For Jason Ruger and David Mangum, the decision to become first responders was an easy one.
"It takes a special breed of person to be a firefighter - somebody who wants to help no matter what the cost is," Ruger said.
Both have served for more than 20 years in Durham's Fire Department. "It doesn't even seem like work sometimes," Mangum said. "You get to hang out with the crew, talk, laugh, joke around - it's like another family."
Both also work part-time for the Bahama Fire Department in the community where they both grew up.