Web site lists jobs firefighters hold outside the firehouse

07:28 PM CST on Tuesday, March 15, 2005

By EMILY POWELL / Special Contributor

Lewisville firefighter Paul Young is like a lot of firefighters.

NATHAN HUNSINGER/DMN

John Wright, a Flower Mound firefighter, also does repair work for Stained Glass Unlimited, a retail store in The ! Colony. Firefighters' normal schedule of 24 hours on the job and 48 hours off allows many of them to take on a second job in their free time.

He's passionately committed to his job of fighting fires and saving lives -- but he also has a second job.

Because firefighters often work what is known as a 24-48 schedule -- 24 hours on the job, 48 hours off -- they have time to work in other fields.

In his off time, Mr. Young operates Young Services, specializing in minor household repairs, fence repairs and general handyman work. "I do the things people don't have the time or the knowledge to do," he said.

To promote the businesses owned and operated by firefighters such as Mr. Young, a Plano group created Offdutyfirefighters.net. David Hunt, founder of the Web site, said for $14.95, a firefighter can list a name or business on the site until January 2006. After that, the cost will be $6 per month. Consumers can then look up firefighters in their ZIP codes and the surrounding areas.

Mr. Hunt and his wife, Beth Hunt, said they wanted to create a way for people to find firefighters on the Internet.

"They're already local heroes. This is an easy way for them to get their business out there," he said.

The site lists 175 firefighters from 20 states. Mrs. Hunt said firefighters from as far away as Alaska have registered with the site, although they are primarily focused on the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Web site also accepts donations for the SweetPea Foundation, which is focused on helping sponsor therapy for children with autism. In January, the Hunts plan to donate a portion of the listing fee paid by firefighters to the foundation.

Five or six days a week, Mr. Hunt travels to fire stations across North Texas to talk about the Web site. He gives the firefighters who attend his meeting an additional discount on the registration fee.

"I'm able to tell the firemen what this is all about, and I get immediate feedback. If they want to change something, I can usually get it done right away," he said.

The Web site provides consumers with a large selection of skills.

"We get such a variety of workers," Mrs. Hunt said. "David will call me and say, 'OK, we have a margarita man now.' "

Mr. Young said firefighters have the skills necessary to do almost any job. Firefighters are master electricians, master plumbers and experts at landscaping.

"We could build a house and never have to leave the fire station," he said.

John Wright, a firefighter for six years in Flower Mound, specializes in fixing and creating custom stained-glass designs and repairing copper foil and front-door glass.

He learned the trade from his mother in Houston. She built stained glass until Tropical Storm Allison ripped through the city in 2001. Mr. Wright picked up her spare tools and brought them back to Dallas.

"I figured, I can deliver a baby. I can probably fix windows," he said.

Mr. Wright began by doing repair work for Stained Glass Unlimited, a retail store in The Colony. He said the store refers calls for repairs to him constantly since he is one of the few stained-glass repairmen in Dallas that will do onsite repairs. His willingness to visit the customer's home or office has helped him expand his business.

Mr. Wright said Offdutyfire fighters.net is a good idea for businesses like his because people already call the station for help with everyday activities, and many firefighters have part-time jobs.

"I wish I'd thought of it," he said.

James Freeman has been fighting fires in Lewisville for 10 years and specializes in interior and exterior automotive care. He works an extra job for additional income as well as to fill the time off.

"If we didn't do something, we'd go crazy," Mr. Freeman said. "I'd drive my wife bonkers."

The willingness of firefighters to put their lives on the line allows the community to trust them, Mrs. Hunt said.

Mr. Young hopes the Web site will encourage people to call firefighters' local businesses.

"We're their neighbors," he said. "When things go bad for them, we come into their homes to help. Hopefully, people will pass that trust along."

Emily Powell is a Dallas-based freelance reporter.

For more information on the SweetPea Foundation or to find a local firefighter's business, visit www.offdutyfirefighters.net.