Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat

Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat takes viewers into the heart of the volunteer fire service, and by extension on a journey through a changing America. Locations like California’s wine (and wildfire) country, a small Nebraska farming community, and an Orthodox Jewish enclave of New York set the backdrop for a series of stories about service, personal growth, and finding purpose. Together they convey the depth, diversity and critical role volunteer fire departments play across the country.

Told through an unexpected cast of characters, the film challenges stereotypes and preconceptions at every turn. You think you know what a firefighter looks like? Think again. Barbara is a beloved grandma by day and a bad-ass EMT by night. Yitzie dreamt of being his community's first Hasidic firefighter and made it happen. Madely, a Salvadoran immigrant, shows what teenagers are capable of when given the opportunity. For Jaime, the volunteer fire service saved his life, and he now wants to pass on his lessons and legacy to his sons and grandson Cody.

At a fragile and fractured point in our history, the film offers hope and optimism, and reminds us that we are all in this together.