Stephen Oliveira

For Stephen Oliveira, work is a matter of life and death – but that doesn’t mean that he takes it too seriously. The first time we spoke, he said, “Sorry I missed your call. I was at a three alarm fire.” Keep in mind this was about an hour after that missed call, not the full week you might think it would take him to mentally recover from an experience like that. “I love my job,” he says. “It’s amazing feeling going to work and knowing that each and every day you have the chance to help someone.”

Because of the danger inherent in his daily life, it’s important to Stephen to have fun and let loose. “I’m very easy going,” he says, “and I tend to just go with the flow. I always have tons of energy and more often than not I am the guy in the room having the most fun. I turn all situations into jokes, and never take anything too seriously.” He’s also always up for something new. “I never say no to an adventure, whether it be a rafting trip, ski weekend, or just general shenanigans,” Stephen explains. “Life is too short not to enjoy it.”

However, he says, “as much as I love a good time, I’m also down to earth and very loyal when it comes to friends and family.” And his friends say the same – at least the one who nominated him. “I would say a good majority of men who are being nominated don’t run into burning buildings to save lives,” she explains. “Besides dedicating his life to making sure other people are safe, Steve is hands down the funniest, kindest, most thoughtful guy I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. He constantly makes me laugh. Besides being absolutely hilarious, he’s totally adorable, super easy going and would give you the shirt off his back.”

Because of his job and the demands it makes on his schedule, finding romance isn’t exactly easy. His ideal lady would be fun-loving and adaptable. “I look for someone who’s fun to be with – who could get dressed up and go out for the night, or just stay in on the couch with take-out and a movie.”