IT WAS OUR TURN TODAY

It Was Our Turn Today highlights the crucial work of volunteer first responders across Europe as they tackle the mounting challenges of climate change and increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The story begins with the Rodopolis Volunteer Fire Department, set against one of Greece’s worst fire seasons in history. This period was marked by record-breaking heat, a 25% rise in wildfires, and severe drought. From there, the project broadens its focus to volunteer departments across Europe, documenting their responses to various disasters like catastrophic floods and earthquakes. Despite a lack of government support, these unpaid volunteers are essential to their countries’ defenses against the growing threat of extreme weather.

​

As climate crises become more frequent and severe, the burden on these volunteers increases, leading to lasting physical and emotional impacts. By sharing their stories, this project seeks to showcase the vital role these first responders play in protecting their communities and highlights the urgent need for better support systems to protect them from the long-term toll of their work. Through intimate, humanizing images, the project delves into their motivations—why they devote countless unpaid hours to safeguard others—and examines the personal cost of their bravery in the face of escalating climate chaos.

​

Ultimately, It Was Our Turn Today raises an important, urgent question: as climate disasters grow and spread globally, will the responsibility to act increasingly fall on ordinary citizens? And if so, will each of us be called to step forward, like these volunteers, to protect the very ground beneath us?