It might not be an option for you being in New York City, but I'm going to go out on a limb here, and recommend a very specific option for people in small-medium towns and rural areas: you are almost guaranteed to have a volunteer fire department.
Find it.
Figure out what sort of positions they have open. Ask about activity requirements.
Go in and fill out an application.
Depending on the department, you can volunteer for any number of duties from actual fire fighting, to helping with events, providing 'support' (helping with food, drinks etc) on big fires, or even helping with the office work. And often when it comes to being an actual firefighter on these smaller departments, you can set your own limits. Like on my department, there's only a handful of us that actually go -in- to the buildings when the situation calls for it...there's more than enough work to be done outside (and besides that, a lot of houses are already beyond an interior attack even when 911 is called...but that's another story). Point being, you don't have to be macho tough and fearless. Just willing to work and learn. (And if any firefighter ever tells you they've never been afraid, you can call them a liar).
My point though, is for a young person who has problems with
shyness, self confidence/image, motivation, or meeting people, the fire service atmosphere is an excellent fix. As long as you're willing to make an effort to improve and talk to people, you will make friends, period. Good friends. And through training and responding to calls, or whatever your role is with the team, you boost your confidence in your self. You find you're capable of more than you thought. It's like joining the military only better.
And like I said, you don't have to be charging in with the interior hose team to contribute or to reap the personal benefits. It's a team effort (though you never know, you might decide you want to try a live burn exercise or something).
And next thing you know, it's a Saturday and you're hanging around the fire station after lunch, looking through pictures on the office computer, and you realize you're in them. You're part of that team...that group of people that looks out for one another. A group of friends you'd be hard-pressed to replace with better ones.
It's been 3 years since I signed on with West Pend Oreille Fire up here in Idaho. 3 years ago I was shy and quiet. 3 years ago I was boring and had nothing to talk about. 3 years ago I knew nobody and had no friends. But none of that applies to me now. Even if I wasn't pursuing this as a career, I have the fire service and my fellow firemen (and firewomen!) to thank for all of that. It helped me more than anything else ever has, and I know it can help other people who are like I was.
That aside, about 80% of the communities in the U.S. and other parts of the world rely on volunteer firefighters because they don't have the tax base for paid personnel. And it's getting very hard to find people willing to put their time in to this age-old tradition.
Did I mention it looks good on a job application?
So yeah. I know it's not an option for everyone, and I know it's not something most people consider doing for various reasons. But I highly recommend you at least look in to it and consider it, because I know it could open doors for a lot of people here if they applied themselves to it.
Anyhoo. If anyone is intrigued and wants to talk more about how it all works, whats required, what it's like or whatever...send me a PM and I'd be glad to help.
