Covers: varying perspectives
Christopher J. Rusk
Firefighter
Duck (NC) Fire Department
I have been receiving several fire service journals for the past seven years. Each year, without fail, readers feel the need to write and comment on front cover photographs, as did Ron Kanterman in Letters to the Editor in the November 1997 issue. All these photos give an honest look at America`s firegrounds, faults and safety violations included. We all notice when someone`s coat is unfastened, an SCBA waist strap is not buckled, or a face mask is not secured and the building is heavily involved. Hopefully, we will examine the photo and think about this on our next run, because we do not know when the next “big one” will be. However, it is not fair to judge a firefighter or department based on a still shot representing a split second of an incident.
As good as it may sound and as truthful as it may be that our primary goal is prevention, I do think, however, that it is time to be honest with ourselves. Cover photos of buildings to discuss construction and protection features? I don`t think so! Wouldn`t that be like the cover of a medical magazine showing photos on how to build better highways to avoid coronary artery disease? As trite as it may sound, let`s not judge a book by its cover. Countless full-length articles on construction and protection features have been published in this very magazine.
As much as paramedics love the excitement of a good trauma call, I think it`s safe to say that most of us are where we are because of the excitement of a working fire. Let`s not kid ourselves. Let`s be honest.
