What Are You? (2011)

35 ft. working length; 15 ft. 3 in. closed length; a little over 9 in. thick in banked position; 129 pounds.

A real nut buster.

I can take it from the engine, carry it, throw it, set it, etc. Solo. Alone. In full PPE, including SCBA.

Why?

I had to know.

I cannot, will not, be the one standing in the cold of night as the mother screams to save her baby, wondering if I can do it; do I have it in me? I had to know now, so that when that time arrives, I am up to the task.

There is no doubt in my mind.

I run on a volunteer department not unlike many others in the US. We are short staffed and on many occasions, spread very thin. The potential for the need to perform a single fire fighter ladder throw is very real. For that matter, the ability for all fire fighters to be able to work independently is paramount to achieving successful fire ground operations. Before the Safety Gestapo gets me, I am not advocating the disbanding of our tried and true “buddy system”, but many ancillary functions can and should be single fire fighter evolutions.

So, back to why do I do this. It boils down to “good firemanship”.

Firemanship is defined by Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary as, “the practice, skill, or occupation of fire fighting”. With that being said, how is your firemanship? Do you practice? Do you have skill? Are you treating this job, paycheck or not, like an occupation? Do you work for a fire department, or are you a fire fighter? Think about it; do you work for a fire department, or are you a fire fighter?

The former does simply that. They show up and collect a paycheck. For vollies, they collect a t-shirt or bumbersticker. It’s about status and fame or fortune. These people concern themselves more with financial stability, “pacing themselves” for retirement (translated: don’t want to risk injury for the homeless “no-name”), and scheduling work for the side job. Not that our families don’t deserve financial stability (and us around to enjoy it with them), but if you want all that without the risk, consider a job in the banking or insurance industry. We took an oath. They all matter, even homeless no-names.

Fire fighters on the other hand, focus on the craft. They want to constantly improve and hone their hard earned skills. Fire fighters look in all directions for ways to add to their “tool box”. Physical fitness, mental agility, tricks-of-the-trade, and constant training are all ingredients of good firemanship. For the fire fighter, this is more than a job, it’s an art. Always searching for perfection, knowing all along it cannot be achieved; this is the excellence a true fire fighter pursues.

As this new year approaches, our society allows for new beginnings. New Year’s Resolutions will be abound. What will yours be? Will it be silent or proclaimed for all to measure? In the year to come, will you work for a fire department, or will you choose to be a fire fighter?

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Stay safe, stay low, stay aggressive!