Indebted

Amber Evans

The Denver Fire Fighters entrance exam asks the applicant a defining question. The candidate’s answer demonstrates their choice to become a firefighter:

You and your partner are in a structure fire-- on your search you find a trapped victim. The fire becomes stronger and you, your partner, and the victim are overcome by flames. Your partner is injured. You now need to choose who to save: between your partner and the victim, either of whom might not make it after being exposed to the smoke for so long. Who do you choose?

You choose the victim.

Indebted brings awareness of the everyday sacrifices made by firefighters. By using deconstructed firefighting equipment and excerpts of interviews with firefighters, scenes from their daily dedication are meticulously rendered. Graphite and ink help create a visual memoir within the extinguishers. Working with an accumulated layer of rust, reminiscent of their encounters with fire, I illustrated the parts of their jobs that are obscured from public eye. This research and testimony from the Denver Fire Department Firefighters shares their voice with the public.

after his first big fire. It was hours later, and all cleaned up, but I could still detect the smokiness that he’d encountered. I felt proud-- and scared-- at the same time.

The work is comprised of emptied, used extinguishers cut into cross sections. Just as I am revealing the interior of the extinguishers, I am also revealing the individual experiences of a fire fighter. Having been witness to the deeds and stories of my husband and his crew, I chose instances that would highlight their everyday actions. By placing the extinguishers horizontally on charred pieces of wood, I aim to replicate the familiar shape of a ladder. The burned wood creates an olfactory response; our sense of smell has the ability to trigger strong memory responses. For me, even the slightest whiff of smoke from a fire or burnt material immediately brings me back to how my husband smelled.

For this project I interviewed several Denver firefighters, among them my husband, to gain insight into their lives at the fire house. The responses compiled are as much a part of the artwork as the visual elements, communicating their thoughts about their profession, the emergencies they respond to, and their message to the public.