In the late 1970s, I was discharged from the U.S. Army and decided to take a chance and submit my name on the waiting list to become a member of the volunteer fire department in my hometown.
Today, there are no longer any waiting lists. All local volunteer departments are begging for new members. That year, I was accepted and could not predict the permanent impact that decision would make on the remainder of my working career.
Today, I am a recently retired lieutenant of the Waterbury (CT) Fire Department after serving 25 years there and 15 years as a volunteer in my hometown. Over the years, I have observed and taken mental notes of the thinking and action of my coworkers and colleagues in other fire departments. Regardless of their status, be it probationary, officer, volunteer, or career, I have drawn one conclusion: There is no correlation between the status of a firefighter and the belief that there is a thin gray line separating the “progressives” from the “traditionalists.” I know 23-year-olds who believe the days of iron men and wooden ladders were the best ever and 50-year-olds who must have the latest app for their smartphones and who made a breakthrough on SCBA design.
“FLASH.” There is no thin gray line. There is a definite demarcation. The fire service is an important place for both philosophies. “Tradition” belongs in two special places: “Brotherhood” and “Ceremony.” These are the areas in which our roots, respect, and pride will always carry on. Progress is an absolute necessity for our training, tactics, equipment, and attitude. This is a matter of survival for the industrial and technical environment in which we operate.
If we recognize the importance of the two categories and hold them apart, they will both have room to evolve stronger and become more defined missions of our service. They must coexist but not interfere with each other. A tongue-in-cheek dinosaur’s cliché you may have seen in many firehouses is “100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.” We all know what it means; but in our hearts, we use it for the best of both. There is a day when you respond to a dangerous smoke-filled incident with a high-tech thermal imager in the morning and then hear the chiming tone of an antique apparatus bell at a firefighter’s wedding that afternoon. There is nothing better than this. We all love the “old stuff,” so let’s take care of it and move forward!
I dedicate this letter to Tom Brennan, for whom I worked when he was chief of the Waterbury Fire Department. He was well-respected and thoughtful. I often revisit his Random Thoughts columns in my past editions of Fire Engineering.
John D. Calabrese
Lieutenant (Ret.)
Waterbury (CT) Fire Department
Four Rules for Fire Service Personnel
As I began my career in the fire service, I was young and willing to listen to those who were seasoned veterans of the fire service. In the first department I worked for, the fire chief had four rules that have stuck with me throughout my career.
Rule 1. Know your job. This rule applies to every rank and position within the fire service. As recruits in the academy, young firefighters are learning new skills and how to do their job. Once assigned to a station, these new firefighters begin to know the job. As we progress up the ranks, we learn new jobs and are assigned new tasks. But, we must continue to “know our job.” As the fire service evolves, so do education and training. Young firefighters up to seasoned firefighters must continually learn and be willing to expect change. We must also remember that we serve the public.
Rule 2. Do your job. This rule goes hand in hand with Rule 1. If you know your job, you can do your job.
Rule 3. Help those who do not know their job. This rule may be hard for some to understand. We have all worked with someone who did not know or fully understand his job. If you know your job, you can help someone understand what he may not know. A job may be something as simple as cleaning a bathroom, roof ventilation, or technical rescue. Don’t look at the big picture when you think of a job. Look at everything we do in the fire service. It is many jobs wrapped into one. We can probably all remember being assigned to the first engine company; we were a little nervous and did not want to mess up. But, did you fully understand your job? We can probably all remember that one individual who helped us understand our job a little better.
Rule 4. Make it better than it was. We have all heard time and time again there is always someone to take your place. Well, if that is the case, let’s make it better than before we got there. This attitude can mean washing the apparatus when needed, doing extra cleaning around the firehouse, or informing the members about new training that you may have learned. If you are a new company officer, how can you make it better? If you are a new chief officer, how can you make it better? Look to see how you can make things better than they were before you got in your position, station, or division.
These rules are simple and yet complex. If we all strive to follow them, imagine the change and progress our departments can make.
Russell Greene, M.S. EMT-P
Lieutenant
Engine Company Officer
Irondale (AL) Fire Department
Thanks for the reminder: “Honor still core of the job”
Thank you to Chief Bobby Halton for “Honor Ante Omnia, No One Left Behind” (Editor’s Opinion, April 2016). I have been in the fire service for 23 years and constantly am trying to mentor young firefighters and be an example. I have lately been feeling frustrated with the young generation and the apparent lack of respect for the history, the occupation, and each other. Thanks for reminding me that the core of the job is still based on a high moral standard and vision of honor. Keep up the good work and the inspiration.
Keith Johnson
Battalion Chief
Bozeman (MT) Fire Department
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