First Responder: Firefighter/Driver Matt Moulder

Name: Matt Moulder

Age: 26

Town: Braselton, Ga.

Rank/Title: Driver (Hazmat Team, Gwinnett County)

How long with the Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services?

Moulder has been with fire department since he was about 18, in 2004.

Why did you want to become a firefighters?

"I was sitting in high school that day when I saw that (Sept. 11, 2001 U.S. terrorist attacks). We watched it all on TV that day on Sept. 11. Figured, you know, it'd be nice to help people. They were giving there lives, pretty much knowing they probably were not going to come out. It's a calling so, you do what you got to do."

Other members of your family firefighters?

Moulder's brother-in-law, Brad Miller, a firefighter at Station 12 helped Moulder make his decision. Miller's father worked for city of Atlanta for 30 years, Moulder added.

How did your family feel about your choice?

"They were proud and supportive."

How do you balance family life?

"It's easy for me 'cause my wife is a nurse, she deals with the same thing. It's like a light switch, I turn it on and off."

What's the thing you like most about the job?

"It's like a second family. We're here every third day, so pretty much a third of our life is spent with these people."

What don't you like about the job?

"Getting up after midnight," he said. "There's really nothing that I strongly dislike at all about it. If I had the choice, I wouldn't have to get up, I'd sleep al night. Everybody would. "

What's advice you would give someone who wants to be in this career?

"Need to be in shape," he said. "When they say, 'I want to get the job,' start exercising. You can't expect to do it, start training, start working out, exercising that day. You need to be in some sort of shape beforehand."