Miguel Obleas, 34
Burke
Firefighter: 2.5 years
"The best part of the job is, I get to come to work with my friends — who I consider my family ... and helping people."
"The only hard part is probably when we get a disturbing call, like domestic violence or child abuse — even when a child gets hurt — that's the hardest."
George Diaz, 47
Ashburn
Lieutenant (Paramedic): 18 years
"The best part of the job is helping people I serve when they're at their wits end. The second is the feeling of family and the camaraderie of the job."
"The hardest is probably being away from our primary families, particularly on special occasions when we're not able to be off, it's the toughest when you have kids."
Hao Sevener, 37
Ashburn
EMS Technician (Paramedic): 12 years
"The best part are the people I am with. There's a lot of trust — we rely on each other. It's a fun job, you can get hurt, but if you do it safely you're OK."
"The job's not hard. But there are certain calls that affect me more than other calls — children calls affect me."
Reid Lottchea, 35
Centreville
Firefighter: 4 years
"My favorite part is helping others. They call for our help and we can solve their issues."
"The worst part would be being away from my family for the whole day."
Tie Burtlow, 33
Winchester
Master Technician (Driver): 7 years
"Driving [the fire engine]. I love it — it's such a rush. I like being depended on ... I know the captain depends on me to get them there."
"The hardest is when we're actually dealing with a family. Kids take more of a toll on me than adults because adults die ... and I cry easily."
Svenja Leyden, 40
Fairfax County
Lieutenant (Paramedic): 13 years
"Patient care. That's where I get the most satisfaction, that's the best thing for me."
"I think one of the hardest parts is to always have to maintain a state of readiness, whether it be physically or emotionally."
Robert Rhoads, 48
Reston
Captain: 24 years
"The people. Right now, the people I work with. Also the people in the community we go take care of."
"It can be very physically and emotionally draining."