By Ray McCormack
Brothers don’t have to be identical in looks or opinions, and so it was with the In and Out brothers, different as night and day when it came to fire attack.
One brother preferred interior fire attack, while the other preferred to hit it hard from the yard. They both fancied themselves true firefighters.
The brother who preferred interior attack couldn’t get past the other’s decision to hit it hard from the yard. Likewise, the outside brother couldn’t get past his brother’s preference for interior attack first. This battle seemed endless, until one day the brothers met a guy named Steve.
Steve understood both of their preferences and had studied both methods, but admitted even he needed more time to study interior fire attack. Steve would be the unofficial arbitrator of this back and forth, promising them data and an open mind.
Both brothers held fast to their preferences, occasionally allowing room for exceptions while still keeping both feet firmly planted in their core beliefs. Steve strove to be a good fence rider during the debate.
The interior brother felt his exterior brother was letting the people down, and the exterior brother felt the same way. The interior brother knew that his brother’s yard position had been examined and pushed by many; the only thing he asked his brother for was an equal opportunity. Some years passed, and finally the exterior brother gave in to his brother’s request for some interior fire studies. The exterior brother admitted no one had ever tested the interior attack method and that he was a bit ahead of himself.
Both agreed that the interior brother had shown tremendous patience over the last few years waiting to finally get an opportunity to test his method. The interior brother knew the whole story was still to come and was pleased that the day had finally arrived.
The exterior brother’s much-acclaimed best practices would finally be up against new data and new knowledge, not just favored opinion. The exterior brother knew that interior attack data was needed because coming to conclusions too fast can be dangerous. The exterior brother also knew that one day he might find himself at a fire without a yard. He knew his brother and the people deserved to get to hear both sides of the in and out.
Keep
Fire
In
Your
Life
RAY McCORMACK is a 30-year veteran and a lieutenant with FDNY. He is the publisher and editor of Urban Firefighter Magazine. He delivered the keynote address at FDIC in 2009 and he is on the Editorial Board of Fire Engineering Magazine. For more on Urban Firefighter, visit http://emberly.fireengineering.com/urbanfirefighter.html.
MORE RAY McCORMACK
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