There was a song back in the 70s that was sung by The Brotherhood of Man entitled “United We Stand”.

The chorus went something like “For united we stand, divided we fall; and if our backs should ever be against the wall, we’ll be together; together you and I”.

Over the years, the song has been a rallying cry for several groups and done by several artists, but what is my point here?

I read a couple of recent articles that I have linked to and it got the little guy in my head to wondering why there are so many “subcultures” in the fire service who, it would appear, have different and separate causes that they champion for different and separate “constituents”, if you will.

The term “brotherhood” has been batted around for eons and its usage has painted a lavish canvas of unity between those who populate the glorious profession of firefighting.

It would immediately evoke on the one hand that the bonds between brothers cannot be broken, but at the same time and on the other hand, the expectation that brothers will also argue and fight with each other, but never losing that love and that bond for each other.

When I read Nozzlehead’s article in the October issue of FireRescue and then the abbreviated, blog version http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/nozzlehead-national-fire at FirefighterNation, it piqued my curiosity about the different “service organizations” within the fire service.

And then, I read in the September issue of a popular fire service magazine an article entitled “A Matter of National Security” and it reinforced my notion that the fire service as a “national” fire service is suffering from what I believe are too many subcultures or conversely; special interest groups within the fire service.

When we espouse that some of us are there to “represent their dues paying members” or “African-Americans” or “Hispanics” or females or this group or that group, then they are, in essence, representing special interests. Volunteers, if they are inclined to pay the membership fee, can join the National Volunteer Fire Council, but let’s face it; when was the last time, as a volunteer, you spoke to a local rep of the NVFC? You say that you haven’t? That’s because the position doesn’t exist.

The NVFC-and this is not meant as a criticism-DOES represent, for lack of a better term, a national constituency and a broader picture that doesn’t represent the many local issues that plagues smaller, volunteer fire departments. In their mission to solidify a certain volunteer consensus, they have missed an opportunity to survey or poll the REAL polarizing issues that keeps us from the same table. It’s like saying that we want to “reform health care”, but failing to identify the many details of the issues that keep us from real reform measures. It cannot be lumped in one, sweeping statement or idea.

With regards to firefighter safety, there are several groups that promote firefighter safety for all firefighters. Where other issues exist, such as promotions, benefits or discipline; career firefighters and their various groups have a much stronger voice and lobbying effort.

However; those same issues, though not as structured, is every bit as disconcerting as the career departments, from a volunteer perspective. The many discussions that pop up from volunteers that concern how THEIR promotions are done, the benefits that they enjoy/disenjoy or would like to see and certainly how discipline is achieved or not on a volunteer fire department is every bit as important as with career departments. And the efforts to resolve those issues deserve the same efforts from those organizations who purport to represent volunteers.

And let’s face it; even with volunteer departments that pay their members in the form of call, meeting or training stipends are still volunteers, if it is not their primary source of income. Call them what you want, but they are not career by any stretch of the imagination or term. It doesn’t even rise to supplementing their income on the same level that career firefighters do with their “side jobs”.

Instead of arguing about the differences that are identified by the various fire service subcultures, we should focus on the similarities and that would definitely be with regards to safety. It should not be by unintended consequence that we make progress, but becomes a sustainable effort on behalf of ALL firefighters.

With the advent of many local, state and federal mandates forwarded and championed by established agencies, a need for the many “rights” groups become less compelling.

All eyes should be on all firefighters and the effort necessary to improve their lots.

Maybe I’m too naïve or delusional to give up on the idea that the national fire service can be ONE voice for us all. Any concern voiced by whatever type of firefighter we are should be heard and acted upon.

We should not sit around and HOPE that our concerns will be drafted into an amendment to an existing piece of legislation by someone hired to promote our agenda. Think of it as interoperability among our fire service leaders in the political arena.

Why shouldn’t it work there as well? I mean; isn’t interoperability designed to get everyone on the same frequency?

Then, let’s do it…

As ONE!

TCSS.

Art

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com.

 What gives any of us the right to feel or believe that we are entitled to be called a firefighter?

For some of us, we have held a steady job, been married, are raising children, are helping with community projects in our small, rather rural communities and all the while, we have been thinking about joining the local fire department to help out…so we do!

We are interviewed, accepted and are issued gear, along with a pager. Does this entitle us to call ourselves “firefighter” or to be regarded by others as a firefighter?

For others, getting on a paid fire department has been in the family for four generations and has been your childhood dream. It’s never been an option; it has been your destiny. Your goal is to serve in a large city where history has been witness to some monumental fires and extraordinary firefighters.

We get our name on the hiring list, go through the testing including CPAT, complete our interview and get confirmation that we have been hired. Does this entitle us to call ourselves “firefighter” or to be regarded by others as a firefighter?

It occurs to me after joining this website that there is a “Who’s Who” of current and former firefighters who are offering up a plethora of information on a wide range of subject matter. The training articles are second to none and the authors are likewise. The author’s style and tone of their articles do not discriminate nor differentiate between career, paid on call or volunteer firefighters. It is information that anyone who wants to improve their skills as a firefighter can do so. Do you think the authors of the blogs, news articles or training articles even care about what TYPE of firefighter you are? Oh sure; there will be articles on rural water supply that may only apply to a rural, volunteer department, but on the flip side, you will see articles on aerial truck operations that are interesting to guys like me, but are targeting metro firefighters. We can’t leave out our friends in wildland firefighting. They engage in some highly specialized tactics that warrant their own niche as well.

Did I say “type of firefighter”? I certainly did.

All MEN/WOMEN are created equal. Firefighters are NOT!

This may be contrary to what you believe or have been told, but it is an educated opinion that is supported by years of personal observation. We have seen nicely choreographed illustrations from authors who have been on both sides of the spectrum. They have been career firefighters who have gone on to volunteer. We have also seen the other swing where volunteer firefighters have become career. In both cases, the firefighter is taking SOMETHING from where they came to where they’re going. It might just be oodles of experience and the respect that experience will earn you with your peers.

Why does it matter so much to want respect or acknowledgement or acceptance from people that you don’t even know? Why would you presume to even EXPECT respect from someone that you don’t know, because isn’t one of the pillars of respect built on knowing the person? In my mind, you are being disrespectful by immediately wanting respect simply because you are on a fire department. When these people have not seen us perform our tasks, then how can we expect them to measure us all the way to a level of respect? We can’t and we shouldn’t, because it is wrong and very frustrating for those who don’t understand.

And on the other side of the coin, how can we say that we are the SAME as they are if we haven’t seen them perform their tasks, which are only in our realm of basic skills until they go to academy and start riding the trucks. It changes right then and there. We are no longer the same. Numbers of calls and time spent in classes and training cans DOES change all of that.

For me, it has never been about puffing my chest out around the paid guys. When I got my FF II certification, I knew that I was better for taking the training, but didn’t bother to gauge it against a career firefighter. It didn’t occur to me and frankly, it didn’t matter. I was trying to raise the bar for our fire department. As we progressed, so did respect between us, because we realized that our training would help hone our skills and keep us sharp. Respect could be measured in the amount of training that you did or didn’t do.

And with regards to training outside of the department with other departments? It was done with the intentions of LEARNING and not whether career guys were busting on us. It was about doing it right or doing it wrong and having to do it again. And if you had to do it again, then you shouldn’t complain that you were being picked on, but rather, shut up and do it right. What; because you are in turnout gear, you are entitled to get a free pass? You think that’s respect?

I want to see an end to the career/vollie debate. We all know what we are capable of doing. We know if we have the right to call ourselves “firefighters” and to have the privilege to wear the gear and to serve our communities. We cannot take anything for granted; least of all training and our interactions with other departments on a mass incident.

As far as respect?

Worry about getting it from your kids, your fire department and your community first. That should be all that matters anyway.

Then, you can look at how you measure up with others who are in the fire service. Use it to weigh your strengths and weaknesses, then share your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses. If you set out like you have nothing to prove and conduct yourself with a reserved and quiet humility, respect will sneak up on you before you know it. You may not hear it, but you WILL feel it.

Ask yourself if you want to be the same as all of the other firefighters or do you want to be different?

Dare to be different!

Tell yourself that you’re entitled to pursue the possibilities that exist in becoming the best firefighter that you can be for your family and your community.

Respect the honor, tradition, history and the dangers associated with firefighting.

Work on your life-saving skills and forget about saving the world.

Study hard and train hard. Word will spread. Respect will grow.

There you go; all because you dared to be different!

TCSS.

Art

This article is protected by federal copyright laws under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It cannot be reproduced in any form without the expressed permission of Art Goodrich aka ChiefReason. Visit me at www.chiefreasonart.com.

 First Published 1/25/04

That’s right! Right here/right now. Once and for all; the final word on this age-old argument is…..

A question!

Aren’t both types of firefighters critical to our fire service efforts?

Of course they are!

Grab a snack before we tiptoe through this minefield together, because quite frankly; I am going to literally try to rationalize out loud why we have to argue one against the other in a “who’s better” debate for what; bragging rights?

Day Two. I haven’t moved from my desk since my last sentence. I must draw on all my strength and background as a volunteer firefighter for a perspective.

When I got into the fire service as a volunteer, our fire department didn’t have a library of reference materials from which to learn. The only fire magazine we got was Fire Chief and the chief wouldn’t share it (Rank has its privilege!). The training officers for the fire department at the time were twin brothers who worked for the local telephone company. Great guys! They could find a bad phone line and could affix a button to a fire phone and have it blow the fire siren, but they didn’t know beans about SCBAs or fire behavior. Their knowledge of building construction consisted of helping the one build the other’s garage!

So, where did a volunteer go to get their much-needed introduction into firefighting?

Neighboring department? Well, sometimes, but basically, they had the same problems.

Fire marshal’s office? No; they set standards, curriculum, the DATES of the training and certified training through testing. Weekend dates back then were non-existent. Weekdays or weeknights; usually during the hours when volunteers were at their paying jobs.

Fire service institute? Ding, ding, ding! That’s where it started for me and can anyone take a wild guess at who taught the classes? Career firefighters!

And it intimidated the HELL out of me. You know how they always said, “In my classes, there are no stupid questions”? Well, I wasn’t willing to take the risk, so I sat silently; listening, and in total awe of the knowledge of my instructors. I didn’t even want to hear about friction loss or hand tools. I wanted to hear the stories about the “big ones”, the rescues and using ladder trucks. Even when my early instructors were telling me their war stories, I was learning from their experiences that were gained every duty day that they worked. You aren’t going to learn that kind of stuff from someone who hasn’t had an occupied, structural fire in three (3) years! You can only get it from a career smoke eater who is willing to moonlight as an instructor. If some of you don’t think that career firefighters don’t care about volunteers, then why do so many of them teach us?

Fast forward to today. I am no longer intimidated by career firefighters. They taught me well. Some of my very best friends are still career or retired from career. And they will always have my gratitude, respect and friendship.

I can remember a time when some career fire departments had a “no fraternization” policy with volunteers. Back in the day and before sensibility prevailed, volunteers were right up there with dirt under the fingernails! BUT THOSE DAYS ARE OVER!

Why does the air get so charged with negative energy when someone mentions a career/volunteer issue? Whether it’s interoperability, mutual aid, funding, promotions, health and safety, fire tactics and on, the discussion immediately deteriorates into a flurry of insults and insensitivities as soon as someone attaches the labels of career or volunteer to their reply with such pronouncements as “volunteers; we do it for free” or “career; nobody does it better”.

From the volunteer perspective (mine), I think some of it is manifested in the attitude that we see when the discussions turn to benefits, wages, unions, fire standards, fire training and legislation that addresses career firefighter issues and excludes the volunteers from much of it. It appears that the focus moves away from public service to one of self-serving. Look at the discussion of the Niles, OH FD and Weathersfield FPD. It took a New York minute for that FH.com thread to turn into a career/volunteer “fist fight”. Volunteers were screaming that they would have gone out of their district-some said by “jumping” the call-to put the fire out. Of course they would have, because many small departments are salivating to catch a working, structural fire! That’s part of that jealousy that exists between career and volunteers. Career FDs without any doubt catch more structural fires on the average. More vehicle accidents; more rescues; more HazMat and MORE PUBLIC ATTENTION. There are very few volunteer or combination departments in the U.S. that have more call volume. They are the exception.

WE choose our career paths. Some chose to go to full-time fire departments. Others, like me, chose to go to work for a company and then volunteer their time on a fire department and as I said; we chose that.

But it’s our communities who choose what type of fire protection that they want. Full time coverage will most likely cost more and taxes paid will bear that out. Volunteer coverage might be less expensive, but with some drawbacks, such as manpower, rapid response time, age and condition of equipment and level of experience/knowledge of the firefighters. Let’s be honest; many volunteers question the abilities of their officers and vice versa. Again; career firefighters choose their career paths and are promoted to rank by training and testing. Volunteers are, in many cases, still being elected, selected and by entitlement, are aspiring to their rank. But that is being addressed in many departments and is a topic for another article!

Whenever there seems to be a push to get ALL firefighters to a level of firefighting skill that will insure an appropriate response to mitigating an incident, it is usually the volunteer sector yelling “foul”. We can all, and I do mean ALL, train to the minimum standards, but will always lose the “in-service”, continuing education and the on-the-job hours to the career departments and that’s a fact!

Let’s switch to the career perspective; also my perspective.

Some career firefighters still harbor attitudes towards volunteers that date back to the early ‘80s. And we will not change that attitude. Don’t try! You won’t penetrate that crust with a jackhammer!

The majority of career folks knows and understands the socio-political reasons for volunteer firefighters and their skill levels, because they are still training them. If I am an instructor, I will take it very personally if my classes of volunteers were not adequately trained. But that’s the ones who will show up for class, ready to learn.

They know that we all do what we do for the same reasons. I am tired of that well-worn cliché that says career or volunteer-we are all professionals. Well, “professionals” do not treat each other with so much disdain. They treat each other with respect. And we know that respect is not given, but is earned; everyday and not just when the tones drop. There has to be respectful dialogue and honesty between us. Respect for the fact that, even we, as firefighters from different career paths, are “a different tool in the fire service tool box”. And it’s the communities who select “the tools”. That may over-simplify it, but the point is that we employ our skills when advancing on a fire in the same way with the goal of suppressing the fire. Being effective is not a career/volunteer issue, but is all of our duty.

Career personnel have to do it right and do it better with every work shift. The law of averages says that if they don’t, then Murphy’s Law will get them. I don’t think for a minute that they are “jealous” of the volunteers. Quite the opposite. I am somewhat jealous that they can “live the dream and even eek out a living at it. Most are just like the rest of us; saddled with mortgages, car payments, college tuition and taxes that are too damned high! Yeah; I’m jealous of that!

I would be remiss if I didn’t address the “other” segment of career firefighters; those who started out as volunteers. I can feel nothing but unmitigated pride for them. They remember their roots and they are quick to give credit. And that can only help to bridge the “old” arguments and perceptions.

In closing, I will use the analogy of athletes and firefighters.

I know that there were better athletes than me in my high school class, just as I know that there were better firefighters than me. Isn’t our goal to always work towards getting better?

What it comes down to is natural ability, desire, practice and the right attitude. Working hard with a “losing sucks” mentality. Getting everyone on the team to believe in themselves for the sake of the team. And then going out and beating the snot out of the opponent; in our case, fire.

And, as a volunteer, I will say that being on a rural, volunteer fire department doesn’t make us the Farm Team!

Sorry. I couldn’t resist one last time.

And be safe above all else.

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author.