“Frequently” Asked Questions

For nearly the entirety of my time streaming I have closed my streams the same way and with very minimal exceptions. The easiest way explain it is to explain it piece by piece.

No matter what the voices inside or the voices outside try to tell you.

The voices in your own head, whether it’s your own or memories of things people have said or the “voice outside” which are literally the voices of people around you.

No matter what the world around you or your own feelings try to convince you.

“the world around you” is society, magazines, peer groups, classmates, etc. and your “own feelings” are just that, your feelings. Whether they are feelings of inadequacy, etc.

Know that you matter. You are worthy. You are loved. And you deserve to exist as much as anyone else.

You do matter. You ARE worthy as you are. You are wanted and loved. And the world is a better place with you in it. There isn’t anyone in the world that would be better off if you were no longer in the world.

So when the dark times come. Hold on to that and don’t let go.

We all have down times and moments. We all feel varying levels of depression. Those are those “dark times”. So, hold on to the words I’ve said. If you have nothing else positive to hold on to hold on to that feeling you felt as I said those words, and let that remind you that you have strength to get through that dark time.

Know that you are loved because we love you. Know that you belong because you’re part of our family.

Unfortunately, sometimes, we feel like we don’t have anyone in our corner. Whether it’s friends or family that have left, abandoned, passed away, or whatever the cause… they just aren’t there, or they don’t accept us. This is your remind that you do have a family. A family in us, and we love and accept you.

And nobody can take that away from you.

We might not always agree with each other. Maybe we don’t share the same religious beliefs, political leanings, or stance on whatever random topic. But those aren’t the defining characteristics of this family. This love and acceptance is given freely, not earned. And because it wasn’t earned, there’s also not really anything that you can do to lose that either.

t3r0’s (Read: tero) name is a stylized version of an acronym. TERO stands for Tactical Emergency Rescue Operator, a term more suited for today’s First Responders and what they do. The numerals 3 and 0 in tero’s name represent Station 30, the first fire station Tero was part of.

And by sheer happenstance, “Tero” is short for the Finnish name “Antero” which, as chance would have it, is Finnish for “Andrew”. So, I unintentionally named myself… after myself… in a different language.

Yes, I first entered the fire service in 2005. I served on multiple fire departments in Michigan throughout my time and responded to many calls for service. In 2011, I also got my EMT license in Michigan, then in 2012 my EMT-2 (AEMT) in Alaska. Eventually I would go to work in an Emergency Department as a technician. I found that my time in emergency services and emergency medicine was both the single best and worst “job” I have ever had. Upon turning my gear in, I retired as a Lieutenant. And yes, I miss many aspects of all of it. And no, I won’t tell you what my worst calls were. Please, never ask any responder that.

“1*” was adopted by emergency services and military personnel as a reminder that we have only “1 ass to risk”. It’s a reminder for us to do what we can to be safe, and go home. – The sub badges here are a single asterisk to serve as a reminder to this community that we each have only 1 life to live, and we should live it fully. The colours used are ever increasing temperatures of a fire.

Yes, it is my voice. No filters, adjustments, or equalizer settings applied to it.

Crunchy obviously. I’m not a mad man.

Well, actually, I prefer jam. Strawberry jam. Because I’m not a monster.