What does the Fire Service mean to you? I have asked this question many times to people who have just begun their careers in the Fire Service and you get a lot of different answers anywhere from I have always wanted to be a firefighter. This could be because they grew up in the Fire Service as one of their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. was a firefighter and they loved what they saw growing up to the answer of well I saw the fire department was giving a test and I figured that would be a stable job. Does it matter why you or someone else joined the Fire Service? No it doesn’t what is important is how you contribute to the department you work or volunteer for and how you interact with other members of the Fire Service. Have you learned about the BROTHERHOOD that is prevalent in the Fire Service Worldwide? Have you contributed to the Brotherhood? Have you helped to teach the new members of your department about Brotherhood and how it has been a part of the Fire Service for hundreds of years? Have you learned about your department and how it got started and what the mission of your department is? Or do you just show up for your shift do what is required of you and go home. Most of the time with people who do what is required and nothing else it is because they see the Fire Service as a job. Those of us that see the Fire Service as a WAY OF LIFE go way beyond what is required or expected of us by our department or our supervisor. Personally I joined the fire service first as a volunteer when I turned 18. I joined the same department that my father had been the Chief of when I was a kid and where I grew up. I did this because I saw the BROTHERHOOD as child and I knew right then and have known ever since that the Fire Service was where I was meant to be. I have never considered doing anything else. As soon as I graduated High School I started looking for a career department that was hiring and started testing with as many as I could so I could do what I love for as long as I can. I finally achieved my goal and was hired by a large metro career department. This was another goal of mine because I grew up in the Mountains of Maryland which is rural and I wanted more action then I could get there. I embraced this new department and did as much as I could to learn the history and the different philosophies and tactics that the members of this department has. No matter where you go everything is done a little different for one reason or another. The Fire Service changed from when I was a kid and watching the guys ride the tailboard out the door to when I was actually a member and was a part of the crew that was going out the door and has changed even more from then till now. This is for various reasons some good and some bad. Most of it is because of the way our society has changed as a whole. The challenge that we face is to do all we can to instill the BROTHERHOOD that makes this profession more than a job. There is so many different things that we are faced with in our lives and we need to be there for our brothers and sisters to help them meet these challenges and overcome them. Here is a good question for you to ask yourself are you doing all you can for the members of your crew, station, or department? I know that we all our in departments or various sizes so it may be difficult to keep up with the dealings of members of other stations but you should know what is going on with the members of you station and the members of your crew especially. You should know these guys or gals pretty well since you trust them with your life every shift. You should be able to notice a change in the way they act and their demeanor. If you see this try to find out what is going and how you can help them all it may take is to listen to them, let them vent and get what is bothering off their chest. It may take more than this but remember we have to take care of each other so you do what it takes. The Fire Service is a huge family and it is our responsibility to instill that in our new members. If we have members that do not understand the brotherhood and see the Fire Service as a job and not a calling is it their fault? Have we done all that we can to help them learn about the Brotherhood or have we failed them by not teaching them about the Brotherhood and the TRADITION of the Fire Service. I Challenge you to not only be a good firefighter, rescuer, medical provider but to also be the best BROTHER or SISTER you can to other members of the Fire Service.

Stay Safe Ronnie