Tragedy

The recent school shooting in Connecticut has left me feeling sad and dismayed.  It is a terrible, tragic event that never should of happened.  Unfortunately, now it adds another layer of stereotypes and stigma to those that battle mental illness.  Selfishly, I see this as another hurdle for my cause.  I am out here trying to break down the stereotypes of mental illness and tell people that not everyone that has a mental health issue is dangerous.  While that remains true, this does not help my cause...at all.

Yesterday while reading through Twitter I cam across an interesting article from Huffington Post.  It was written by a mother who has a son with mental health issues.  It outlines the difficulties she faces everyday with her son.  It is a fantastic article and it sheds light into what families go through on a daily basis when dealing with mental illness.  I encourage you all to take a moment and read the article.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Words cannot express the pain and sorrow that the affected families are going through right now.  I don't know a lot about the person responsible for the tragedy but it would certainly appear that he is a very conflicted individual.  I don't know his back story and I don't know if anyone tried to get help for this individual or not but it certainly brings up an important point.  We cannot continue to hide from mental illness.  We, as a society, need to be more proactive.  We need to take the time to learn the warning signs.  Just like with any disease, early detection and early intervention are the keys.  We cannot stand by idly and hope these issues will just go away on their own.  If you have a family member that exhibits the signs of mental illness, you must intervene.  Professional help for these individuals is the only thing that can help them.  Our society as a whole must be proactive as well.  We can no longer push these individuals aside and ignore them.  These people have an illness and we must get them the help they need.  They may fight us, they may call us names or even try and attack us.  It will be difficult to say the least, but we must get them the help they need.

Firefighter Mental Health

As you all know, I am a big proponent of Life Safety Initiative 13 and Firefighter Mental Health.  I spoke earlier at great length about my on going struggles with depression and anxiety.  I think it is very important that we get the message out to firefighters that its okay to seek help for mental health issues.

I have been to a few departments spreading the message of Courage to Be Safe and Everyone Goes Home.  With that we hit on LSI 13.  So far I have gotten a lot of great feedback from the firefighters at these departments.  Most of the time they are very thankful that someone took the courage to stand up and share their story.  It is great to get this positive feedback.  I hope that the fact that it is coming from another firefighter makes it easier for the firefighters to relate to.  Hopefully because they have heard my story they know it is okay to seek help.  That is my goal... to be an advocate for firefighter mental health.  I am starting at the local level but soon hope to be expanding the my program.  I am working on developing a program that will focus solely on firefighter mental health but I would like your help.  If you are willing to help I would love to get your feedback about your thoughts on mental health disorders.  Here are a few questions to help get the dialog started:

     -Do you have any preconceived notions regarding mental health disorders?

     -What are those preconceived notions or stereotypes that you have?

     -Do you know the signs and symptoms of depression?

     -Do you know the signs and symptoms of anxiety?

     -Do you know the signs and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder?

     -Do you know the signs of a person considering suicide?

     -Would you be willing to seek help if you thought you might be suffering from depression or anxiety?

     -If you were to seek help would you rather do it one on one or in a group setting?

   These are just a few questions that I would like to see responses to.  If you are willing to help, please post your responses in the comments section.  You can choose to remain anonymous if you chose.  The feedback received will be reviewed and help guide the creation of the firefighter mental health program.  I would love to hear your feedback.

Thanks
Drew

Fire Safety...are you prepared?

We typically reserve October as our fire safety month in the fire service however on the heals of recent events I thought this would be a good time to reiterate some important facts about fire safety.  4 people including 3 children tragically died in a fire early in the morning on Nov 13th.  Fire Officials are unsure of what started the blaze but the fire appears to be a result of faulty wiring.  Another alarming point that came out of this tragedy is that there were no working smoke detectors in this home.  By the time fire crews arrived on scene the blaze was far too advanced for an interior attack to be made.  Its certainly a tragedy but it reminds us of the importance of fire safety.

I was not able to confirm this piece of information but one report stated that there have been something like 40 fire related deaths in the last month!!  That is an unbelievable fact and unfortunately I was unable to confirm its validity.  It does drive home the fact that we cannot reserve the importance of fire safety for 1 month out of the year.  As firefighters are purpose is to serve the tax payers who pay our salaries.  We must promote fire safety all year long and do what we can to ensure the safety of the communities we serve.  I know we all love fighting fires but if we are actually fighting fires then we have failed in fire prevention.  Fire prevention and fire safety are equally as important as training and preparing to fight fires.

What can you do to ensure you are safe in the event of a fire?  

Smoke Detectors:

    Make sure you have working smoke detectors on every floor of your home.  Make sure that those smoke detectors are located in bedrooms or as close to bedrooms as possible.  Be proactive in changing the batteries, don't wait until the detector gets that annoying beep to change the detectors.  A good rule of thumb is to change the batteries when you change your clocks.  

Choose a smoke detector with dual-sensor technology.  These detectors combine the technologies of ionization and photoelectric sensors.  So what does this mean?  Ionization detectors are the detectors we are most familiar with.  These detectors have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates.  This creates a flow between the two plates.  When smoke enters the chamber it disrupts the flow and sets off the detector.  These detectors are more responsive to flaming fires.  Photoelectric sensors use a light source aimed into the sensing chamber.  When smoke enters the chamber it reflects light onto the sensor triggering the alarm.  Photoelectric sensors are more responsive to smoldering fires.  The combination of these two technologies provide better protection for your home.

Evacuation Plans:

   Evacuation plans are very important especially if you have children.  Its important to educate your children what to do in case of a fire.  EDITH is an acronym we use.  It stands for Exit Drills In The Home.  Create a plan and practice it.  Designate a meeting place outside of the home and educate your children that once they are out, they should stay out.  The second part of of evacuation plans is to ensure you have two ways out.  Make sure your family knows that if your primary escape route is blocked, they have a secondary means of escape.    

Fire Extinguishers:

   Make sure you have fire extinguishers in the home, especially in the kitchen.  Check them yearly and ensure that they are charged and ready to go.  The last thing you want to do with a grease fire is pour water on it.  Make sure you have an extinguisher handy in case of an emergency.

Fire Places:

    If you have a wood fire place, make sure you have it cleaned yearly to remove the buildup of creosote.  Creosote is the result of incomplete combustion in your fire place and builds up inside your chimney.  Excess creosote is the cause of many chimney fires.

Utilities:

    If your home uses natural gas make sure you check your appliances to ensure the pilot lights are lit.  Periodically check for leaks around the appliances.  If you think you have a leak, call your gas company and have them come out and check it out.  Newer homes are typically equipped with what is called CSST gas lines.  These are flexible, corrugated gas lines that have replaced black pipe gas lines.  If these lines are not properly grounded and bonded they can be susceptible to rupturing if your home is struck by lightning.

These are just a few of tips to help make your home safer in the event of a fire.  Its important to ensure you are prepared for the worst.  Take time to sit down with your children and discuss what to do and what not to do in the event of the fire, it could safe their lives.

Seat Belts

One of my biggest pet peeves in the fire service is firefighters who don't wear their seat belts.  It absolutely drives me crazy when someone fails to take the time to buckle up.  It takes 10 seconds to reach over and put your seat belt on.  People come up with every excuse in the book but none of them justify not buckling up.

Over the past 30 years, vehicle-related crashes have been the 2nd leading cause of firefighter deaths.  The NFPA found that many of the LODDs caused by motor vehicle accidents could have been prevented.  Of the 406 deaths that occurred due to motor vehicle accidents, 76% were known to NOT be wearing their seat belts.  That means 308 of those deaths possibly could have been prevented if the victim had taken time to buckle their seat belt.  Another contributing factor in many of those deaths were excessive speed.  If they would have taken the time to buckle their seat belt and drive a little slower they could very possibly be alive right now!!  I know seat belts won't prevent 100% deaths from vehicle accidents but if it can reduce the number by half isn't that a good thing?  As the years go by, we get better technology, we see all of these NIOSH reports pointing out the contributing factors yet we still drive to fast and we don't wear our seat belts... it is literally insanity.

Sadly, too many firefighters think they are invincible or are naive enough to think "it won't happen to me."  Unfortunately we are not invincible and we are not omniscient.  We can't predict the future so we don't know if it will happen to us or not.  Since we can't predict the future, we need to prepare for the worst case scenario every time.... that means we put our seat belt on EVERY TIME the rig rolls out the door.  If you are a company officer it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your crew is buckled up every time out.  Heck, all of the new trucks out their have buzzers that go off if the seat belt isn't buckled.  Sure there are ways to circumvent the system but if you set the expectation that seat belts will be worn at all times and enforce that expectation then your crew will buckle up every time.

So why don't firefighters wear their seat belts?  I have heard all the excuses, but honestly, none of them pass the smell test in my eyes.  You can't get dressed with your seat belt on?  Then get dressed before you get on the truck.  Seriously it should take you less than 60 seconds to get your gear on.  You can't get your air pack on with your seat belt on?  That's BS too, your seat belt is mounted in the back of your seat and the seat belt does not interfere with you sliding your arms through the straps.  If you can't figure out how to get your pack on, then maybe you should practice that so you know that you can do it.  The seat belt slows you down in getting out of the truck?  Really!?!  It takes 10 seconds to unbuckle your seat belt and get out of the truck.  If you have problems and are always getting tangled up in your seat belt then you need to practice.  None of these excuses are worth risking your life for.  Frankly, the people that don't wear their seat belts are either lazy or just plain ignorant.

If your department doesn't have a seat belt policy then I encourage you to press your chief to get a policy in place.  We need to make sure we are doing everything we can to prevent unnecessary injuries or deaths.  Again, if you are a company officer, make sure your crews are wearing their seat belts.  If you are a firefighter, ensure your own safety and call out the guys who don't wear their seat belts.  The culture has to change.  I had a situation as a company officer where we were heading back to the station after training.  We only had to travel 3 or 4 blocks to get back to the station.  I noticed one of my senior guys didn't buckle up when he got in the truck.  I waited a few minutes to see if he would buckle up or not.  Sure enough, no seat belt.  The engineer released the air brakes and went to put the truck in gear.  At that moment I told him to stop the truck and set the brakes.  I then proceeding to tell the entire crew that this truck was not going to move until everyone was buckled up.  Begrudgingly, the crew buckled up.  I made it a point to make an example of the guy.  I had a couple of rookies in the truck as well and wanted to make sure they knew it was not acceptable to not wear their seat belts.  The whole situation pissed off the senior guy but I got my point across.  As a company officer, I am not in the business of being your friend when safety is involved.  Its my job to make sure you go home safe so I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens.  If I upset a few people along the way.... so be it.  As long as I am doing the right thing then I am okay with that.

In this day in age, there is no excuse to not wear your seat belt.  We have the ability to look back at previous accidents and LODDs and learn from them.  We know that seat belts can prevent injuries and deaths in the event of a motor vehicle collision so we need to learn from that.  We need to honor those who died and learn from their mistakes.  Don't let them die in vain.  Oh yeah, one other thing IT'S THE LAW, SO WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT!!!!

Everyone Goes Home

Everyone Goes Home and the 16 Life Safety Initiatives are a program put forth by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to try and help reduce the number of line of duty deaths in the fire service.  The group at Iowa Firefighters Resource are trying to be out there on the ground and promoting and educating folks in the fire service about these initiatives.

Like with most topics or ideologies there are typically 3 groups of people...there are the people that buy into the idea and support it, there are they people that disagree or are against the idea and then there are those in the middle that are either indifferent or on the fence about the idea.  Obviously we want to gain support and buy in from all three groups and get 100% support for the movement.  Realistically, thats not always possible.  No matter what you do there are always going to be nay sayers that want to do nothing but disagree or argue with you.  Most times we are not going to change the minds of these folks.  I think we can make the most difference in the middle group.  We have a greater chance of bringing these folks on board and educating them in what we are about.  They probably don't have strong feelings either way so its usually easier to sway them.  Its like an election, most candidates know they aren't going to sway the folks in the other party so they focus a lot on the undecided voters.  Its typically the path of least resistance.  Why waste your time and effort to sway the folks that most likely won't be swayed.  It makes sense so why beat your head against the wall trying to change something that won't be changed.

With all that being said, I do want to get up on my soap box for minute and send a message to all the nay sayers that think Everyone Goes Home and the 16 Life Safety Initiatives are a waste of time.  How can you sit there and say that wanting to prevent LODDs is a waste of time.  How can you say that it is acceptable to average 100 LODDs each year.  I don't think it is acceptable to have any LODDs.  I am not naive, I know this is a dangerous job.  I am not saying we shouldn't go into buildings and fight fires.  I know we cannot eliminate all of the risks involved in a fire.  Being safety conscious does not mean you are a bad firefighter.  I think it is important to be a smart and aggressive firefighter but there is a difference between being aggressive and being dumb.  Not every fire is the same and not every fire warrants an aggressive interior attack.  You need to read the situation, read the building construction, the fire conditions and the smoke condition and then make a calculated decision on how to attack the fire.  Its not easy, this assessment needs to me made in a matter of seconds.  As an incident commander this is a tough task and a lot of responsibility falls on this person's shoulders.  There are a lot of arm chair incident commanders out there that want to second guess what you do.  You can't worry about that.  If you feel you made the right decision and you can back that up, then you made the right choice. There is no reason to unnecessarily commit crews and risk lives for a building that is already lost.  I couldn't live with myself knowing I sent someone into a building that was already gone and they were injured or killed.   I don't think I am less of a firefighter for thinking this way.  Lets take out the fire aspect of things and discuss responding to calls.  I see people who refuse to wear their seat belts or who are driving entirely too fast.  What good do you do if you cause or are involved in an accident on the way to the scene?  You do no good and in fact you created another issue that crews must now be committed to which can take away from the original incident.  Its stupid.  Not wearing a seatbelt is stupid.  First of all its the law, and second of all, maybe you should have taken the time to get dressed before you got in the truck.  Nobody can justify to me why it is okay to not wear a seatbelt.  If you think you can sway my thinking on this issue you better go find a brick wall because you will have better luck convincing the wall its okay.

Okay, I am down off my soapbox now.  I said my piece for you nay sayers.  I will go on way and continue to try and promote and educate firefighters about the 16 LSIs.  You all can have your opinions and can think the way you want to think but I believe in this mission and these initiatives and will do what I can to help prevent LODDs.  I know in my heart that at the end of the day, the mission I am on is the right mission for me.

Be safe and I hope you ALL go home safely at the end of the day.

Goals... Do you have any?

Recently I received some really good advice from a mentor.  We were talking about career aspirations and career goals.  The advice was simple, but maid a lot of sense... write your goals down.  It was a practice he had used for many years and he had completed all or nearly all of the goals he had ever written down.  There is something about the act of physically writing them down and having there in concrete terms that made them very real.  Like I said, its a simple notion but if you are really serious about your goals and achieving them, its an easy practice and I think you should consider it.

So lets talk a little more about goals.  Goals are a wonderful tool that you can use to keep yourself on track and keep yourself motivated.  Its a road map to get you want to go in your career.  The first thing you need to do is take some time and do a little soul searching.  Where do you want to go in your career or just in your life in general.  Once you figure out the end point you now know what your long term goal is.  Long term goals are typically goals that are the bigger plateaus in your career.  These are the bigger goals that take more time and work to achieve them.  When you decide what your long term goals are then you need to figure out what the steps are that will get you there.  These are your short term goals.  Short term goals are typically quicker and easier to achieve.  The completion of short term goals should lead you to completion of your long term goals.  An example of a long term goal would be obtaining a fire chief position.  Your short term goals would be goals that will enable to achieve this goal.  Examples of your short term goals could be a college degree or a company officer position.  The short term goals should be steps that will allow you to progress and work towards your long term goals.

I tend to be a dreamer and I really feel that you can do nearly anything you want if you work hard enough but there are some exceptions to that.  I know it is not reasonable to set a goal to be professional baseball player.  That's just not something that is in the cards for me.  The goals you set should be realistic and obtainable.  I'm not telling you to stymie yourself.  If you have a career path in mind... go for it just remember that it will take a lot of hard work and dedication but its not impossible.  Use your goals to set yourself up for success, not failure.  Make sure each goal you hit puts you a step closer to your long term goal.  Remember to set time frames on your goals and reassess them periodically.  If you are not meeting your goals then you need to sit down and analyze the situation and figure out why you are not meeting those goals.  Perhaps you set your goals too high or your passion has changed or you have had setbacks.  Whatever the case may be, don't give up.  Reassess and redirect yourself.

I decided to take the written goals a step further.  Not only am I going to write them down, but I am going to post them on this blog.  I figured it would add another level of accountability and motivation for myself.  Hopefully seeing my goals will help you with setting some of your own.  So here goes:

Long Term Goal
-To teach and lecture on a national level in the fire service.
-Bring Awareness and education nationally for LS Initiative 13 (mental health for firefighters).
-EFO designation- under consideration
-Master's Degree- under consideration


Medium to Long Term Goal
- Promotion to Lieutenant at my career department


Short Term Goals
-Have an article published in a national fire service periodical
-To teach and lecture on a state level in the fire service
-Obtain additional training in peer counseling, psychological first aid and CISD
-Attend NFA
-Develop a curriculum and on Firefighter Mental Health and present it at Fire School.
-The first step of this goal is to start with a 4 hr class
-The second step is to expand this into an 8 hr class
So here are my goals.  I feel like they are pretty reasonable.  My short term goals should set me up to achieve my long term goals.  I did add a couple of goals under the long term category that I am still considering.  I am not 100% sure on the EFO designation or the Master's Degree.  They are both something I have been considering but haven't committed to either yet.  They will take some further consideration and research.  I think that's okay though, they are things I certainly want to consider and I think by adding them to the list it keeps them on my radar.

Hopefully this post will help you set some goals of your own and I hope you achieve those goals as well.  Good luck and feel free to post some of your goals or thoughts in the comments.

Breaking Down the Stereotypes of Mental Health

When people describe firefighters they typically use adjectives like brave, strong, courageous and daring.  Conversely, when people describe people with mental health disorders they use adjectives like weak, crazy, and helpless.  While I feel that these are misguided stereotypes unfortunately there are still a lot people in this world that have negative thoughts about people with mental health disorders.  There is definitely a negative perception towards people who seek help in this area.  

Many people do not want to admit they have an issue because they are afraid of how they will be perceived.  What they don’t understand is how widespread mental health disorders are becoming.  The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 57.7 million or approx 26% of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder.  1 in 4 people with a mental disorder.  That number is staggering.  The American Cancer Society reports that that there is a 1 in 3 chance of developing cancer among Americans.  The number of Americans with heart disease in 2010 was 11.8%.  Mental health disorders are much more prevalent than most would like to admit.  The fact of the matter is we can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to mental health disorders.  We need to bring awareness to mental health disorders and we need to work to bring down the stereotypes and let people, especially firefighters, know that it is okay to admit they have a disorder and work to get them help to address the problem.

So what happens when a firefighter has a mental health disorder?  More than likely they try and ignore it.  Firefighters are strong and brave so they can’t show a weakness like having a disorder like anxiety or depression.  They don’t want their coworkers to think they can’t do the job or can’t be relied upon so they hide it.  God forbid that a firefighter be human and have vulnerabilities.  I suppose a person with depression can’t be a good firefighter.  I suppose a firefighter with anxiety is a liability to his or her crew in a fire.  This type of thinking is the problem and it creates a cycle that a person can’t get out of without help.  Consider this situation... a firefighter has anxiety.  They are afraid someone will think less of them if they seek help or admit to disorder so they hide it.  They suppress their feelings and emotions.  All this does is feed the disorder more and creates the opportunity for the disorder to worsen.  We have to stop the cycle.  We need to let people know that it is okay to have a mental disorder.  It doesn’t make someone less of a person if they have a mental disorder.  

The first thing we need to do is break down the stereotype.  Once we get through the stereotypes then we can work on getting people the help they need to manage these disorders.  But first things first, we need to show firefighters that it is okay to admit to having a mental disorder and that it is okay to seek help.  It doesn’t make someone a bad firefighter or less of a firefighter if they have a problem.  So how do we do this?  I feel like the first step is to show an example from the inside.  We need an advocate and role model so that other firefighters can see that it is possible to have a mental disorder and still be successful as a firefighter.  Let me introduce you to that advocate...its me.  I have battled depression and anxiety for pretty much all my life.  It wasn’t until about 10 years that I sought treatment for these disorders.  I have good days and bad days with anxiety and depression.  There were periods of time where I thought I could battle this disorder on my own without help.  Typically I failed miserably when trying to battle this disorder on my own.  Depression and anxiety are not disorders that you can battle on your own.  In my case I needed medication to help sustain my mood and I needed counseling to work through my issues.  It was difficult for to me to admit I couldn’t do it alone.  I am typically a pretty independent person and feel like I can solve most problems on my own.  Initially, I felt weak and I was less of a man because I had to take medication and go to counseling.  I wasn’t a firefighter when I was initially diagnosed with anxiety and depression but the disorders both reared their ugly heads about a year after I started full time.  I was dealing with several issues at the time and to be honest, had I not sought help my life would be much different today.  I would most likely be divorced and no longer employed as a firefighter.  I had become a shell of myself and I hated what I saw in the mirror everyday.  Through medication and counseling I was able to get the help I needed and get my life turned around.  It wasn’t easy and it didn’t happen over night.  It was a tough process and I think I have made it through the worst of it but their is always more work to do and more steps to take.

There it is, it is out there on the table.  I have depression and anxiety and I am a firefighter.  I have a successful full time career with what I believe to be a bright future with the department.  I am putting myself out there and telling my story in hopes that I can help others.  I want firefighters to know that its okay to have a mental disorder and that it doesn’t make you less of a firefighter if you do.  I want to help break down those stereotypes and I want do what I can to get other firefighters the help they need.  Learn from my mistakes.  I don’t want others to go through what I have gone through if they don’t have to.  Thats why I am writing this article and thats why I am a part of Iowa Firefighter Resources.  We are dedicated to helping Iowa Firefighters.  Life Safety Initiative 13 needs to be promoted and we need to make sure firefighters have access to the help they need.  Look for more in the upcoming months on this topic.  For more information follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IowaFirefighterResources or on twitter @LSInitiative13.  

Life Safety Initiative #3 Risk Management

The third Life Safety Initiative is risk management.  To me, this seems like a very easy one.  This should part of everything we do everyday.  There is so much inherent risk in everything we do that risk management should be a no-brainer but I have seen departments operate with what appears to be no real concern for the risk involved.  Honestly, that is one of the reasons why we continue to kill 100+ firefighters a year.

We face risks in life every single day.  Walking down the stairs, driving in our cars, responding to and from calls, and making entry into a burning building.  Nearly everything we do has some sort of risk.  We wear seat belts to try and minimize the risk of injury if we are involved in an accident.  We were gloves to try and limit exposures on EMS calls.  We wear turnout gear and SCBA's to try and minimize the risk we face on the fire ground.  Risk management is part of what we do.  Most of the time we don't even realize it.  To me its common sense, so why wouldn't your command staff, officers and firefighters use risk management when fighting fires?  Typically even the worst and most reckless incident commander uses some sort of risk management, it just may be that what they see as an "acceptable" risk maybe different than what you or I see as acceptable.  From the day I started in the fire service I have heard the saying "Risk a lot to save a lot, risk a little to save a little."  This is a simple and rudimentary way to exercise risk management but it is a starting point.  If there is a viable life to be saved inside a burning home then it is a risk worthy of sending firefighters in aggressively.  The issue comes when firefighters are being sent in to fully involved house fires where there is no chance of civilian survival.  We as firefighters, company officers and command staff need to be able to recognize the difference between an acceptable risk and an unacceptable risk.  In this day and age we should not be risking the lives of firefighters when there is nothing to save.  I know its not as much fun to fight a fire defensively and we all want to go inside and make the attack on a fire but seriously folks, if fire is in all rooms and on all floors and blowing out of the roof no one inside will survive.  Why would we risk our most precious resources in that situation?

We need to learn to be better risk managers.  Gone are the days when it was okay to rush into a fire with minimal turnout gear and no SCBA.  Fires are different, building construction is different.  Fires burn hotter and structures fail quicker.  We need to have a good working knowledge of fire behavior and building construction so we know what we are dealing with and so that we can properly assess the risks on the fire ground.  To make matters worse we are seeing less fires every year so we get less opportunities to practice.  This is where personal accountability and cultural change become key.  The fire service has changed.  While it is still considered a "blue collar" job we have to use some "white collar" thinking.  It is no longer acceptable to be uneducated brutes that rush into the fire no matter the cost.  Training and education are more important than they have ever been.  We need to be studying the types of structures in our first due area and then discussing what type of fires we might face.  Ordinary construction burns differently than light weight construction.  If you can't recognize the type of building you have on fire then how can you effectively fight it?  You can't.  A good risk manager will gather as much information as possible about the situation, assess the risks and then use the appropriate tactics to resolve the situation.  In order to assess the risks, you have to know what you are dealing with.  We need to be able to recognize the signs of building collapse.  We need to be able to recognize when a fire is approaching flashover.  Businesses study the markets and economy to determine what risks are involved, if they didn't then there stock holders would be upset when they make poor decisions and lose money.  Our business is firefighting and we should act the same way.  Our stock holders are our families and our tax payers.  We don't want to foolishly risk equipment at the cost of our tax payers and we certainly don't want to foolishly risk our firefighters at the expense of their families.  Honestly, we have far more at risk then any corporation.  I can handle telling someone I made a poor investment decision that resulted in a loss of $1 million dollars but I never want to tell a wife or a child that I made a poor decision that cost the life of their firefighter.  These are the things that we should be thinking of when we are making decisions on the fire ground.

To me risk management is not an option.  We must do it everyday and we must do it well.  We need to be able to assess the situation and make the proper decisions that will ensure all of our firefighters go home safely.  If your firefighters are not your number one priority then you need to reassess your risk management strategy.  Are you making the right decisions based on the risks involved?  Zero is the only acceptable number of casualties we can demand out of our risk managers.  I know things happen and we cannot always assure that no one will be injured or lost but we need to make darn sure that we are doing everything in our power to identify and control as many of the risks as we can.  We need to ensure that EVERYONE GOES HOME!!!!!

How Do You Cope?

We go on hundreds of calls a year and most of the time we run the call, deal with the situation and then move on but every once in a while something about a call really sticks with you.  This past week I had my first call that really got to me.

Over the past 5 years I have been on plenty of codes and dealt with many situations that most people would find down right disturbing.  While these calls were not easy to stomach none of the really stuck with me.  There were several factors in this recent call that really made it hard to stomach.  I think where I am in my life personally also played a factor in how this call impacted me as well.  We handled the call professionally and from a operational level the call ran very well.  All parties involved did what they needed to do and we held back the emotion in order to function and do what was best for the patient.  The situation that we dealt with is not one that I would wish upon anyone.  I think there are just things or situations that people should never have to be witness to and this is certainly one of those situations.  Once the call was over and we had time to reflect on what had happen is when the emotion came pouring in.  It seems like the emotions I felt hit the entire spectrum.  There was anger, sadness, fear, and frustration.  After a while, most of the emotions subsided and I was able to move on but there certainly was a bit of a hang over or numbness after the call.  It was hard to return to the station and know that I still had 18 hours left in my shift.  As the day went on, the emotions got better and I felt like I was getting back to normal.  The rest of the shift came and went like most days do.  I had some trouble sleeping at first because visions of the call kept filling my mind but eventually tiredness won out and I drifted off to sleep.  The thing that I was most surprised about was how I felt when I got home.  When I saw my wife, the emotions came flooding back and I found myself dealing with them all over again.  I certainly was not prepared for that at all.  Its now a few days post incident and some of the feelings are still there but the wounds don't feel as fresh.  In my mind though this is where the important work of coping really becomes a key.  Now that the initial pain and emotions have subsided, how am I going to move forward?

Many of us in the fire service like to put on that macho bravado and really give the appearance that we have ice running through our veins and are impervious to emotion.  There are some of us that really don't seem to be impacted by the calls we run but the majority of us don't fall into that category.  Most of us have a dark sense of humor and we joke with one another in a way that most people outside the fire service don't understand.  A lot of what we say to each other behind closed doors would appear mean and heartless to the outside world but for many of us its just how we cope.  We use insults and jokes as a thin veil for us to expel those negative emotions that get stirred up by an unsettling call.  Does it help, sure it does but it probably isn't the healthiest way to deal with things.

There was a time in this industry that the mention of a critical incident stress debriefing or speaking with a counselor would be seen as weak and unacceptable.  It seems as though the culture is beginning to shift a little bit though.  CISD and peer counseling are becoming more prevalent.  People are realizing that it is far healthier to talk through and address the feelings as opposed to just bottling them up and trying to hide from them.  We have so many more options available to us these days it is foolish not to take advantage of them.  Resources range from coworkers to supervisors to chaplains to counsellors.  I think it is really important for us to be proactive and work to resolve these issues as opposed to avoiding them.  Post traumatic stress is not just happening to soldiers coming back from war.  It is happening to our police officers and firefighters from exposure to some of the calls they go on throughout the course of their careers.  You shouldn't feel ashamed if you utilize one of these avenues to deal with the emotions.  If your arm was broken you would go to the doctor and get a cast.  If you are emotionally broken you seek treatment as well.  It doesn't mean your weak, it just means you want to deal with the emotions so that they don't come flooding back in the middle of a call.  There is no shame in that.

I am a very big proponent in CISD and peer counseling within the department.  It is an area that I have been trying to get further training so that I can be a resource to my co-workers.  It is certainly not healthy to just try and suppress all of the emotions you have inside, you need to take action to deal with these feelings. Most employers have EAPs (employee assistance program) that you can utilize.  If your employer doesn't, seek out a co-worker or a supervisor you trust and utilize them.  Just as it is important that we take care of ourselves physically, it is equally important that we take care of ourselves emotionally.  It just isn't healthy to go through life avoiding emotional trauma.   I hope that in the future if you run a call that impacts you that you seek help to deal with these emotions.

Life Safety Initiative #2 Accountability

Today's installment will be covering Life Safety Initiative #2 Accountability.  Initiative #2: Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service.  So what does this initiative mean to us.  Accountability is very important in the fire service and typically we do a very good job of accountability at fire incidents.  Where we seem to be lacking accountability is away from the fire scene back at the station and in our personal lives.  We will discuss our short comings in a minute but first lets talk about the areas where we do well with accountability.

In the fire service we use what is called the Incident Command System or ICS for short.  ICS is a system that was developed by wildland firefighters and then eventually adopted by the rest of the fire service.  ICS is a concept that helps define roles and responsibility and better establishes the chain of command.  Its intent is to provide a system where everyone uses like terminology and interoperability between multiple department and agency operations.  It can be used on large scale incidents or it can be scaled back and simplified to be used in routine incidents where only 1 or 2 companies are involved.  I won't go into ICS too in depth because honestly I could devote 20-30 blog posts to the topic and still only brush the surface of it.  One of the most important components of ICS is accountability.  In the fire service accountability is a key factor as it allows us to track our resources and know where all personnel and assets are at any given point in an incident.  If an incident goes south the incident commander can review the accountability board to determine what companies are assigned to what task and what everyone is doing.  It allows the incident commander to keep tabs on the entire incident.  If you look back at line of duty deaths you can see examples of where accountability has failed.  A catastrophic event during a fire incident is not time you want to find out that you have not kept track of where your personnel or assets are located.  We need to be ready for anything during a fire incident so using accountability well can save lives.

Where we need to improve our accountability is back at the station and off duty.  Health and safety are not always a high priority to firefighters away from the fire scene.  Some firefighters have a tendency to look at themselves as invincible so they don't always worry about taking care of themselves mentally or physically.  Its not uncommon to see over weight and out of shape firefighters at a firehouse.  For too many years eating healthy, exercising and preventative maintenance has not been a huge priority for firefighters.  We typically like to eat and almost every company has a firefighter that is a good cook and likes to feed their fellow firefighters.  We need to do a better job of taking care of ourselves.  With accountability we can take steps to improve our health and safety.  We need to start taking better care of ourselves.  Just like we work to prevent fires we need to work to prevent injuries and illness.

Accountability for health and safety starts at the top and goes all the way through to the bottom.  Everyone from the Chief to the rookie firefighter needs to buy in.  The department and all of its members need to promote safety and being healthy.  It is an attitude the department needs to embrace.  We need to be eating healthier, exercising and taking preventive measures with our health.  An easy way to get this started is by requiring annual physicals.  Yes there is cost involved to the department but  it gets the guys into the doctor at least one a year and allows for screenings of various ailments that wouldn't otherwise be caught without the physicals.  For career departments this can actually be forced upon you because many pension systems require yearly physicals for firefighters.  Many departments are installing fitness equipment in the stations and either encouraging or require firefighters to exercise while on duty.  Some department even go as far as to bring in wellness coaches and nutritionists to help promote health and safety within their department.  It is wonderful that departments are trying to promote health and safety but it can't stop there.  Firefighters need to promote health and safety and take personal accountability for themselves and their health.  Take time to workout at work if your department allows.  Don't just stop their, take care of yourself off duty as well.  Join a gym and exercise regularly or come into the station and workout on your off days.  Take care in what you are eating and how you are taking care of yourself.  This is personal accountability.

We work in a field that is strenuous both physically and mentally.  We are put into conditions that the body doesn't always like.  If you are over weight and out of shape you have a far higher likely hood of going down on a fire scene or having a cardiac event.  If this happens you could be putting your crew at risk as they may have to divert from their original assignment in order to rescue you from harm.  We live in a era where ignorance is a poor excuse for taking care of yourself.  The goal is for everyone to go home.  We practice our fire and EMS skills to ensure we are able to do our jobs well but it shouldn't stop there.  We need to take accountability for our health and safety and that means exercising and eating better.  This is not a job where you can get by being over weight and out of shape.  Take care of yourself so you can take care of the job.

Life Safety Initiative #1 Cultural Change

Over the next several posts, well 16 to be exact, I am going to be discussing the 16 life safety initiatives for the fire service.  The initiatives were put together by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation's Everyone Goes Home Program.  Information on the 16 initiatives can be found at www.lifesafteyinitiatives.com.  The Everyone Goes Home Program was developed to help prevent line of duty deaths and injuries within the fire service.  The 16 life safety initiatives were developed in 2004 and are intended to be the foundation for helping to reduce line of duty deaths.  The 16 initiatives are somewhat broad in nature but they are meant to be a starting point.  Each initiative gives a starting point for departments.  They are meant to get firefighters thinking and to expand upon them.  The fact that they are more vague allows each individual and each fire department to mold the initiatives to meet the needs of their department.  They are not a magic wand that can be waved to magically make these injuries and deaths go away but they are a foundation.

The first of the 16 life safety initiatives is cultural change.  Wow, that is a big one.  I don't think that it is a by coincidence or chance that this is the first initiative.  If your department has an unsafe culture or a culture resistant to change then none of the other 15 initiatives will be successful no matter how hard you work to implement them.  We all know the fire service can be resistive to change.  We are a culture with very deep roots and great pride.  Our history predates that of our government.  As you can imagine, with that much history and tradition it can be very difficult to affect change in the fire service.  I think there are some departments that wold fight fire without SCBA's or still wear 3/4 coats and roll-up boots if you would let them.  A common statement heard in a fire department is "that's the way we have always done it."  I love the history and tradition of the fire service but lets not be naive.  The fires we fight are not the same as the fires of old.  The world has changed and technology has evolved so we too must evolve.  We no long use steam engines pulled by a horse.  Why?  Because there is better technology available to us now.  Equipment has evolved so we evolved with it.  We must continue to evolve so we can keep up with the times.

Cultural change is the process of changing ones culture.  Pretty simple right?  Wrong.  Not only is the fire service made up of individuals from a very diverse background but the fire service is quite diverse as well.  Fire departments vary from city to city, state to state and region to region.  You could take a group of fire departments together from all over the country and it could literally seem like you were at a United Nations gathering.  Each department has its own identity and two neighboring departments could have values as different as night in day.  I'll even take it a step further... if you a take a department with multiple stations you will see individual personalities and values for each station.  Needless to say, cultural change is not as simple as making sweeping changes from one end of the country to the other.  Needless to say, each department will need to adapt these initiatives to meet the needs of their department.

So why is it difficult to affect change in the fire service.  As I mentioned earlier, the diversity and the history make it difficult to make changes but honestly its not really change that is the issue.  If you were bringing in the latest and greatest technology and using do-dads and whatchamacallits with all the cool bells and whistles it probably wouldn't be all that difficult.  The biggest resistance typically comes in regards to safety.  Are job is dangerous, there is inherent risk in what we do.  Many of us are macho.  In fact, many people think that they are indestructible!!  Why would you think that!?!  Just because we put on a navy blue shirt with a Maltese cross does not mean that we are super human.  I am pretty sure we bleed just the same as someone who is not a firefighter.  I am not saying we need to tip toe through this job in bubble wrap and be afraid of what might happen but come on, lets use some common sense.  If you look over the last 20 years the average number of line of duty deaths is around 100.  Some times its more, sometimes its less but typically it averages about 100.  Over the last 20 years we have also taken some pretty big steps as far as technology.  Trucks are safer, turnout gear is lighter and more heat resistive.  We have a lot more technology at our disposal that is supposed to make us safer yet we still average around 100 deaths a year.  Obviously there is a bigger issue at hand.  I think a lot of that is the BS idea that we are invincible.

How do we get our department to change its culture?  Cultural change will be easier in some departments than other.  Larger departments will take longer to get the change rolling than smaller ones just because of the sheer number of people on that department.  It will also depend on how extreme your department's culture is and how willing they are to have the "Courage to be Safe."  So how do it then.  The biggest key is to be an advocate for change.  Lead by example.  Promote the new ideas, don't shoot them down.  Believe it or not, peer pressure works in this situation.  Trust me, firefighters are good at peer pressure.  If someone is not conforming to the values or culture of the shift or department, most times the others on that shift or in that department will pressure the non-conformer until they change.  Change can and will happen in your department you just have to be patient.  You may have to chip away bit by bit but it will happen.  Find your allies and get them on board, your strength is in numbers.  Hopefully your administration is on board because the chief's backing can be a huge help.

Cultural change will not be easy.  It will probably be one of the toughest tasks in making your department safer but you can't give up.  If these initiatives are really important to you then you must have the resolve to push forward.  It may take months and it may even take years but stay the course and work to promote the safety your department deserves.

St Florian

It’s time again for another installment of history and tradition of the fire service.  So far we have discussed the Maltese cross and the Shamrock.  These two images have great meaning and are widely found in the fire service.  This month’s topic is also well known in the fire service and I would bet that you could walk into almost any firehouse in the country and find someone wearing or carrying the image of St Florian.  St Florian is a Christian saint and is the patron saint of Linz, Austria, chimney sweeps and firefighters.  A patron saint is a saint or angel who is chosen as a special guardian or protector over areas of life.  These areas can range from occupations, illnesses or really anything that is important to us.  Typically patron saints are chosen by the Pope and they are usually chosen because of an interest, talent or event in their lives that overlaps with a special area.  While there are a couple other saints that are associated with fire and fire prevention, St Florian is the most widely known in regards to firefighting.  If you look at a fire catalog or website it is not difficult to find items carrying the image of St Florian available for purchase. 

So why is St Florian the patron saint of firefighters?  Florian was an officer in the Roman army in the 3^rd century.  Florian had converted to Christianity but had kept it a secret until he was ordered to kill a group of Christians during the persecutions of Diocletian.  Florian refused to follow the order and professed his faith.  Once it was known that Florian was a Christian he was ordered to be put to death.  Typically during this time people were put to death by fire.  This did not scare Florian as he challenged the Roman soldiers to light the fire, saying “If you do, I will climb to heaven on the flames.”  So instead of burning him to death, the soldiers beat him, set him on fire, and tied a stone around his neck and threw him in the river.  Because he was not afraid to die by fire, St Florian became the patron saint of firefighters.  St Florian is also known for stopping a fire with a single pitcher of water thus adding to his connection to firefighters.  St Florian is considered a powerful protector in danger from fire, and floods and against drowning.

Whether you are a spiritual or religious individual or not St Florian is deeply rooted in the history of the fire service.  Like a lot people, I tend to be a little bit superstitious.  I wear a St Florian medallion every day.  Do I think it is going to save me from a fire? No, I don’t but I like what it stands for and I like to think there is someone watching over us when we go to work.  Whether it is St Florian, or a lucky penny or some other keepsake someone carries, I don’t really think it matters.  I think it is the meaning or personal connection to that item that really matters.  If it makes you feel safer in a fire, or closer to your family when you are away, then carrying that item is great.  Sometimes it is the little things that make some of the terrible things we see in this job more bearable.   It is for that reason that you see so many firefighters carrying items that bear St Florian’s image.  St Florian is forever rooted in the traditions of the fire service.  May he watch over and protect us all.

Family Support

This morning I read an article titled "Adaptability: A Necessary Quality For the Firefighter Spouse" by Anne Gagliano.  Anne is a firefighter's wife and in her article she talks about how being adaptable has enabled her marriage to be successful.  Its a great article and I highly recommend reading it.  After reading the article it got me thinking about my wife, our marriage and what she means to me.  With that being said, I want to dedicate this post to my beautiful and awesome wife Samantha.  This ones for you Sam!!

Firefighting is a crazy job, our hours are hectic and many times our families are left to fend for themselves as we head off to work for 24 hours at a time.  Volunteer firefighter's families experience similar frustration as it seems like the pager goes off at the most inopportune time...during dinner, Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Needless to say this job can be stressful on a family.  Thats why its important to have strong family support and a strong relationship.

When I go off to work each day my most important goal is to get back home the next day and see my wife.  I have a big family, a lot of friends all of which I care about very much but at the end of the day the driving factor for me is my wife.  I am very lucky in the fact that I have a very awesome wife.  She is truly my best friend and she has stood by me and supported me through my toughest times.  In her defense though, I don't think she truly understood what she was getting into when I joined the fire department.  I started as a paid on call firefighter so I was on call every third night.  It seems like the pager would always go off at the most inopportune time.  While I am sure my wife was frustrated most of those times, she new it was something I loved and she supported me.  Now I am a career firefighter every third day I am gone for 24 hours at a time.  I know its hard on my wife but again, she knows how much I love the job so she supports me.  I am sure there are times she worries about me while I am at work or is afraid that I might not come home but she is strong and doesn't let that concern show.  She is an amazing women and an amazing wife and an amazing friend.

The article than Anne wrote talks about adaptability and the need for firefighter's spouses to exhibit that quality.  I think it is also important for the firefighter to be adaptable as well.  I am not talking about on the fire ground or in the fire house,  I am talking about at home and with the family.  Once I became a firefighter, I was instantly in love with the job.  I wanted to spend every opportunity I could at the fire house.  Unfortunately I focused on being a firefighter too much and ended up putting the fire department before my wife.  I wasn't being adaptable.  I was expecting her to adapt to the department and my needs but I wasn't willing to adapt to her needs and wants.  That absolutely wasn't fair to her.  She deserved much more than that from me.  It took time and hardship but eventually I realized what my true priorities were in my life.  Once I refocused my life and reset my priorities things definitely got better.  My wife still has to be adaptable but I am trying to be more adaptable as well.  Despite my hectic schedule I try and prioritize my time at home with my wife.

What it really comes down to is this.  We all have people in our lives that support us.  When we go off to work for a day, they carry on with their lives.  They take the kids to school or to games while we are gone.  In my eyes, my wife is truly my biggest hero.  She doesn't complain when I have to work weekends or holidays or if I have to work overtime or whatever the situation may be.  She listens to me yap on and on about different fire stuff even though most times I think she could care less.  She is my test audience for my presentations and provides me feedback to help make me better.  She is truly awesome and the best wife a guy could ask for.  Her support is amazing and without her I would be lost.  I think every firefighter should be lucky enough to have a support system like I do.

Wildland Firefighting

With what seems like all of the state of Colorado on fire right now I wanted to dedicate this post to the brave men and women who are out west battling those wild fires right now.  I certainly would not want to be in their shoes right now.

I have fought grass fires in my career but the thought of going up against a blaze that has consumed hundred and hundreds of acres is downright intimidating.  The biggest grass fire I have ever battled was maybe 40 to 80 acres.  Thankfully there was a farmer near by with a disc and he was able to create a nice fire stop for us.  That made our jobs a lot easier that day.  Right now there are countless firefighters gearing up with not much more than axes, saws and Pulaski tools and hiking in to battle this raging wild fire.  That just amazes me.  The task at hand is very daunting to say the least.  I don't know how they do it.

Typical gear of a wildland firefighter

I have a very limited knowledge of wildland firefighting and the tactics they use.  We learned about wildland firefighting in FFI but it was very limited to say the least.  That basic knowledge and the experience I have fighting grass fires is really all I can draw on to try and envision what they are going through.  Firefighting, whether it is structural or wildland, is very physically demanding.  In fact, it is really very difficult to compare the two since the two tasks are so different and that really isn't the point of this post.  These men and women can be gone for weeks at a time fighting these fires.  They are out there with nothing more than what they packed in with them. They battle huge fires that can change directions as quickly as the wind does.  These men and women are busy digging fire stops, cutting trees and doing what ever they can to slow the blaze down.  Its tough work and they need to be recognized for the job they are doing.  Seeing pictures of the current wild fire with 30 and 40 feet tall flames is incredible.

These people do a truly amazing job.  I have heard that wildland firefighters think structural firefighters are crazy for going into a burning building and I think that most structural firefighters think the same about wildland firefighters.  We each have our specialty and we respect the other group for what they do.  We may fight different types of fire but at the end of the day we are all firefighters and because of that they are my brothers and sisters.  They have done a tremendous job with the task at hand and I wish them all the best!

Public Perception

We all know that public employees are under scrutiny and getting beat up by the public in the current economic environment.  They see us as lazy and overpaid.  They think our pensions are unfair and that we do nothing but sit around and watch TV all day.  We know this is not a fair judgement of what we do and obviously we want to change that perception.  We know it is our job to get out there on the streets and work to change the public perception of what we do.  Before you go running to the next block party or PR event let me ask you this.... What is your perception of the public?

Why am I asking you this question and why is it important?  Well lets think about it for a second.  We know one of the ways to build a better image of ourselves is to be out in the public and work to garner their support.  This is a sure fire plan right?  Wrong...  I am not telling you that public involvement is a bad idea or that it isn't the right idea but I want you to think about a few things before you do it.  There are a lot of things you need to consider such as the demographics of your response area.  What is the average age, what is the median income, what is the percentage of residential vs commercial properties. The list goes on and on but my point is, just like you review your 1st due area for the types of fires you will have to fight you need to size up your residents before you launch your PR campaign.  Plan your events around those demographics.  Blood pressure checks for seniors are not going to go over very well if you have no seniors in your area you know what I mean?

One last thing I want to touch on is this.  What is your personal attitude towards PR events and what is your perception of the public in your area.  Do you do PR events because you have to or do you get excited about them?  What do you think of the public you serve?  Are they merely patients and residents or do you feel part of the community.  Do you genuinely want to provide a service and help these people or are they just another run?  These are things you need to think about before you go out and do a PR event.  If you go into these events with a negative perception or a negative attitude you may win some people over but your results won't be as good as they could be.  I know that it can get tedious at times going to all the different PR events but we can't let that show when we are out in the public.  Go out there and have fun.  Try to provide PR that is value added.  Look at this not as volunteering your time but rather as an investment into the future of your department.  It truly is an investment.  The more support and allies you can generate the better.  If there is ever a situation were cuts are being considered these allies will come to your aid and help fight for your department.  If they feel you are a part of their community and you have put in the time to build those relationships they will show up and they will show up in droves.  They will stand beside you and fight to protect your department.  Trust me, it works.  We just have to put in the time and effort to build those relationships and let the public know what we are really about.

The Shamrock

Are you ready for a little more fire service history and tradition?  I have already talked about the Maltese Cross.  There is another symbol that is seen quite often in the fire service--the shamrock.  Did you ever wonder why the shamrock is so prevalent in the fire service?  The present day fire service is home to Emerald Societies, the bagpipers and many big city rosters are full of Irish surnames.  Is it a coincidence or is there more to the story?

In 1845 the Great Potato Famine struck Ireland and led to mass immigration of the Irish into America.  During the famine years, nearly a million Irish arrived in America.  As you may know, the Irish settlers were not exactly welcomed to the US.  Many of the settlers were mocked and faced hard times in America.  During this period there were a limited number of unskilled jobs available and many Americans were worried that the Irish immigrants would be willing to work for lower wages and undercut them for jobs.  This led to an increase in anti-Irish sentiment in cities like New York and Boston.  Many employers posted “No Irish Need Apply” signs to keep these unwanted guests from taking American jobs.  The only jobs these Irish immigrants could get were the dirty and dangerous civil service jobs that no one else wanted.  As a result many Irish immigrants became firefighters and police officers.

As the Irish-American presence in the fire service grew, they began to affix images of the shamrock to their apparatus and uniforms as a way to show their Irish pride.  The shamrock also became a subtle message to their fellow Irishmen that the fire service was a place where they would not be discriminated against.  Through the years, the number of Irish-Americans in the fire service continued to grow and the shamrock became another image synonymous with the fire service.  It is not uncommon to see shamrock decals on helmets, trucks or incorporated into company logos.  As I mentioned last month, the Brooklyn Fire Department’s badge was a shamrock up until the Brooklyn and New York Fire Departments merged.

As the Irish population took hold in the fire service, so did the Irish culture and tradition.  Like the shamrock, the bagpipe was another Irish tradition that took root in the fire service culture.  The bagpipes were often played at Celtic weddings and funerals, so naturally this tradition carried over to the fire service.  The pipes and drums are now a staple of many fire service ceremonies and honor guards.

Another group that emerged with the increase in Irish-Americans in the fire service are Emerald Societies.  Emerald Societies are social organizations created to promote the fraternal spirit of firefighters of Irish ancestry.  Emerald Societies typically work to celebrate the Irish heritage and provide a positive influence in the communities where their members serve.

  The fire service provided an opportunity for many of these immigrants to seek work and make a difference.  The different cultures brought many of their cultural traditions with them and they became staples of fire service tradition.  When you see a shamrock on a helmet or the bagpipers perform at a ceremony, take a minute to reflect on where those traditions came from.  Having some Irish heritage in my family tree myself, it makes me proud to know that my brothers before me opened their doors and offered opportunities to the Irish immigrants that could not find work anywhere else.  Carry these traditions forward with pride, and honor those who came before us.

Leadership

Leadership, wow that's is a big broad topic.  I could throw various definitions of leadership at you, but what is the point, if you want the dictionary definition its not hard to find.  Let me give you my definition of leadership.  A leader is someone who is able to motivate others to complete a common goal.  I like this definition because it is simple and to the point.  A leader gets people to get things done.  

Of course with almost anything you have good and bad.  Leadership is no different, you will find good leaders and bad leaders.  You will find leaders that fall anywhere within that spectrum.  So what makes a good leader?  Again, that is a broad question.  You could ask a million people and get a million different answers.  Since I am writing this, I will tell you what I think makes a good leader.  I think a good leader gets people to complete the common goal but by doing that in a way that is neither misguided or manipulative.  A leader should embody the mission and values of the organization they represent.  You have to have continuity from top to bottom.  You could be a great motivator but if you are guiding people on a mission that contradicts that of the organization are you really being a good leader?  I say no.  Leaders need to be strong and confident on the exterior.  You may be scared as hell on the inside but the minute you let that show, your people will pick up on it right away.  A leader needs to be able to think quickly and react to situations as they change.  You can't second guess yourself and you can't hesitate.  As a leader you have to be confident in your decisions and stick to them.  Once you start to second guess yourself the people you are trying to lead will begin to question you.  I also think a good leader needs to be able to take chances.  Let me rephrase that, a good leader needs to be able to take calculated risks.  There are some situations where a clear answer may not be available, a good leader will assess the situation and may need to take a calculated risk to get the job done.  A good leader has to be able to motivate, diffuse tense situations, promote morale among the group.  You should be able to coach and mentor your group as well.  A good leader sees those around him and does not try and hold them back.  They need to recognize the strengths of their people and allow them to utilize those strengths.  You should want those who follow you to succeed and excel, it will only reflect well on you as a leader.

So what makes a bad leader?  Oh wow, I could probably go on on about this topic but I will spare you from that soapbox.  I have been around the block a time or two so I have seen good leaders and bad leaders.  I have worked for my fair share of bad leaders.  Working for a bad leader is beyond frustrating.  The easy definition of a bad leader is to read the last paragraph and just think of the opposite of those traits.  Bad leaders seem to suck the morale out a group.  They can make you feel incompetent and like your opinion doesn't matter.  They seem to stifle your ability at every turn.  Bad leaders tend put their motives in front of those of the group.  Bad leaders "pass the blame and accept the praise!"  This quote is just a play on the leadership axiom "pass the praise and accept the blame" but it really is true.  Bad leaders accept the praise for the groups efforts but seem to do everything than can to avoid the blame if the group fails.  That is not what being a leader is about.

So where am I going with this?  To be honest I have started this paragraph 3 times now and have finally settled on a direction.  I want to describe what I like to see in an informal leader in the fire service.  An informal leader is the leader in the company that is not promoted to a leadership position.  Those are your formal leaders that are promoted to leadership positions such as Lieutenant, Captain and Chief.  An informal leader is not promoted but has earned the respect of the crew and helps promote the mission of the formal leader.  A good informal leader starts by leading by example.  They get out there and get the job done and follow the policies and guidelines of the department.  They do things thoroughly and do things right.  They set the example for the crew.    A good informal leader also needs to be a vocal leader to an extent.  They don't necessarily bark orders or verbally direct the crew but they need to be able to speak up when needed.  If they see something happening that does not fit the mission they need to speak up.  If there are questions or concerns amongst the crew they speak up.  If they have built the trust of their crew they can become that crew's voice if need be.  As an informal leader you need to have the guts to speak up.  You may have to call someone out if they are slacking or if their behavior is inappropriate.  Its a tough thing to do but as a leader there will be times you have to make the tough decision.  People may not like it but if you speak up in the right way and do what is best for the crew, people will respect that.  

Leadership is a must have quality in the fire service.  We are a para-military organization so rank structure is key and people will be formally placed in a leadership role.  These people are key to the success of the department but an informal leader can have an even bigger impact on the department.  If you have good informal leaders amongst the crews you will have a successful department.  They will set the tone for the crews.  They will lead by example and they will speak up when needed.  They take the rookies under their wings and make sure they have the knowledge to be successful.  Even if your department has good formal leaders they may still struggle without the presence of a good informal leader.  If you have good formal leaders and good informal leaders together they will make your department great.  Their teamwork will make crews that much better.  It is certainly a winning combination.

 

 

 

Why are you a firefighter?

In my last post I told you the reasons why I am a firefighter.  Now, let me ask you why you are a firefighter.  What called you to this profession.  What drives your passion for being a firefighter.  Lets take that one step further, do you have a passion for this job?  Are you in this job for the right reasons.

Let me step up on my soap box for a second if I may.  Nothing frustrates me more than seeing someone in this job for the wrong reasons.  They are typically pretty easy to spot.  They are the ones that have more lights on their personal vehicle than we have on our trucks. They wear the t-shirts with the cheesy cliches.  Typically they are a walking billboard that says "Look at me!! I'm a firefighter!!!"  Not all of the folks that fit this description are in this job for the wrong reasons.  Some people like that stuff and that is fine for them but I wonder if they realize that whether they mean to or not their actions influence the public perception of the fire service as a whole.  The people I am describing are the ones that want to be noticed and want people to think they are cool because they are a firefighter.  They want to be seen in the firefighter t-shirt and be seen riding around in a fire truck.  Their reason for being a firefighter is for their own personal glory.  They are not in the fire service to help the public in which we serve.  These people drive me nuts.  From my experience they don't take the job seriously.  They don't want to train or do the "grunt" work.  They want to look cool and they want the glory without putting in the work.  These people have no idea about the tradition of the fire department and what being a fire fighter truly means.  They typically have no pride in their department or their job, they are there for selfish reasons.  

So why are these people bad.  Well they can certainly give your department a negative image if you are not careful.  People see them speeding to the fire station or to calls, running red lights and swerving through traffic.  The public sees this and assumes that all firefighters are like this.  Its not a good image for firefighters.  They can also be a liability on the fire ground.  Never mind the fact they drove erratically to get to the call, you also haven't seen them at training for the past 3 months.  Is that the person you want going in on the line with you?  Do you want to depend them to pull you out of a burning building should something happen to you?  I certainly don't.  I want my partner to be the guy who has been at training and who has taken the time to hone his skills and become the best they can be.  I want to be surrounded by firefighters who have pride in their job, their department and their community.  They want to provide the best possible service to the public that they can, after all that is why we are here.

I am not trying to be "holier than thou" here but I care about the fire service and those that worked so hard before me to make this the greatest job in the world.  I am just a regular Joe who takes pride in his job and loves the fire service.  I don't want to villainize these people but I don't want to make excuses for them either.  Some of them may not know anything different, that just might be the culture of their department.  I have a couple of challenges for you.  First of all, take a look at yourself and ask yourself why are you here.  Why are you a firefighter?  Are you here for the right reasons?  Second, if you have these types of people on your department... do something about it.  I am not saying treat them poorly or run them out.  Instead, I want you to challenge them, teach them the traditions of the fire service.  Lead by example.  Show them how to be a firefighter for the right reasons.  Help them become the type of fire fighter your department needs.  It may take weeks, months or years but if you truly care about your department it will be worth it.

Why We Fight

The title of this post comes from the title of an episode of Band of Brothers with the same title.  In that episode Easy Company has advanced into Germany and they discover a concentration camp for the first time.  The episode is aptly named because Easy Company gets to see first hand some of the terrible things the Nazis have done and why the rest of the world is fighting to stop them.  The moment they discover the concentration camp, those soldiers truly realize the reason they have been fighting all that time.  So how does this apply to firefighting?  Well I have had several moments where I realized why I truly am a firefighter and why I feel I am called to do this job.

So why am I a firefighter?  There are several reasons that draw me to this job.  The money is certainly not one of those reasons.  I get paid well for what I do but this job is never going to make me rich.  I had a fairly lucrative job in the private sector and I took a fairly significant pay cut to become a professional firefighter.  I wasn't happy sitting behind a desk day in and day out after about 10 years of trying to find my calling I realized that a healthy paycheck did not make up for all the frustrations I had in those jobs.  So, I took a chance and decided to pursue the job I love.  After a couple years of applying and testing for every job I could I was lucky enough to land a full time firefighting job.  There has not been a day I haven't been excited about going to work since.

What is it about this job that many of us love?  First of all, the job changes every day.  Certainly there are routines we get into and tasks we do every shift but every day is a little bit different and you start the shift not quite knowing what the day will hold.  I love being able to work with my hands and work with people.  I get to spend a lot of my day outside and not cooped up in an office.  But the two major reasons for my love of this job is getting to help people and being able to be part of the fire service family.

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to make a difference in people's life.  In high school I was a life guard.  My intent going into college to be a doctor so that I could help people.  Throughout college my career path changed and I ended up going into the business field.  The entire time I was in the business field there was still that desire to help people.  I wanted to get involved with the fire service as a volunteer but I continually found myself either working too many hours to volunteer at a fire department or living in a city that did not offer volunteer opportunities.  Once I got the opportunity to join the fire service I jumped at it.  Through that opportunity I was able to make an impact in people's lives.  Typically when someone calls 911 they are having their worst day.  We as firefighters have the opportunity to come in and do what ever we can to help them.  Whether it is fighting a fire, responding to a car accident or providing EMS care we can make a difference for those folks.  To be honest there is not really one call that sticks out that solidified my love for this job.  I have run hundreds of calls since I got started and each one has had an impact in one way or another.  I have been to fires where families have lost everything and codes where the patient didn't make it and each time it breaks my heart.  Something inside me knows that we can't save them all and each loss drives me to do better the next time.  With each call I run I have the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life.  It can be as minor as bandaging a cut or as major as a working structure fire or CPR in progress.  Whether the call is minor or major I treat them the same and do my best to help those people in need.  I get to see tangible results of the impact I made.  In the business field often times I really didn't get to see the fruits of my labor and often times it seemed that my hard work only resulted in more money in some big wig's pocket.  I will take the former over the latter any day.

The final reason for my love for the fire department is the fire service family itself.  The fire service is truly a large family.  Its called the brotherhood for a reason.  We are brothers and sisters and have to trust one another unconditionally.  In my full time job I work a 24 hour shift every third day so I literally spend 1/3 of my life with the guys I work with.  We live together in the firehouse for 24 hours at a time.  For that 24 hours these guys are my family.  They have my back and I have theirs.  We eat meals together, we hang out together in the evenings during our down time.  There are good days and bad days.  Guys get frustrated with each other and at times we have to diffuse situations just like any family would.  Outside of the firehouse we are still family.  Often times our families get together and spend time.  We help each other out.  If one of our brothers needs help painting his house, we show up with pain brush in hand.  If they need help moving, we show up with our trucks.  We have each other's backs whether we are at work or whether we are at home.  Its been that way for a hundred years and it will be that way for a hundred more.  Lets take it one step further, I have heard stories of union brothers traveling across the country for a family emergency and union brothers from another state who have never met this individual in their life show up at the airport to meet this guy and take him in like they have known him their whole life.  They provide transportation, shelter and do whatever they can to help a fellow firefighter out.  Each fire department is a family and those small families make up the entire fire service family as a whole.  It is truly amazing to see what people will do to help one another simply because we work in the same profession.  You don't tend to see that out of people who work in other industries.  That doesn't mean those people are bad, they just don't have that universal connection like we do in the fire service.

Saving a house, extricating someone from a car accident, helping someone who is having a heart attack... these are the reasons "Why We Fight."  We don't do it for the glory or the recognition, we do it because we love this job and we love helping people.  I love my job and I truly feel blessed to be able to call myself a firefighter.  I get the opportunity to live my dream every third day and I take great pride in that.  I truly have the best job in the world. 

History and Traditions

This past summer I had the chance to attend a class called “Pride and Ownership” taught by Chief Rick Lasky of Lewisville, Texas.  I am sure many of you have heard of it and if you get the chance, I recommend attending.  It’s a great class centered on building pride and tradition in your department.  The history and tradition of the fire service is one of the greatest assets of this job and Chief Lasky talks a great deal about these aspects of the fire service during this class.

As members of the fire service family it is our responsibility to take what we have learned and pass it on the next generation.  We have the ability to take a look back at all the great and tragic events that have happened over the past years and learn from them.  If we don’t pass the information along, who will?  10 years ago, the FDNY lost nearly 4400 combined years of service when the towers came down.  So much knowledge and information was lost on that day.  This post will be focused on a piece of history and tradition of the fire service.  Many of us wear the Maltese cross on our uniforms every day but do we know the meaning and history behind it?

The Maltese cross is named after the island of Malta which was the home of the Knights of St John.  The Knights of St John wore the Cross of Calvary (later to be known as the Maltese cross) on their armor so they could recognize one another during battle.  How does this tie into the fire service?  During the crusades it was not uncommon for armies to use fire as a weapon.  The Knights of St John were known for risking their own lives to save another knight or extinguish a fire.  They were also known as Hospitallers because they were known for their care of the sick and wounded.  The Knights of St John are considered by most as the first firefighters.  Combining the fact that they took great care of the sick and wounded and with the great pride and honor they took in their work, the Maltese cross became a very fitting symbol for the fire service.  I am sure that many of you have heard this story before.  It is widely known throughout the fire where the Maltese cross originated but let me take it a step further.  Who was the first fire department to use the Maltese cross as their symbol?  The FDNY adopted the Maltese cross in 1865.  In 1882 Brooklyn changed their badges from a four-leaf clover to the Maltese cross.  We will talk about the four-leaf clover and its ties to the fire service in greater detail in a future installment. 

It is important to understand the history and tradition of the fire service.  Think of this quote by Charles Williams “In order to move forward into the future, you need to know where you’ve been.”  He couldn’t have said it any better.  This is our fire service and our fire department and it is up to us move it forward into the future.  In order to do so we need to know where we came from and the history behind why we do the things we do.  When someone asks you why we wear the Maltese cross or why we strike the 4 5’s at a funeral it is not acceptable to reply “because that’s what we have always done.”  I love the history and tradition of the fire service.  They are a couple of the characteristics of this job that makes it so great.  We are the shepherds of this fire department and ultimately we will determine its path in the future, but to truly guide this department forward, we have to embrace our history and tradition and take it with us.   Part of our job as a firefighter is take what we have learned and pass it on to the next guy. 

Stay safe!!