A firefighter’s shower is more urgent than any other profession’s. Washing away what has soaked into the body is a matter of health, but also of the mind.
Among firefighters there is an unofficial culture: always showering after returning from a scene. Not a regulation, but a way of protecting oneself.
One firefighter says: when I come out after showering, I feel separated from that day’s scene. I can leave it without bringing it home.
Whatever kind of day you had, the shower is the boundary that closes that day.