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Tradition? Honor? This is for the "new" guys!
My name is Kevin O'Brien and will not hide behind anything or anyone about being a Firefighter!
Where has it gone? Our spirit, tradition and honor! Too many young kids on the job forget what is important. Is it beacuse our lives are too busy? Perhaps!
I worked in the FDNY from 1981 and retired 2002. I have seen so many things. It made me strong in many ways and also made me weak. I learned from the past by paying attention to the "senior" members and so should you! Our history is your guidline to your future. Pay attention!
The days leading up to 9-11-2001 taught me many things. Being a Firefighter is not a job, it's a vocation, a calling if you don't mind. It is a LIFE. We marry , have chrildren but being a Firefighter is almost as important. BROTHERHOOD!
Being a Firefighter from whatever city or whatever town does NOT stop you from being involved. I say this now because so many have forgotten. Not only 9-11, but the firefighters who die each year..every year! This is our job to peserve the memory and honor of these people. OUR CALLING!
I run a golf outing in Myrtle Beach for the memory of NOT those who have died but the spirit of the Firefighters who stood up and came to our side. They helped our families, went to funerals and stood at our memorials! They were/are the key of our being. Come see how a group of people can stand as one. May 16 - 20, 2010 Look at fdnygolf.com for all the info.
Even if you can not attend. Remember one thing! TRADITION
NEVER FORGET............ANYONE!
KOB
Where has it gone? Our spirit, tradition and honor! Too many young kids on the job forget what is important. Is it beacuse our lives are too busy? Perhaps!
I worked in the FDNY from 1981 and retired 2002. I have seen so many things. It made me strong in many ways and also made me weak. I learned from the past by paying attention to the "senior" members and so should you! Our history is your guidline to your future. Pay attention!
The days leading up to 9-11-2001 taught me many things. Being a Firefighter is not a job, it's a vocation, a calling if you don't mind. It is a LIFE. We marry , have chrildren but being a Firefighter is almost as important. BROTHERHOOD!
Being a Firefighter from whatever city or whatever town does NOT stop you from being involved. I say this now because so many have forgotten. Not only 9-11, but the firefighters who die each year..every year! This is our job to peserve the memory and honor of these people. OUR CALLING!
I run a golf outing in Myrtle Beach for the memory of NOT those who have died but the spirit of the Firefighters who stood up and came to our side. They helped our families, went to funerals and stood at our memorials! They were/are the key of our being. Come see how a group of people can stand as one. May 16 - 20, 2010 Look at fdnygolf.com for all the info.
Even if you can not attend. Remember one thing! TRADITION
NEVER FORGET............ANYONE!
KOB
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Marvin Hawk on
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Hope you don't mind the modification?
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sky with clouds 9-11.JPG, 47 KB
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Permalink Reply by Steve Kidd on
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I wrote this on the day I retired, in hopes that recruits could gain from the self assessment described below:
Are You Worthy?
Fighting fire is physical, often grueling, and mental, often humbling; you need strength, stamina, and education to accomplish the goal safely.
Fighting fire is a craft; you need training and practice with the tools of the trade so you can employ them to accomplish the goal efficiently.
Fighting fire is an expression of living art, fostered by a cumulative sum of experience; you need experience – lots of experience, to attain the goal of adding your contribution to that work in progress called the Fire Service.
Fighting fire is an act of altruism; you need a generous heart to attend to the needs of others, with disregard of your personal comfort and opinion, to accomplish the goal with compassion.
Fighting fire is the ultimate display of passion. It is passion that makes us demand the most of ourselves; to do a better job each time we face the challenge.
Are you worthy?
If your goal is to be a hero, don’t enter the classroom, don’t touch the tools, don’t waste the instructor’s time; you will only siphon the team’s energy and spirit.
If your goal is a medal on your chest... You aren’t worthy.
If your goal is to be thrilled by danger don’t waste the public’s trust, don’t attempt to join those who serve with humility. Don’t disrespect those who have fallen on your behalf.
If you are reckless... You aren’t worthy.
If your goal is to follow a predictable and orderly path through life, don’t waste the valuable experience one gains while helping others through chaos; experience better appreciated by someone more adaptable. You will only become confused and in the way.
If you are inflexible... You aren’t worthy.
If your goal is fame or wealth, you will be disappointed and feel empty; don’t waste a position more valuable than any worldly possession or accolade, a position in my Fire Service would be better served by someone less selfish.
If you are arrogant... You aren’t worthy.
The goals of those worthy are simple. To serve, to help, and to comfort. To preserve, to experience, and to teach. To restore order, to protect the lives of others, and to live your life with honor.
The goal is to be a Firefighter.
Are you worthy?
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Permalink Reply by ALAN BARBEAU on
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perfectly spoken
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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I don't think the youth of today are the primary reason for the slow loss of tradition. Every generation is convinced that this generation is going to hell in a handbasket. A better question is what are we (the senior members) doing to encourage the young blokes. A long apprenticeship of "pointless" tasks is a difficult sell to a volunteer. Are the senior guys supporting the newbies? Helping them learn? Answering all of their "dumb" questions for the 10th time? Is everyone being abused (and encouraged) equally?
We all agree that the fire service is a wonderful place to do something useful and give something back. I think a lot of us define who we are through our chosen avocation. How do we sell that love and joy to the younger guys? Can we get them to keep the faith and see that it is all worthwhile?
Yes we can! We just need to make sure that the encouragement and support becomes a tradition as well!
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Permalink Reply by Russ on
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9-11 has made murder victims out of all of us and the killers are still at large. I lost 4 friends. Whenever i think about what you have written about and its a good topic to start the year with, i thought about my nephew that enlisted in the Navy just after 9-11 and was stationed on the USS George Washington as a green shirt. our family threw him a going away party and i told him i wished i was going with him because i lost 4 friends on 9-11. He said something that i will never forget, "don't wory uncle russ, i'll get them for you" He asked me for the names of my friends and i gave them to him. weeks later i recieved an email from him. it was a picture of him next to an F-18 and the pilot of the plane. it turned out that he was caught writing the names of my friends on 4 bombs by the pilot. when he told the pilot that i was a firefighter the pilot told him to tell me that " he will drop bombs for me all day and wont rest until he had dropped 343 more"...where do we get people like this? i wish i saw more probies with that kind of outlook. i see folks that come through the academy believing that because they are "paying" to attend the academy, we or "obligated" to bend rules so they can pass. i tell them that YOU have the obligation to put forth 110 percent of YOUR being to pass. i wish i had the key to pass what i know on to the new guys better than i do. because i believe it is an obligation to pass on our knowlodge to the next generation because something we teach them today may save their lives sometime in the future. every new guy i brought up i urged to do the same thing, learn everything about this job that you can and dont stop...again this subject was good post for the new year!
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Permalink Reply by Tiger Schmittendorf on
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I agree with most of the replies posted here, especially anything that starts with us senior members of the fire service taking responsibility for the current situation.
The attitudes of our newer brothers are just another challenge for the fire service to face --- like every other challenge we've ever faced: With vigor, passion and genuine concern for perpetuating the positive values and traditions of our service.
"Adapt and overcome" doesn't just apply to our challenges outside the firehouse. It's my opinion that the biggest challenges we'll face in the next decade and beyond are inside the firehouse. When we address those challenges the other battles we face will get a lot easier.
As I've often said, "Who better than us to instill -- or re-instill -- the values and traditions of the fire service in our new recruits, our youth and our society? If not us, who?"
I've written two separate blogs that address this very issue: Dig In and Fortune Tellers. Let me know what you think.
Stay safe. Train often.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Brooke on
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I heard a story once of 5 gorillia's . Every time the zoo keeper would feed the gorillias bananas he would beat the hell out of them when they would try to go eat the bananas. Soon they stopped trying to eat the bananas and left the bananas alone.Then, one day the oldest gorilla died and a new gorillia moved in. The zoo keeper tried to feed them bananas again all of the old gorillias sat and the new gorillia tried to eat the bananas and the old gorillias beat the crap out of the new gorillia . The new gorillia was puzzled to why he was beaten when he tried to eat the bananas .None of the old gorillias trained the new guy to why he was beaten. Soon all of the old gorillias died and where replaced by new guys and every time a new gorillia came in and tried to eat the bananas and was beaten but then none of the gorillias knew why.
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Permalink Reply by Rusty Mancini on
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Kevin, as a senior member of my department, I pledge this year 2010 to promote tradition, and honor to our younger members. As I read your post I said to myself, have I done my part? After a taking a look into my own closet, I need to step up!
Thanks for taking the time out, to give of us a reminder to help bring back the traditions and honor!!
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Permalink Reply by Brandon on
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Alot of your answers are very good everyone, and make plenty of sense, i see this myself and to be honest when i first started little things i learned i would walk up to a cpt and ask then i would say i learned this and they would be cool deal but then give me a real world answer, i learned quickly to shut up pay attention and learn especially from the chief when he has been around pretty much since the dept was formed this man is very knowlegable and i learned alot from him, he wasin the dept 30 years and chief for 25. when i left that dept bacasue of moving and went to our mutual aid dept i learned from those guys there, i enlisted in the army and had to take a three year break due to being in hawaii where there is no volunteers. i had met many diff ppl from all over great friend lots in common fireman ems rescue you name it we all talked and learned from each other i now live in columbia sc where its a combo dept and the one thing i vowed is that no matter how much i knowreal life knowlege schooling my college for fire protection technologys and all, i said that i would give some of my expertness but i would mainly act as if i really didnt knowanything so that i could learn thier ways and such. so far it works casue some of the things i do know i have learned a diff way to do it and what have you my way your way is the same but mine might be a littl easier than yours thing. i do this on trainning nights and what not ans learn new things from the cola vets alot. the one thing i do though is dont open my mouth show what i got on the grounds and that is the best thing so far some things during trainning and such i have surprised ppl so yeah yall are right its changing and the younger need to really listen to us. by the way i been in emergency services for 11 going on 12 years now. i started in 1998 at the ripe age of 15. and i still go to schools to learn and relearn simple things and new things.
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