Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Irons51 on February 4, 2008 at 7:17pm

I'll have to get myself a copy. I know exactly what you're talking about. On my job we have quite a few brothers and sisters who seem to have just stumbled across firefighting. So many that don't have any pride or heart. No desire to be what we in the Boston area call a "good jake". The real problem is that books like this tend to preach to the chior so to speak. The guy on in my department who is focusing on getting his masters in whatever or the other fella spending all of his energy on trying to get himself a cushy job with the union will never read this book, nor will they have any idea what I'm talking about when I try to explain it to them. They'll just call me a whacker and go about thier business. Meanwhile I have to depend on them to drag my ass out if I get into trouble. It's getting to be a really serious problem.

Permalink Reply by Pat Showers on March 1, 2008 at 11:42pm

I worked for Chief Lasky when he was the chief of the Cour d' alene Fire Dept. in North Idaho, been to one of his classes that he put on after he went to Lewisville Fire Dept. he came back to North Idaho and brought Batt. Chief John Salka from the 18th Batt. FDNY to teach FIRST IN LAST OUT and to give us a fire officers prospective of 9-11. these two men are some of the bes speakers I have ever heard.

Permalink Reply by Jason Edwards on April 28, 2008 at 8:06pm

I had the opportunity to see him in person a couple of months ago. I went home and immediately ordered the book. This should be required reading for every guy coming out of drill school. I'm sure you all see the same "mutts" I do every day. Some of them can't even be shamed into showing some pride in their job.

For instance, we were training today (RAT training) and my partner quit training and sat down after one pitiful evolution because he was tired and the ladder bailout was "bruising his arm." This same guy actually shed literal tears in the Chief's office a few months ago because we tried to get him out on the bay floors training with us "when it wasn't scheduled time to train!" (Guess what unit he rides when I do the manpower?) I'm thinking of taking Lasky's suggestion and picking up some Wal-Mart applications for this chump. Some guys just don't belong on the truck, but then - I am finding that there are those that can be mentored into becoming true brothers. Lasky really revived my faith in this concept.

Permalink Reply by Dave on February 9, 2009 at 2:36pm

I think this should be mandatory for firefighter cirriculums, a ceu, or something. I think so many firefighters forget about what we are here to do. This is such an inspiring video/book.

Permalink Reply by Jason Koontz on February 18, 2009 at 12:57pm

an awesome book. Should be on the must read list of every firefighter, if not every company officer.