How will your time in the fire service be remembered? To successfully navigate your career, it is imperative to hold on to the person you were before you became a firefighter, says Mike Morse.
Everybody loves firefighters when they are convenient and free. Nobody likes us very much when the bills come due. Mike Morse on how the fire service can present its best case for staffing and equipment.
"The sheer number of EMS calls makes it difficult for even the most dedicated among us to commit the proper amount of time needed to stay sharp at firefighting, but that is a battle in which we all must engage," writes Michael Morse.
Sometimes the travails of the job can foster and "us-vs.-them" mentality between firefighters and civilians. Mike Morse on embracing the public we are sworn to protect.
"Now that I’m finished with responding to other people’s emergencies, I think my best course of action is to sit back, enjoy a nice cold beverage, and let things come to me!" writes Michael Morse.
"Every day, fire crews respond to 911 calls for assistance for reasons that may seem insignificant, but to the people calling, it means the world," writes Michael Morse.
"Parts of most of us have visited that dark, comforting place where there is no pain, shame, guilt, or sadness. I know for certain that the thought has crossed my mind, and I never told a soul, until now," writes Michael Morse.
"There is no excuse for getting killed or injured by a previously unconscious patient. We are in complete control. It is up to us to maintain that control—or relinquish it," writes Michael Morse.