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Everyone Has Their Parking Lot Somewhere
Unless you are some kind of fire service rock star, you probably burned one down somewhere. There are plenty of people on here and around your own department that would have you think differently, but I'd bet you that down inside they have one that they'd do differently today, if they weren't lying to themselves.
Like The Offspring say, "The more you suffer, more it really shows you care". If you walk away from every incident with the belief that you kicked another one in the ass and everyone just needs to stay out of your way, I'd say you are setting yourself up for a little fall.
Even the best of us know that there's something we could do better next time. The difference is realizing it, learning about it, and resolving to not let it happen again, and then it's time to move on and make it ancient history. There is, however, nothing like driving by that vacant lot from time to time to jolt yourself back to reality.
Take every opportunity to learn and take every opportunity to teach to share what you have learned. If you won't do that, then really, how much longer do you have before you will have another one of these in your neighborhood?
Add a Comment
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Comment by Al Huelsenbeck on March 8, 2009 at 8:55pm
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Mick, 20 years ago last month I came very close to losing four men in an engine room fire aboard a ship. It is one of the defining moments of my career as a Chief Officer. I am so effected by this incident that I have spent the last 15 years trying to teach officers anf firefighters how not to get into this situation. They are not always parking lots some float on water and others loom high over our heads in tall buildings. stay safe.
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Comment by Don Vuletic on January 19, 2009 at 11:19pm
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Mick, Every fire I have had I question what could I have done different. To me, a good officer will look at every fire and belive it could have been handled differently. We learn for every incident, and with the changing of building construction we have to be on our toes. I'm not proud of losing any building and those ones always stay in your mind. But you always move on and evaluate. No two fires are alike and never will be, we learn something new on every call.
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Comment by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on January 19, 2009 at 7:45pm
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Mick;
Great comments and insights....I especially like your statment: "Take every opportunity to learn and take every opportunity to teach to share what you have learned"....
Stay Safe..
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Comment by Ben Waller on January 19, 2009 at 5:42pm
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Mick, not only have I helped create my share of horizontal vehicle temporary storage facilities, I've actually been to a two-alarm car fire. Let me know if you want to hear about that particular little firefighting gem.
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Comment by 144Truck on January 19, 2009 at 8:32am
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We certainly have (or should have) our "What If" file... Rest assured, after REALLY close to four decades in this business, I have a few of my own reality check vehicular storage areas...
One of my favorite little jingles is "Sometimes you make parking lots, sometimes you don't". All of my Company Officers learned (or will someday) learn the jingle as well.
As long as we make sure we practice good, sound, fireground practices and principles all of the time, and we all come back, that is probably all of what is expected of us... You can always build a new building on the parking lot.... Pretty hard to build new firefighters though.
Fight Hard, Stay Safe
144Truck
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