IT USED TO BEFUDDLE ME THAT we are consistently viewed as one of the most significant political forces in our country; however, our own issues seemed to escape our legendary political clout. I saw that we persistently found ourselves justifying and validating almost every aspect of our profession to someone. We are constantly being challenged, whether it is by the home builder folks worried about home fire sprinklers or by bean counters on the Beltway worried that we might bust the federal bank. The need for strong and unified political action is never going to go away. It is a good bet there will always be a need for impassioned calls to action in these editorials. However, this month, my editorial is about you, all of you. This month, I want to reveal the nature of our true power.
There are 1.2 million firefighters in the United States. However, that number is not our real political strength; rather, it comes from a certain something special in every real firefighter. Maybe it is a hidden gene or a special chemical in our brains that makes us do and see things differently. All I know is I have never commended a firefighter or even nominated a firefighter for recognition without hearing “I was just doing my job” or “You would have done the same thing.”
This month, I want to talk about the fire service’s most powerful tool, you. Every day each one of you does something, somewhere, that strengthens the links in the chain that bind us forever to the hearts of the people we serve. This spontaneous kindness repeated thousands of times an hour is our real strength. You are kind subconsciously, you are kind naturally, and you are kind because it is the right thing to do. A firefighter always does the right thing, and when we miss or mess up an opportunity, we go back and make it right. It is this one unmistakable quality, that unrehearsed genuine desire to serve others, that separates us firefighters from all other public servants.
You may never completely understand how deeply the folks you touch love you for your dedication and efforts. People appreciate your help in their time of need, often more than you could ever imagine. A good example is a firefighter named Ward Parker, who is the Firefighter of the Year from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Ward was skiing on vacation in Aspen, Colorado, with his wife and five kids. Ward carefully had planned this day on the mountain with his family and had looked forward to it for a year. While he was enjoying the morning with his sons, he witnessed a snowboarder miss a jump and fall 50 feet to the ice and rocks below. Ward was a quarter mile or more below the accident. He could have skied to the patrol office and reported the fall, but not Ward, not a firefighter. Ward climbed back up to find a severely injured 16-year-old boy. The kid had a femur going in the wrong direction, a hip that was completely destroyed, and an obviously broken arm. Ward could tell that the boy was probably busted up and bleeding inside, too.
Ward used his firefighter/EMT skills and training to stabilize and help transport the boy down the hill. He used his training to save that kid from additional injury and possible permanent disability. He did it despite the lift ticket he was wasting, despite the time he would never get back with his family, and despite the loss of a perfect day he had planned so carefully. The hurt boy’s friends told Ward that the boy’s dad was a firefighter. They asked if he knew him. Ward said he never heard of the guy and kept taking care of the suffering and frightened boy. It did not matter to Ward Parker that it was one of his brother firefighter’s kids. It did not matter to Ward if anyone ever knew what he had done. It only mattered to Ward Parker that this kid needed his training and compassion.
Well, it mattered to me, because that 16-year-old unfortunate snowboarder was my youngest son Evan. To Ward Parker and all of you, from my family and from every other family whose lives you have touched and made better, thank you from the deepest part of our hearts. It is your love of everyone all the time, that unique firefighter unconditional love of everyone in need, that makes you so very special. You see within your hearts; as the generations of firefighters before you, you find the reason you accept our critical mission. That love, coupled with the courage and confidence that come from training, allows you to step up and serve where others might have just “skied on.” For that courage and passion, the rest of humanity is eternally grateful.
I never truly understood how much our “work” meant to the people we serve. Evan is going to be fine because of Ward; he now understands what the word “firefighter” really means, and he is proud of his Dad’s service and forever will be in Ward Parker’s debt. You see, anyone can win an argument or an election but in the end still lose. When you win someone’s heart and ask for nothing in return, that is a love you can never lose. Thank you.
