needed so that I could perform to Crawfordsville’s standards,” he said.
Chaney credits his time as a high school athlete as helping him to make the transition to the fire department.
“Teamwork is a big thing here,” he said. “In high school I played a lot of sports and that really helped me learn how to be a part of a team and be a leader.”
During high school, Chaney played football, was a swimmer, ran track for one year, played baseball for one year and was a golfer for two years.
Of all the sports he participated in as an Athenian, golf is the only one he still enjoys today. His fiancée, Savanah Gilliam, sometimes joins him on the course.
“I do the big hitting, and she putts,” he said. “She’s better at it than I am.”
Chaney also is grateful for the time he spends with his co-workers.
“Everybody here is great and I really appreciate the brotherhood,” he said.
He describes the training and mentoring he has received as exceptional.
“When it is time to go to work it’s nice to know that you can depend on the guy next to you and you’re going to do what it takes to get the job done,” Chaney said.
Chaney has quickly adapted to the 24-hour shifts that he works. There is much to do and much to learn. Each day consists of meetings, vehicle and equipment checks and a variety of training. There are also shared meals, time spent bonding with co-workers over board games, movies or working out in the department gym.
“Of course, there’s the runs we go on throughout all of this,” he said. “There is something new every day and I love it.”
Chaney is glad to have had the chance to join the department.
“I’ve always enjoyed serving others and so this is the best job for that,” he said.
Outside of work, Chaney is a member of Traders Point Christian Church in Whitestown, where he currently resides. He and Gilliam, who works in Zionsville, are currently building a home in Lebanon. It’s a mid-way point for the couple who will exchange wedding vows in November.
Chaney also enjoys spending his free time, fishing, hunting, hiking, and occasionally playing video games.
He is the son of Rory and Heather Chaney of Crawfordsville. His other family members include an older sister, Sydney, who is married to Sean Maney and works at Camp Tecumseh, and younger brother, Evan, who is a sophomore at Hanover College.
