We must demand excellence of ourselves
Michael Baxter
Captain, Chatsworth (GA) Fire Department
Adjunct Instructor, E.S.E. Training Associates
Chatsworth, Georgia
Recently many articles and letters in fire service publications and conversations involving fire service leaders have been resonating one central theme–that the fire service must get “back to the basics” in our training. While I take no exception to this statement, it has led me to ponder what I feel is a more troubling question: Why are we as a whole failing to attain or maintain the basic skills required to successfully fulfill our mission? Our mission is still, as it has always been, to “protect life and property” from fire. The answers to this question are numerous. Some have valid points; most are merely excuses. Some say it is because our leadership has forsaken our mission to appease the safety gods. Others say it is because we have overextended ourselves with specialties such as EMS, technical rescue, and so on. However, I feel that to find the answer we must look deeper into the heart of the fire service.
I recently served as an adjunct instructor in a confined-space rescue operations course for the fire department aboard the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. This was truly an honor for me. I, like most Americans, have a profound respect and admiration for those who defend my freedom in any branch of our military. However, I have always had a unique respect for the Marine Corps. After visiting Parris Island, I understand why. All who bear the title of United States Marine have endured tests of their physical and mental capabilities that most of us cannot comprehend …. Their pride is born from accomplishment, not entitlement. From the least to the greatest among them, they have … earned the right to be called “Marine.”
I do not believe the fire service is some kind of paramilitary force, but similarities in our missions do exist. The fire service, like the military, is bound by its duties to protect the citizens of this country. While our enemy is not an armed invader, it does nonetheless claim the lives of thousands of innocent men, women, and children every year. Both require leaders who are thoroughly educated in the tactics and strategies of their individual fields. Each also requires front-line personnel capable of performing those tasks. The most saddening similarity is that both can and do suffer casualties. Ironically, though, [while] our missions are similar in their risks, our attitudes and approaches to training are glaring in their contrasts. It is my understanding that Marine Corps recruits are trained under one simple philosophy: Train as you will fight, and you will fight as you were trained. The fire service approach seems to be “Train for 15 minutes and then go to rehab.” While we were at Parris Island, we could hear the sounds of the field training taking place. It sounded damn realistic to me. The fire service trains recruits in concrete buildings that will not simulate two of the most deadly situations a firefighter will encounter–flashover and impending collapse. I am sure that out there somewhere, someone has. But, in my 13-year career, I have never responded to a single-family concrete building filled with hay and pallets.
Even more frightening than our methods of training is our attitude toward it. We want to be entertained, not trained. I really wonder how safe we would all feel if our military considered plugging in a video sufficient training. Repetition truly is the mother of skill, yet we can`t understand why we`re doing those boring ladder drills again for the one millionth time. I can guarantee you that when any one of us becomes trapped on an aboveground floor, we will expect those firefighters on the ground to throw a ladder as if it were the one millionth time they`ve done it.
Back to the basics? Indeed. I agree that is the course we should take but not necessarily only in training. We cannot expect to gain respect or confidence from those we protect if we do not demand excellence from ourselves. Firefighter–is it a title of pride, born of accomplishment, or have we turned it into an entitlement for anyone who can wear bunkers and ride an apparatus? The problem with the fire service is not that our training has failed us, but that we have failed ourselves. We all know that our problem is not only recruits coming into the service without adequate training but also those already in the fire service who have no real pride in their craft. A true professional, paid or volunteer, will strive constantly for perfection. True professionals will demand 100 percent effort from themselves and those around them in every endeavor. We the fire service should demand this from all who would bear the title firefighter.
The United States Marine Corps` motto is “Semper fidelis,” which means, “always faithful”–to their country, their corps, and themselves. What a wonderful example for the fire service!
