Being a firefighter is a tough job.
You’re constantly putting your life at risk by dashing into flames and saving the people around you. With every day being filled with dangers deaths, the pressure can be all-consuming.
One group of firefighters has found an inspiring way to deal with the stress.
Samoa Crew 61 is a group of seventeen firefighters hailing from American Samoa, a tropical US territory 2,500 miles south of Hawaii. To help deal with the daily pressures of life, the group comes together to sing.
Anthony Wyberski, a Samoa Crew 61 member, told PRI: “Every day, hiking back to our vehicles, we’ll sing a different song. It’s what we use to get through the day.” At the end of the day, the group also takes part in a traditional Samoan hymn.
“It’s a church song it’s just something that’s part of our culture,” Wyberski explained.
Samoa Crew 61 originally went viral when videographer Lori Light captured a video of them singing in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
When it was uploaded to Facebook, people couldn’t get enough.
As the men descended the cascading mountaintop, their voices came together in perfect harmony, the hymn echoing through the woods.
It’s hard not to be affected by ritual. It’s so primal and spiritual; you’re not used to seeing it every day. Wyberski told CBS News: “We try and bring back our culture, our fa’a Samoa.”
“We try and stay positive. What a lot of people tell us is that they’ve never seen a fire team so positive.”
Samoa Crew 61 often flies to the United States to help battle forest fires. They are a “hand crew”, hiking to specific locations to build fire lines to help contain the blaze. “Our role is to go out there and pretty much be the muscle,” said Wyberski.
Last year, the crew spent three long months fighting the wildfires in California.
They returned this year to help battle the deadly Carr fire in Shasta County. “They feel like they’re helping America,” said Nate Gogna who is in charge of coordinating the movement of federal fire crews.
While the men were in Shasta County, a cultural exchange event was planned. During the exchange, dancers from the Pit River tribe danced for animals who had lost their lives in the fire, and the Winnemem tribe sang a war song for firefighters battling the flames.
Although Samoa Crew 61 hadn’t been planning on singing, they were so welcomed by the other groups, they felt inclined to share their culture, as well. As you can imagine, it was an amazing experience. Jack Potter Jr., chairman of Redding Rancheria, said:
“When they harmonized, you just felt that spiritual connection to the song.”
“The natives were like, ‘Whoa.'”
Watch Lori Light’s video below.
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