24 Hrs with Battalion 52 (Feb. 2026)
Two blogs in, and I’m already breaking my own rules.
The original vision for this Twenty4872 series was simple: document my travel adventures that take place over a 24/48/72-hour period. And yet, when I started thinking about what should follow “24 Hrs in Manhattan,” all I could think about was firetrucks. Specifically, the absolute best time I had doing two 12-hour ride-alongs with Battalion 52 in Pompano Beach, Florida, this February.
So now, we’re not necessarily pivoting… but we are expanding the lore.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had this quiet obsession with fire stations and all that comes with them. And whenever I get that feeling—that internal voice saying, “Tori, there is something you need to do”—I pursue it within reason because I’m terrified of ignoring those instincts. (Kinda like Michael Jackson getting up in the middle of the night to record song ideas because he was afraid that if he didn’t, Prince would somehow receive the song instead. IDK what Prince represents in my life, but I, too, fear it.)
That energetic nagging is what led me to reach out to the Pompano Beach Fire Department in October 2024 to schedule a ride-along. Timing wasn’t right, so I reached out again this January, and it all came together perfectly.
So, here we are: Blog 2. A breakdown of the 24 hrs I spent living out my childhood dreams & not wanting to go home afterward.
Tuesday, February 2 (8 AM - 8 PM)
I had been waiting for this day since the second I scheduled the ride-along on January 27.
The night before, I went to Publix to grab lunch (water & a salad) and a box of s’mores cookies for the station because the great people of Reddit said that bringing dessert to a firehouse is proper ride-along etiquette. (Yes, I read every “What to do on a ride-along” post I could find before the big day, OK?!)
I got to the station around 8 AM, right after the crews switched over from C shift to A shift. I knocked on the front door despite the bay doors being wide open, and was soon introduced to Jordan*, who was doing the morning walkthrough of the firetruck. (*Names have been changed because these people did not consent to becoming supporting characters in my blog.)
The 8 AM walkthrough setup featuring Rescue, Engine, & the Battalion Chief’s command vehicle.
For some background: Battalion 52—and I assume all of Pompano Beach Fire Rescue—operates with three crews per station: A, B, and C. Each crew has seven people total: three on Rescue (ambulance), three on Engine (firetruck), and a Battalion Chief (command vehicle). Every single one of them is both a paramedic and a firefighter.
Each crew works a 24-hour shift followed by two days off. At the beginning of every shift, they inspect the trucks top to bottom—checking tools, machinery, water levels, medical supplies, etc—to make sure everything is fully operational before the day starts.
Jordan gave me the same breakdown I’m giving you, obviously with greater detail and accuracy lol. She also walked me through the trucks, introduced me to the crew, and gave me a tour of the station.
And yes. The station had a fire pole.
I stayed away because it was tall, terrifying, and looked like an embarrassing trip to the hospital.
Terrible Tuesday
Crew A informed me that it was “Terrible Tuesday”, infamous for nonstop calls and chaos.
Idk, but I think Publix should sponsor Battalion 52. Sponsor us, because me too.
This particular Terrible Tuesday was, in fact, not terrible at all. Yes, we got calls. And I alternated between Rescue and Engine throughout the day. But nothing crazy happened. Which, as I had to repeatedly remind myself, was a GOOD THING, TORI.
I will say, though, that the station alarm going off delivered an insane dopamine rush. I loved it. I craved it. I yearned for it.
Beyond the emergency calls, I was fascinated by the daily life that happens inside a station. Everyone has assigned chores that rotate each shift. Jordan’s task that day, for example, was cleaning the kitchen. She also cooked dinner later that evening—the task of which alternates within the crew—and I tagged along during a midday Publix run for groceries. When the crews weren’t responding to calls, they were studying for exams and certifications, working out, cleaning equipment, training offsite, or catching sleep where they could.
What I loved most was the togetherness of it all — how much time the crew spent together. They cook together. Clean together. Work out together. Eat meals together. There was a strong culture of unity, which you can imagine comes in handy given the nature of their jobs.
Thursday, February 5 (8 AM - 8 PM)
I was never meant to do a second ride-along. But I had so much fun on Tuesday that I genuinely didn’t want to leave when my 12 hours were up. So naturally, I asked for an extension.
Enter: Crew C. And more s’mores cookies because they were a hit with Crew A.
I strutted into the fire station at 8 AM, basically the Battalion Chief at this point. “No, Samuel*, I don’t need a station tour. I built this building, FYI.”
Police escort, helloooo. A police officer also rode in the back with the patient and two paramedics, and another officer rode upfront with myself and the paramedic driving.
I spent most of Thursday with the Rescue crew because they were getting the most calls. We were all around the same age, and they genuinely just made me laugh all day with their sibling-esque dynamic: a lot of banter, sarcasm, and teasing.
A memorable moment with Crew C was getting dispatched to…a prison?!!? An inmate wasn’t feeling well, and it was quite something to go inside and see correctional officers, nurses, paramedics, and police coordinate patient care and transport procedures in real time.
As much as I enjoyed myself, I had a major realization by the end of Day 2: I am not a Rescue kinda girl. While I respect the nobility and heroism of the ambulance—truly, deeply—the fire truck is that girl. She has an aura that I simply cannot explain without sounding more unstable than I probably already do.
Shout out to Engine 52. I miss you.
Take Aways
If you made it this far, you should probably look into scheduling your own ride-along, a process I’ve outlined in the next section.
I walked away from both days feeling ridiculously fulfilled. Happy. Energized. And weirdly emotional. I lucked out with the crews. Every single person I met was kind, welcoming, and super cool to be around.
Twenty-four hours wasn’t enough time. And no, I don’t want to become a paramedic or a firefighter. But what I would love to do one day is a creative project — probably through film — that spotlights first responders and the humanity of what I experienced.
Overall, as nervous as I was initially, I’m so glad I did this. If you take anything away from this blog, may it be this: do what makes you happy. Then, do more of it. Lean into joy and curiosity, and don’t shame yourself for honoring the wants and needs of your inner child.
Send the email. Make the call. Go try the thing you’ve always wanted to do, without expectation or judgment, and have funnnnnn <3.
Ride-Along Tips 4 Yooouuuu
If you’re interested in doing a ride-along yourself, here are a few things to know:
Location: Start by identifying a city you’re interested in riding with, and then contact the fire department’s admin office through city hall. Not every department allows civilian ride-alongs, so don’t get discouraged if the first one says no.
Waiver: You’ll almost certainly need to sign a ride-along waiver holding the city harmless in the event of injury or… whatever else could theoretically happen. Mine had to be notarized, so prepare for that possibility.
Scheduling: Once approved, Admin will schedule you with a station and crew. Personally? Ask for the busiest station/day possible. You’re there for the experience. Commit to it.
Attire: Pompano Beach Fire required dark pants, closed-toe shoes, and a polo. Across both days, I wore black slacks, a long-sleeved black shirt, sneakers, and a jacket/sweater as the weather was coooool.
Duration: I chose the maximum amount of time for the ride-along, which was 12 hours. You absolutely do not have to do that. Six to eight hours is probably ideal unless you, too, become emotionally attached to a fire station and forget that you have a life to return to. Ultimately, the longer you’re there, the more you’ll get to experience.
Flexibility: Try not to plan your day too tightly around the ride-along. If your ride-along technically ends at 6 PM, there’s always a chance you’ll still be out on the road when the time comes. So, be flexible with your timing and leave room for surprises.
Food: If you’re spending a full day at the station, you’re going to need to bring your own lunch (and dinner if you end up staying late). If not food, money to contribute to whatever meals the crew makes. TBH — just bring your own food and beverages.
Professionalism: As fun as the experience was, I was hyper-aware about being inside both a workplace and a second home. Be friendly. Be social. But read the room. Sometimes the best thing you can do is quietly observe and stay out of the way. You never know where you’ll end up during a shift—a hospital, someone’s home, etc—and your energy should adapt accordingly. Also, it’s quite possible that you’ll be asked to stay inside the truck in certain situations.
Empathy: You are, at the end of the day, spending time with people who regularly witness trauma and operate under exhausting conditions. So, maybeeee don’t ask them about the most traumatic call they’ve ever been on. When you’re on a call, remember that you may be witnessing one of the worst or most vulnerable moments of someone’s life. So just be kind, aware, and thoughtful, as I know you already are :)