In addition, Ensign has spent much of his career training others to save lives as well through his work with the department and volunteering with the American Red Cross.

Today Ensign started his final 24-hour shift with the department, one culminating with his retirement on the 30th anniversary of his July 1, 1976, employment date.

The lifelong Charleston resident was not always headed on the path toward being a firefighter and paramedic.

“My mom said all I ever talked about as a child was being a police officer,” Ensign said.

Nevertheless, he was drawn in his mid-20s to apply at the department after working for a time in manufacturing.

“I saw the ad in the paper that they were testing, so I took a chance,” Ensign said.

Although Ensign was hired in 1974, he was laid off six months later. He did get certified to work with the department’s new ambulance service during that time. That got him recruited back two years later while working as a Charleston High School custodian.

Ensign had originally applied to the department with the intention of being a firefighter. He had not given much thought to the ambulance service, but that soon became his favorite part of the job.

“It was like something clicked. It was like my destiny to work the ambulance,” Ensign said. “To me, it’s the helping of people that I enjoy. You are doing something to help them and its right there face to face.“

Ensign joined with colleagues over the years to successfully push for the department’s ambulance training to be upgraded to paramedic level for everyone on staff.

The Charleston native said being a paramedic in his hometown has been difficult at times because he has known many of those who have ended up in his ambulance. He added seeing children not survive injuries has also been hard.

“I would sit down with my wife (Diane) and talk about it, which made it a lot easier than holding it in,” Ensign said.

Soon after joining the department, Ensign joined the Red Cross and became a certified instructor of cardio pulmonary resuscitation.

Ensign has taught CPR to his fellow Charleston firefighters over the years as well as volunteer firefighters, nursing home staff members, and many other groups.

In recent years, he has provided CPR and automatic electric defibrillator training to the city staff as well as much of the Charleston school district’s employees.

Ensign plans in retirement to spend more time with his family, play golf whenever possible, maybe work part time, and go on national missions with the Red Cross. His schedule with the department did not allow time for such Red Cross missions in the past. Nevertheless, Ensign said part of him is not quite ready for retirement. He added he will miss seeing his fellow firefighter/paramedics on a regular basis.

“They have been my family for the last 30 years,” Ensign said.

source: www.jg-tc.com