Greg Mannon Puts Out Fires In and Out of the Office

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If you heard that a coworker spent all day “putting out fires” you would probably envision a laptop bursting with urgent emails and a phone busy with heated calls. However, for Perficient employee Greg Mannon, a day like this could actually require flame-retardant gear, a fire truck, and a hose powerful enough to knock a grown man off of his feet.
Greg has been a member of the Deer Creek (IL) Fire Department for many years and he took some time to share how the flexibility in his schedule allows him to serve his community at a moment’s notice.
Q: Why were you interested in joining the fire department?
A: I thought joining the fire department would be a great way for me to give back to the community and truly make a difference in someone’s life. I live in a fairly rural area and our town doesn’t have the budget for a full-time fire department so they depend on volunteers to be available and look out for each other.
Q: What’s your favorite part of being a member of the fire department?
A: I would have to say it’s when we visit the schools and give them a demonstration of the equipment and teach them about safety. I have three daughters and I just love the way the kids’ faces light up when they know it’s fire safety day at school.
Q: What has been the biggest event you’ve been a part of during your tenure as a firefighter?   
A: When a tornado hit Washington, IL in the fall of 2013 I was one of the first responders. When I arrived at the scene I couldn’t believe the amount of destruction the tornado caused. It was quite a project with restoring order to the town and beginning the cleanup process but it was a great to see the community come together in support of Washington.
Q: How do you balance the responsibility of working for Perficient during the day but also getting calls from the fire department?
A: The leadership team at Perficient has been very understanding and has given me the “green light” to use my best judgment when a call from the fire station arrives.  I can’t respond to every call but when there is an urgent situation where lives are on the line I don’t think twice about serving my community.
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