A couple of months ago, I was asked by one of the brothers, what, in my opinion, is a "firefighter's firefighter"?
This is a great question.
So, like any good firefighter should do when confronted with a challenge, I went to the "well"....I asked other firefighters.
Much of what I heard was a confirmation of what I already thought; some aspects were a fresh take for me.
So, with no further ado, the following is my definition ( recently, and positively, influenced by some "firefighters' firefighters" that I am fortunate enough to know ).
First and foremost, You Gotta Love the Job.
You don't have to be "born to it", and you can even be one of the folks that "thought you'd give it a try" ( cringe ).
You may have had the passion on Day 1, or it could have been developed over a period of time but what matters is you love it now.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
To a paraphrase a quote I heard elsewhere - "you love it for what it is, and forgive it for what it isn't".
Next, you have to Be Committed.
You have to do the work, in either the leadership or the team member role.
Your brothers and sisters have to see that you lean in and you should be helping to set the pace; with your crew, your shift and your Job.
This is on all things, big and small.
On calls - you are as committed to setting up scene lights as you are to jump on the nozzle.
In training - you are not only keen to drill and train at the hall but you make the extra effort away from work to continually learn and develop your craft, which you bring back to your team.
At the station - cleaning up after calls, helping around the hall, quick to grab a broom or drag a length of hose; always looking to get stuck in.
If one person is working, you are looking for the opportunity to help. Doing the little extras that keep "our house" a place of professionals and pride.
You give a shit....all the time. Not just when it suits you.
You Are Humble
Humble in your successes and humble in your failures.
You share any and all credit for the things you are fortunate enough to do well.
And you are quick to own your mistakes, share them and let others learn, as you did, from those mistakes.
You have to Be Disciplined.
You make the decisions, the easy ones and the tough ones, that keep you on the path.
You play the long game, forgoing short term satisfaction for long term gains.
You are A Person of Integrity.
You do what you say, and say what you do.
The video matches the audio.
You know what you values are, remain true to them and you will keep in alignment, even if that means you will face discomfort... ESPECIALLY if it means you will face discomfort. Anyone can be virtuous in easy times. But can you remain steadfast when in difficult and challenging times?
You say what you do and you do what you say...And a person of true integrity will never have to say "I promise"
You put Them First.
Your family, your team, and the people in the community you serve.
We all have a base instinct for self-service and self-satisfaction but a firefighter's firefighter will place these others before self.
Whether it's charging into a burning building for a stranger, or sitting with a teammate in the wee hours of the night, because they needed someone to be there.
It's one of the main reasons it's called the Fire Service.
And finally, you Leave It Better Than You Found It...in all things.
This seems like a hell of a mountain to scale!
It is.
The good news is you don't have to be at the summit to achieve this goal...but you do need to be aggressively and assertively "on the climb."
How will you know when you've "made it"?
Simple - it's not up to you.
Your brothers and sisters will decide.
...and for you, the reward is in the pursuit.
So get on with it.
See you on the Road,
Snides
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