Life in a ‘Volly’ House: Duty, Honor, Country

VOLUNTEERS CORNER | By Craig R. Maconaghy Jr.

The late Chief Bobby Halton’s speech, “Duty, Honor, Country,” from FDIC 2015,1 is one of my favorite presentations. I experienced the presentation through YouTube, which resonated with me, though it would have really been something to hear Halton live. Importantly, the title of the speech, “Duty, Honor, Country,” is not the first in recorded history. The original speech was given by General Douglas MacArthur at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on May 12, 1962:

Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.2

Firefighting: Why We Do This Job

Later in the address, MacArthur speaks of “the long grey line,” referring to the grey uniforms of the Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and its rich past of storied military leaders. In our world as firefighters, “the thin red line” correlates directly. That red line represents all who came before us, us, and those who will come after us. The stories of the past, the stories of the present, and the stories not yet told are all part of our culture, which needs to be upheld. How do we uphold and continue to build our culture? Duty, Honor, Country.

Unfortunately, however, I’ve noticed that the volunteer fire service is sick—in the chronic sense. It seems that many of us have forgotten why we signed up in the first place. Our purpose as volunteer firefighters is to help our neighbors and serve our community. We are not here solely for the parties, T-shirts, nontraining trips, laughable tax breaks, or any of the other “benefits.” At least, we shouldn’t be.

Why Are You a Firefighter?

In 2005, when I joined Depew (NY) Fire Department Hose Co. #1, I was asked, “Why do you want to be a firefighter?” My answer: “I want to fight fire, serve my community, and do cool stuff.” I get similar answers from most of my 13- to 17-year-old junior firefighters.

When I transferred two months later to Depew Central Hose Co. #4, I was asked again, “Why do you want to be a firefighter?” I gave the same response.

When I joined Doyle (NY) Hose Company No. 2 in the fall of 2014, I was asked again, “Why do you want to be a firefighter?” Again, my answer was, “I want to fight fire, serve the community, and do cool stuff.”

If you were to ask me now, “Why are you a firefighter?” I would tell you, “I want to fight fire, be an active member of my community, and do cool stuff with my fellow firefighters and friends.” Other than my phrasing, nothing has changed. Duty, Honor, Country.

Duty

I’ve never heard firefighters say that they joined the fire department for the T-shirt, to sit at the bar, or to go on casino trips. Even those who joined for reasons that are flawed won’t tell you that they only joined to play softball. Does this make a person deceptive? It all depends on the person and the context.

I am 100% honest when I give my answer that I do this work to serve my community, even when it comes to calls to serve that might feel frustrating in the moment or seemingly less critical. At the end of the day, I believe that we are all committed members and our job is to respond to any emergency presented to us. Why? This is our collaborative duty that we signed on for. Duty, Honor, Country.

Honor

I come from a family of firefighters. My uncle, Paul Maconaghy, was a firefighter in Buffalo, New York, finishing his career as a captain at Truck 11. My father, Craig Sr., rose to the rank of assistant chief at another local volunteer fire department. Even my brother, Josh, learned under my tutelage at both Central Hose and Doyle #2. Many of my relatives are members of a volunteer fire department in West Seneca, New York.

Why does this matter? Serving and protecting the members of our communities are a source of my family’s honor. Even without a family background in the fire service, anyone who does serve, whether it be in a career role or in the volunteer fire service, should feel honored to do so. Duty, Honor, Country.

Country

The military and the volunteer fire service are notable U.S. volunteer institutions. Interestingly, three branches of the military—the Marine Corps, Navy, and Army—share the same birthplace as the volunteer fire service: Philadelphia, which is also known as the “City of Brotherly Love.”

You may be wondering how the volunteer fire service compares to the military. While these organizations differ, members share a core value in that we join our respective organizations to serve our country. While volunteer firefighters may not be of national service for the protection of the country in the same way members of the military are, we are still performing local service for the protection of our citizens.

Why do we do this? We value our community, our county, our state, and our country. Duty, Honor, Country.

Overcoming Challenges Through Family Values

Earlier, I referenced being from a family of firefighters. Just as important, I am also from a family of U.S. military volunteers. My grandfather, my father, four of my uncles, and five of my cousins all served in the military, across every branch except for the space force. Early on, my life plan was to serve the U.S. Marine Corps through retirement. However, when I turned 18, my goals quickly changed due to health issues. So, what did I do? I did what I considered the most patriotic thing possible and joined the volunteer fire service. In our fire station, along with many others across the country, we have a plaque listing every member, past and present, who served in the military. These are our fellow heroes who answered the call to duty and served our country honorably. Duty, Honor, Country.

Reflecting on Legacies

In his “Duty, Honor, Country” speech from FDIC, Halton speaks of a firefighter’s character: “The kind of character that puts the mission first, the teammates second, and yourself last.” A few minutes later, Halton continued by reminding us that the “vision of today’s firefighter” is a picture of someone “who lives by a simple honor code: We do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor do we tolerate among us those who do.”

Like Halton, I, too, view this sentiment as the main goal for the fire service regardless of the firefighter’s pay or volunteer status. Like MacArthur, I, too, believe that by abiding by a simple honor code, as well as exhibiting character and putting lives before property and ourselves, we will continue to carry out these hallmarks of MacArthur’s and Halton’s legacies.

As firefighters, the citizens we serve rely on us to be honorable and maintain good character. We are strangers walking into their homes at their hour of need. It is our duty to be honorable and serve our country’s citizens, no matter where or what that may be. As importantly, these principles are shared across the fire service worldwide. Firefighters of all faiths and places of origin can, should, and do follow the same code of conduct: to serve and protect the public because it is our duty, on our honor, and for our country.

The Fire Patriot

Volunteer firefighters are often misunderstood. People sometimes think that because we’re volunteers, we are not trained, knowledgeable, or capable of completing the tasks at hand. It also doesn’t help that there are social media groups dedicated to propagating these thoughts and misnomers. It’s important that we dispel some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding volunteer firefighters so we can forge ahead on the same page.

In his Fire Engineering article, “Are You a Fire Patriot?” Captain (Ret.) Raul Angulo from the Seattle (WA) Fire Department writes that a fire patriot is “one who loves and zealously supports the American fire service and one’s own fire department.”3 In addition to dedication, patriotism may help quell negative connotations.

Further, Angulo also expresses the importance of fire service education. To progress in the field, education, studies, and knowledge of the history of the fire service, modern fire, rescue, and emergency medical service techniques, skills, and procedures are paramount.

How to Avoid Remaining Stagnant or Falling Behind

• Read publications like Fire Engineering.
• Attend as many training classes as possible.
• Push your financial decision makers to budget for trips to state fire academies, off-site/out-of-area training, and conferences like FDIC.
• If it’s not financially feasible to send firefighters out for training, consider bringing in instructors to support your department’s professional development. There are many fire service trainers who travel across the country, willing to share their knowledge.
• Establish an in-station or personal library. (See sidebar.)

In addition to education, personal presentation is also important, as maintaining a clean and professional appearance communicates self-pride and confidence. As an assistant chief, I always keep a clean T-shirt and a job shirt that my fire district has assigned to me in my car to ensure I am dressed as professionally as possible.

As fire service professionals, the mantra of Duty, Honor, Country should strike a deep nerve as we should be proud to answer the call to duty. We are professionals, after all, and as a professional volunteer firefighter, it’s an honor to serve in the U.S. volunteer fire service to serve our country and its citizens.4 This is a noble calling that I am proud to answer. Are you?

ENDNOTES

1. Halton, Bobby, “Duty, Honor, Country,” FDIC International, April 22, 2015. bit.ly/4bPFjzi.

2. MacArthur, Douglas, “Duty, Honor, Country,” U.S. Military Academy at West Point, May 12, 1962. bit.ly/4cBR8Kbi.

3. Angulo, Raul, “Are You a Fire Patriot?” Fire Engineering, June 1999. https://bit.ly/3UQzZVu.

4. Merrill, Thomas, “Earning the Title ‘The Professional Volunteer’,” Fire Engineering, July 1, 2021. bit.ly/3Vm36S5.

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CRAIG R. MACONAGHY JR. is a 19-year western New York State volunteer fire service veteran and an assistant chief with the Doyle Fire District #1 in Cheektowaga, New York, where he is also employed full-time as a fire inspector. Maconaghy spent nine years in the Depew (NY) Fire Department as well as 10 years at Doyle (NY) Hose Company #2.