Fireman Anton walks every working day from Zoetermeer to the barracks in The Hague

The alarm goes off at 3:30 am. At 07:00, firefighter Anton enters the barracks with a breath of fresh air. In the meantime, he has brushed his teeth and has gone for a walk of more than eighteen kilometers. Together with indebuurt, Anton looks back on the beautiful and difficult moments in his career. He is actually retiring.

Anton van Osch (59) has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He contracted it during his work where he was twice in agony. “My therapist said: go do something that calms you down.”

Two traumas

During an exercise with a new aerial platform at a flat on the Dijkwater in 1989, Anton fell from the aerial platform. That was his first traumatic experience. And during a chimney fire in a house on Jan Hoornstraat in 2007, the flames suddenly spread very quickly. “Two colleagues of mine were trapped in the attic when the fire spread. They crawled out of the house with minor burns. But the idea that my people couldn’t have made it out of the house alive doesn’t bother you.”

Techno music on and go

Anton finds relaxation in walking. “Six years ago I decided to walk to work in The Hague. After my 35 years of service in Zoetermeer, I started working at the Archipel fire station.” From home he first walked to the RandstadRail stop Leidschenveen and then he took the tram to The Hague. He extended the walk little by little. Until he started walking the entire route to work. “I get up at 3:30 am in the morning. I get dressed and brush my teeth. I don’t listen to birds on the road. I put on my techno music and leave. I arrive at 7 a.m. and start my working day.”

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That was intense

From the age of eighteen, Anton has been employed by the fire brigade in Zoetermeer and later in The Hague. “I worked at all three barracks in Zoetermeer, on the Blauwroodlaan, in the Stadshart and in Oosterheem,” he says. “I was 19 years old and had to go to a train accident near Nootdorp. Three boys my age were dead in the car. That was intense. There was no shelter within the fire brigade at that time. Just take a shower and it will wash away, it was said. It was a real man’s world. Fortunately, that has now changed.”

Helping young colleagues

Rescuing cats from trees, getting trapped, extinguishing fires and car accidents: Anton has seen a lot over the years. “I’ve seen a lot of trouble but I’ve gotten used to it. The reception after a violent event is better arranged. Through my experience I help young colleagues with advice and a listening ear.” He thinks the most important thing is to help people and to prevent as much damage as possible.

After two breathing apparatus it’s ready

Anton is 59 years old and that means he has to stop. “At first I didn’t want to, but now I realize it’s okay. When looking for a seat of fire, we have to walk a lot. After two empty breathing apparatus it is ready. As commander I also have to keep a close eye on things. The work is getting harder for me.”

The barracks is my second home

What will he miss most? His life with colleagues at the fire station. “The most special thing is our camaraderie. We share a whole life together. Cooking, eating, washing dishes, exercising and staying overnight at the barracks. We play bluff poker and badminton. And of course we play jokes with each other. Like setting a timer on a speaker. And have it go off over a colleague’s head at 3 a.m. The barracks are my second home.”

Dancing in the desert

And now? “First I will not do anything for three months. And I recently became a grandfather, which is really nice. For my grandson I bought a cool shirt from my favorite clothing brand Adidas. I also want to go to fun festivals like Awakenings. Still on my wish list is the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert. But also photographing and traveling far with my girlfriend as soon as she also retires.”