By Ray McCormack
Will you work for fire? Will you dedicate yourself to going beyond being merely informed when it comes to firefighting? Will you work to enhance your efficiency and knowledge of your trade? Being a member of the suppression force is an honor and, with that, you must not just talk the talk, you must walk the walk. If talk is all you’re capable of, reciting things you’re told, then you’re probably not going to create much.
Passion is important, but it must be backed up by knowledge andindependent thoughtso that you understand the implication of changes and proposedchanges. Some changes are not always what they seem to be on the surface. Being tuned in helps you see as big a picture as possible. Discussing events with others who have broad knowledge of the subject forces change to stand up to the test of improvement and not just be something different.
这一切是什么意思?这意味着你有一个duty to yourself to know our craft and how your daily assignment fits into successful extinguishment and preservation. You show pride in what you do and how you do it. Being a line firefighter and responding to save people is not something to be dismissed as failure because a fire occurred. Fires break out in even the most enlightened and fire-safe communities. Suppression forces need to be on their game as we are the last resort. When a fire strikes, we are what stops its progression. We are engaged for rescue and suppression. We have studied our craft and learned many ways to stop the enemy. We are craftspeople working toward better extinguishment and entry options, hoseline placement and deployment, and task prioritization to maximize positive impact.
We make no apologies for leaning forward and being aggressive about task completion. We must work quickly in our environment. We are thrust into places that catch even the smallest of errors, often demanding a steep penalty. Our work environment is like no other. It is brutal. It is unforgiving and, yes, it is rewarding.
The education of a firefighter and the continued education of a firefighter is what makes “real” firefighters. Continuous skill development is the core of progressive firefighting. We learn by doing and doing it again and again, both on the training ground and the fireground.
Your title is that of firefighter. It conveys much to the public through a shared understanding of care, compassion, and drive to do a job that requires courage and knowledge to preserve property and save lives.
Tactical safety is built on the foundation of consistent and enhanced learning throughout your career. Becoming a contributor to your world of firefighting is the best example of “will work for fire” that I can think of.
Next Tactical Safety – Spa Treatments
Thank you for reading.
Keep Fire in Your Life
MORE RAY McCORMACK
- Emotional Responses
- Pushing to Save Lives
- Operating With a Sense of Entitlement
- Free Thinking for the Fire Service
- More Ray McCormack
RAY McCORMACKis a 30-year veteran and a lieutenant with FDNY. He is the publisher and editor of UrbanFirefighterMagazine. He delivered the keynote address at FDIC in 2009 and he is on the Editorial Board of188金宝搏是正规吗Magazine.
