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The Tradition Expedition

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In between my writing of blogs and participating in discussion threads, I read some of the other blogs.

I have my favorites and for the most part, I will keep you guessing, because I don’t want to influence the voting for the 2009 Best Blog of the Year (http://firecritic.com/2010/01/fireems-blog-of-the-year-2009-finalists-and-voting/).

However; I think that I have read almost every article written by Jason Zigmont of VolunteerFD.org. No; it isn’t a plug. In fact, I may have just cursed him. Sorry, Jason.

Jason’s recent article, “The Traditions That Hold Us Back” (http://www.volunteerfd.org/article/737135/) couldn’t be timelier.

I had just finished a blog on “tradition”, read Jason’s blog; then wadded mine up and threw it away, because he caused me to look at the subject of tradition once again.

To me, which is to say that it is my opinion that Jason writes with a style that is not layered to the point that you miss the point! His article, as usual, makes excellent key points.

Now; for my thoughts on the subject of “tradition”.

I don’t believe that a revolution to kill traditions is taking place in the fire service. Instead, I believe that there is an evolution of our fire services’ traditionalism that will define it for generations to come.

The oldest of traditions-that of generations of families sending their members into the proud service of their fellow Man as firefighters-will continue unencumbered.

However; another old tradition involving generations of families that will end up on the endangered species list is the practice of nepotism. Many of us can work with our relatives without enlisting them for some sinister scheme to control our workplace.

But, nepotism almost guarantees that anything bad that can happen WILL happen. I have no problems with a father/son combo, where no special treatment is imagined or real. My problem is with families who seize control of a fire department, plunders it for their personal gain and then leaves it on life support.

Yes; that is a tradition that we can do without and communities that allows it, are ignorant of it or don’t care about it, perpetuates the tradition. Firefighters AND communities must change it.

Another tradition that I hope to see less of are the LODD funerals. I am speaking to the NUMBER of funerals. Traditionally, no less than 100 LODD funerals a year are conducted in this country and countless more firefighter funerals of brothers and sisters taken by illness, disease and old age.

With that said, we must preserve the sanctity and solemn ceremony to pay our proper respects to our fallen brothers and sisters. It is a tradition that must never erode, fade or disappear.

We should not allow tradition that will constrain our thirst for new technologies, tactics or services to our communities.

We should do what we can to change the tradition that says that we can do more with less (See LODD funerals). We are at a point of diminishing returns and a new tradition of closing stations, reducing manpower and having rotating brown outs are taking hold (See LODD funerals). The veterans who have served on properly staffed and properly funded departments must remain engaged in the fight to get their resources restored and put the next generation on solid footing or we risk donning the Class A’s for more funerals.

We must preserve the tradition of firehouse cooking, but we need to eliminate high salt, high sugar and high fat meals. Healthy diets and healthy lifestyles will help battle the growing cardiac episodes and cancer rates in our fire service.

The firehouse, kitchen table discussions is a tradition that has not only continued, but has flourished by expanding to Internet website discussion boards (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/tradition-honor-this-is-for?commentId=889755%3AComment%3A4445098&xg_source=msg_com_forum).

Heated topics with heated debates cools quickly when the tones drop at the firehouse, but they  don’t cool as quickly on a website. Some will promote respectful debate while others will promote what could be akin to UFC matches. Hopefully, in the end, participants will invoke the tradition of handshakes from one brother to another.

The last tradition that I will touch upon is the tradition of driving fast to the incident-too fast to be more accurate. We must drive with due regard, with a sense of urgency and always with the safety of our firefighters and our citizens in mind. And wearing our seatbelts is a no brainer.

So; what is our finest tradition?

I believe that it is teaching, learning, making a difference and then going home to our loved ones.

We must always remember that the future of our fire service won’t be determined by the ones leaving, but the ones who are taking their places and we must give them every opportunity to succeed.

That will insure that their department and our fire service will also succeed.

In the meantime, we have to figure out which traditions to keep and which ones to write into the history books.

For more on the subject, see Tiger: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/

http://runtothecurb.wordpress.com/.

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com

Posted by chiefreason on January 7, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Preparing For An LODD

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First Published 3/16/03

 

We have all experienced the loss of a loved one. In some cases, we can remember where we were and what we were doing when we got word. We have been there during the final moments. With others, we have had time to prepare for an impending death. Unpleasant thought that it is, we have found ourselves thinking about what we would do at the time of the passing of a loved one.

 

As family and friends gather before, during and after the funeral, we cope because we draw on each other’s strength. Someone, possibly an elder member of the family, becomes the “gentle hand on the shoulder”; that voice that speaks with the soft re-assurance that we’ll get through this crisis together. We will be better people for having known our lost loved one.

 

But then, while working the scene of a two-story, wood frame family dwelling, the silence of the night is shattered by “Mayday. Mayday. Firefighter down”!

 

You are there and it’s real. No phone call; no time to “prepare”! It’s happening right in front of you and a thousand thoughts are racing through your mind.

 

It is at this point that the incident has turned into a disaster that has become personal.

 

As a company officer, be it chief, assistant chief, captain or lieutenant, we are taught not to dwell on the thought of a firefighter dying while in the line of duty. Whether they die while pulling hose or are caught in a flashover or structural collapse, your emotional state at that moment could cause you to lose control of the scene and therefore, compromise it’s safety.

Just as an officer would prepare his crew for a ventilation exercise, an officer must prepare himself for the emotional upheaval that an LODD will cause at the scene. A systematic approach will get you and your crew backs safely to the station, where additional support in the form of critical incident stress de-briefing (CISD) can be initiated. Until then, incident management should continue, emergency personnel should be closely supervised and control of the scene should be maintained, including crowd control and scene security as the second phase begins: recovery of personnel.

Even with emotions running high, the recovery process must utilize the same considerations of any other rescue operation. Again, closer monitoring of personnel is essential to continued safe operation.

Key considerations are:

1)     It is a crime scene until proven otherwise.

2)     Removing the body(s) or leaving in place.

3)     Accounting for all personnel.

4)     Gaining positive identification of the deceased.

5)     Notifying the family and assigning a department representative to them.

During the investigation of the LODD, it is best to use a third party. This will eliminate any claim of impropriety by community members and even firefighters. So, though you may have the department resource to conduct such an investigation under normal circumstances, consider using outside investigators in conjunction with your state fire marshal, NIOSH, OSHA, ATF, NFPA, NIST, other firefighter organizations and your department’s safety and health officer.

 

All safety equipment that was used and worn at the time of the LODD, such as turnout gear, SCBA, PASS device, etc. should be documented, photographed and placed into a secure container. Further testing and viewing by investigators necessitates limiting its handling by only those personnel involved in the incident.

The autopsy is a very vital phase of the investigation of an LODD, due to the application for death benefits. Information needed from the autopsy is the cause of death, carbon monoxide levels, toxicology and blood alcohol results. In many states, the presence of drugs or alcohol in the system at the time of death may void some death benefits. The Department of the Treasury will require a number of documents when application is made for Public Safety Officer Death Benefits.

 

Because of multiple requests for documents, you may need to secure several original copies or certified copies, depending on the benefits being applied for. Those documents may include death certificate, birth certificate, marriage license, children’s birth certificates (for survivor benefits), notarized letter on official department letterhead from the chief of department stating the facts of the events that caused the firefighter’s death and original medical examiner, toxicology, blood alcohol and investigator’s reports; all requiring original signatures and raised notary seals. You will also want a verification of surviving children who are full time students.

Staffing of the department should be accomplished using mutual aid as the funeral services draw nearer.

 

Fire service funerals are set in deep tradition, but it is important to remember that the wishes of the fallen’s family come first, followed by the fire department and then by the community. Do not force any firefighter traditions onto the family. A detailed explanation of the service protocols may be necessary. The family needs to know and understand that a firefighter funeral is non-traditional when compared to civilian funeral services. Keep everyone informed. Plan in advance for facilities that will accommodate a large crowd. Consider using a civic center, gymnasium, stadium or large church. Contact honor guards as soon as a firefighter funeral has been decided.

 

Returning to normal operations should be done as soon as possible. Most firefighters want to reclaim their territory-i.e. firehouse-as soon as they can. Let them get back to their routine.

 

Memorial funds will need to be established soon after the incident. Contact your local bank and a tax specialist to determine what is best when establishing the fund.

 

It is my sincerest hope that you never experience the loss of a fellow firefighter, but if you do, then the steps that I have outlined here will hopefully lessen the impact of the unknowns.

 

Post Script

By now, many of you are probably wondering where I would get such a detailed plan. It came from a discussion group that was lead by Chief Mark Wessels of Keokuk, Iowa and held last year in East Peoria.

 

On the morning of December 22, 1999 and just two weeks after Worcester, MA lost six firefighters in a warehouse fire, Chief Wessels lost three of his own, including his assistant chief who was also his best friend, to a structural fire that also claimed the lives of three children. The structure flashed over, causing the deaths of the three firefighters. The firefighters had removed two children and were going back for the third child when the flashover occurred.

 

At the memorial service held at the high school gymnasium, I was struck by the composure of Chief Wessels as he eulogized his three men. He did so with the widows and children of the fallen heroes sitting directly in front of him. I was so moved by his strength under such extraordinary circumstances that I came home and wrote him a letter.

 

When I saw him last year, he spoke very openly of the whole experience; from the time the call came in until the final reports were issued. He described the five steps of grieving that he and his entire department went through. He talked about his clash with his city’s mayor. He discussed the relentless investigation by the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration. During the entire time, he also had a fire department to run; a department that was very short of manpower. He described the anger of some citizens who were upset because “firefighters took over their town and their memorial service”. He had to appease some national organizations that felt “slighted” at the funeral. He relived the day and the anger over manpower constraints. On the day of the incident, the department had to split their resources for a MVA and minutes later, the house fire.

 

His fire department, though grateful for all of the help, was now growing angry from what they felt were “intrusions”. It was then that Chief Wessels knew that it was time to thank everyone for their help and to send them on their way.

 

At the end of our discussion, I had a question that was weighing very heavily upon me. So I asked him.

 

“How many did you lose off of your department after this horrific chain of events?”

 

He looked at me with a grin and said “Not one!”

 

And that is a testament to the strength and the spirit of the Brotherhood!

 

Take care and stay safe.

 

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.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , ,

An Itty Bitty Mitty In Us

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First Published 6/30/08

Deep down, do many of us have a little “Walter Mitty” in us?

 

Any fan of American Literature knows that James Thurber wrote “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and that it was first published in 1941! Danny Kaye played Walter Mitty in the movie version and it is a classic. It is a story of a man that leads a mundane and mediocre existence, who would daydream his way to great feats of accomplishment. War hero, doctor and finally, a condemned man facing a firing squad who feigns a blindfold, Mitty longed for a life defined by adventure and heroism. His daydreams were always interrupted by reality.

 

Are some of us like Walter Mitty or are more of us like Mrs. Mitty, who would bring Walter back to reality and to the stark reminder that he was a simple man, who had no business thinking about the “what ifs” that left his life a giant question mark. He couldn’t be someone or something else in his mind, simply because his partner in Life preferred the person that she saw through HER eyes!

 

How many “Mrs. Mittys” have we encountered in our lives?

 

You know the type. They were your teachers, coaches, instructors and in some cases, parents who had a rather pessimistic future planned for you.

 

In high school, I was tagged by our guidance counselor as “most likely to under achieve”! I had a basketball coach who told me not to waste time by going out for basketball. I was too short, according to him. He told me to try wrestling instead. I had a baseball coach who benched me, because I would not adopt his style as catcher that required me to stick my butt out a considerable and uncomfortable distance. I had too many cheerleaders telling me that I would fail.

 

So, I was never in lock step with authority figures and that started me down the “James Dean Road to Rebellion”.

 

When I joined our fire department, I was barraged by all kinds of negative energy from the chief and trustees and all because I refused to accept and to maintain the status quo. They were “Mrs. Mitty” to my “Walter Mitty”.

 

My alter ego-the “Mitty” in me-had me dreaming of my Big Fire, my Big Rescue and ultimately, my name on the Big Statue that would grace the front of our fire station.

 

Now, keeping that statement in the context for which it was intended, our “big fire” undoubtedly comes at someone else’s expense. A “good fire” to us is a “bad fire” for the home’s occupants. But the “Mitty” in me has me barking out commands at the scene; orchestrating the rescue and the fire suppression with glorious results! Oh, Chief Mitty; how can we ever re-pay you?”

 

Your thanks is more than enough, Mitty might say.

 

It is well documented that many join our ranks because they are drawn by the heroic tradition and history of the profession and one that is perpetuated by the various medals of valor or honor that are awarded for those deeds.

 

For some, it is unexpected and even unwanted recognition. For some, it is the stepping stone that they relish and will give them a push into a career that they dreamed of. Still, for others, it is peer recognition for all those times “Mrs. Mittys” were telling them that they would lead an ordinary life.

 

As I grow older, I find myself thinking more and more like Walter Mitty, because I can’t go back and change the life that I have led. Oh; I think back to the many times that we had an incident that left its impact upon me and I still find myself thinking about what I could have done differently that might have changed the outcome.

 

I guess that it is more along the lines of “reminiscence” than it is “daydreaming” and might even border on the “serendipitous”, but left me ask you this: do you ever find yourself thinking about leaving this life with the fear that the ones around you never really knew what you had contributed to your small corner of the world or had accomplished for the sake of others? We weren’t really looking for approval as much as we were looking for an acknowledgement. Just a nod of the head, you know?

 

For the record, I didn’t serve so that I could get a medal. I have no desire to have a statue erected in my honor. All that I ever wanted was to leave our department a little better off as a result of my efforts.

 

And if that leaves people saying nice things about me, then that is good enough for me.

 

My legacy might very well be “The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie”. I write it with the same theme that can be found in Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”. Many have asked me if Jake or Vinnie have been somehow fashioned after my experiences and I can honestly say “NO”!

 

All that I can tell you is that Jake and Vinnie are the only two characters in the story lines that are not based on “real” characters that I have met and known over the years. I am sorry if that explodes the myth.

 

I end this blog with these questions:

 

Will your humility deprive you from sharing the extraordinary events of your life with others who may have no other means that will transport them from the ordinary to the extraordinary?

 

Can we dip into our “secret” lives for that small respite from the mundane and mediocre moments?

 

Which Walter Mitty would you be?

 

This article is protected by copyright. It may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed permission of the author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 12, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , ,