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As of this writing, "Drinking in the Fire House" has 287 replies.
"Women in the Fire Service" has 263 replies.
At times, both have become heated, has been argued with passion and are issues that keep coming up over and over again. And nothing NEW is ever said. It's the same thing, just SAID by somebody different.
Are they issues that are important in the larger scheme? In some parts of the country and in some fire departments; yeah, it's still an important issue, because THEY have resisted efforts to establish a national initiative to improve them.
Have you noticed that both topics that I highlight have certain "social" implications?
Drinking is definitely "social" and women in the fire service? Well, we have already seen men fighting over some of them right here on this website. So, there is a social aspect to that as well and if one has the time to check out some of the submitted photos, you will see some social cleavage by those screaming that they wanted to be treated the same as men. I am still looking for a tasteful photo of my upper body to post.
However; I digress. The reason for this post is very simple: we have engaged in endless debate on two issues that are important, but not where the percentage of injuries and death are occurring. When efforts to discuss firefighter safety or scene safety or improving requirements or reducing civilian fire deaths, the discussion thread is lucky to get 10 replies before you hear the crickets.
Why do we-myself included-spend so much time on issues with little national impact and ignore those things that impact us on a daily basis?
I like to have fun and will post a "funny" from time to time, but if we ever expect to change and improve our fire service, we have to engage our brains. We have to think. We have to act.
There are some great blogs being written on a wealth of topics that could help anyone of you, but I have to wonder how many of you read the blogs. From Tiger, FASNY, Mick and Pete; I spend alot of time reading their stuff because it's FREE and it's INVALUABLE.
You could end discussions before they start, if you'd read their blogs. The topic has already been covered by them.
I just think that our priorities are all screwed up. We bitch about how precious our free time is, yet, we are forced to wade through a bunch of mud just to find a little nugget of wisdom.
I need coffee.
TCSS.
Art
"Women in the Fire Service" has 263 replies.
At times, both have become heated, has been argued with passion and are issues that keep coming up over and over again. And nothing NEW is ever said. It's the same thing, just SAID by somebody different.
Are they issues that are important in the larger scheme? In some parts of the country and in some fire departments; yeah, it's still an important issue, because THEY have resisted efforts to establish a national initiative to improve them.
Have you noticed that both topics that I highlight have certain "social" implications?
Drinking is definitely "social" and women in the fire service? Well, we have already seen men fighting over some of them right here on this website. So, there is a social aspect to that as well and if one has the time to check out some of the submitted photos, you will see some social cleavage by those screaming that they wanted to be treated the same as men. I am still looking for a tasteful photo of my upper body to post.
However; I digress. The reason for this post is very simple: we have engaged in endless debate on two issues that are important, but not where the percentage of injuries and death are occurring. When efforts to discuss firefighter safety or scene safety or improving requirements or reducing civilian fire deaths, the discussion thread is lucky to get 10 replies before you hear the crickets.
Why do we-myself included-spend so much time on issues with little national impact and ignore those things that impact us on a daily basis?
I like to have fun and will post a "funny" from time to time, but if we ever expect to change and improve our fire service, we have to engage our brains. We have to think. We have to act.
There are some great blogs being written on a wealth of topics that could help anyone of you, but I have to wonder how many of you read the blogs. From Tiger, FASNY, Mick and Pete; I spend alot of time reading their stuff because it's FREE and it's INVALUABLE.
You could end discussions before they start, if you'd read their blogs. The topic has already been covered by them.
I just think that our priorities are all screwed up. We bitch about how precious our free time is, yet, we are forced to wade through a bunch of mud just to find a little nugget of wisdom.
I need coffee.
TCSS.
Art
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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Art: Not to steal the thread away, but I just have to say this. Funny thing - I have been scanning old department photos over the last several weeks also. Part of the reason is that I'm collecting material for a major web site revision, and what better way to show the departmental history than through photos.
The main reason is that it's the result of reading one of Tiger's blogs on recruitment and retention. Telling new and prospective members about department history is one of the many things we've not been doing. There are a couple of youngsters working with me on the web site project and it's amazing how interested they are in the past. We actually sat in the firehouse until 1 AM a couple of weeks back (after drill of course) going through old documents to try and establish what years so-and-so served as chief, and when did we get the LaFrance, and so on. It's infectious.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Ellen Shea on
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Oh I second that Joe.
As a newbie, I've found that finding pride in the department is looking at the old pics and having some of my brethren pointing out their grandfather, or great uncle, or great grandfather in the group. Tradition is so important to creating a cohesive environ.
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Buella Buttchester????
LMAO!!!! I need to go sit down....Buella Buttchester????
Oh dear lord....
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Sean,
Yes, sex does sell, but if an environment of creative thoughtfulness is fostered and upheld by the membership...the Mammary Mammas will find other places to go...or will find themselves sitting in a corner dusting the cobwebs off their Triple D's.
I've refrained from posting about my in-school recruitment program that I devised in hopes that my home organization would grab the reins and take the lead, but they're not...so stand by until mid-week next week and I'll put it out there for anyone to pick up, because I believe that I had a hallelujah moment with it and I hope that SOMEONE will take it and run with it.
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Hear Hear Art.....
You don't always vouschafe the popular opinion...but you speak the truth. It's refreshing and much needed.
Mel
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Hey Ted,
I'll post a discussion forum on it next week....tomorrow I'm heading to a spa for a much-needed getaway with my chick posse. I'll get it posted by Wednesday, with full details.
My thought process was to involve BOCES or similar to engender interest, but again, I'll put the whole shooting match on here. I'm not concerned with proprietary interest, I just want to see the idea come to fruition. I'm not tooting my own horn, but it makes sense, it's easy to put into play, and it involves getting the local departments involved rather than having a fire service entity come in as talking heads.
Stay tuned, stay safe.
Mel
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I'm starting with my OWN department. I was laboring under the delusion that we were seatbelt compliant until today.
I have a good friend of mine coming in to run a drill night in a couple of weeks. I just emailed him and asked him to deep-six half the topics we were going to cover and convert that to a hands-on "Yes, you CAN wear your seatbelt and still respond in a timely fashion" program.
I was the ONLY one who buckled up today on a call. This was only the second time I've made the truck....and everyone on the truck looked at me like I was from Mars when I buckled up before securing my SCBA.
It's disheartening. It's soul sucking. It's wrong.
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Very tragically, the Ault-Pierce (Colorado) Fire District Captain was not wearing a seat belt when he died in the Line of Duty this morning. Captain Shame Stewart, 33, lost control of the fire apparatus he was driving to a medical run, rolled the truck, was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was in the apparatus. Captain Stewart had been a Volunteer Firefighter since August 2004.
Captain Stewart was married and leaves behind 2 elementary school-aged children. His brother and father are also volunteer firefighters for the Ault-Pierce district. The Colorado State Patrol said the apparatus ran off the left side of the road, overcorrected, then ran off the right side, rolling onto its roof.
Our deepest condolences to all affected but especially the wife, kids and family of Captain Stewart.
Take Care-BE CAREFUL. Gotten Serious about SEAT BELT use at your FD yet?
BillyG
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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better make it a blog or it will get buried in the "mud"
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Hi Mike,
I know....maybe I'll do the double whammy and post a discussion AND a blog....and keep bumping it till it sticks....
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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Chief,
I think what you're describing here is human nature.
We all know the basics are important, we all know we're supposed to paying attention to the firefighting material in the blogs, and on thesecretlist, but like moths we're attracted to flames (I know the pun is there), and we dwell on cleavage, male-female relations (both professional and off-duty), and how alcohol consumption affects us and whether it's allowed in our houses, or not. I think this is all perfectly natural and acceptable.
In my very humble opinion, there are plenty of outlets for technical and duty-related exchanges of information, such as Firehouse Magazine and its associated website with its own forums (plus other related publications such as Fire Chief Magazine), firefighter close calls and thesecretlist. Many of us also turn to a seemingly antiquated technology to learn more: books. I personally am reading Frank Brannigan's posthumously released new edition of Building Construction for the Fire Service (required reading if ever I saw it!).
Fire Firefighter Nation is a "Social Network." While I definitely think technical discussions belong on here, and are probably the ONLY exposure some Firefighters will ever get to those topics, I think the primary purpose of this site is the "social" topics.
THIS is the forum for trading pictures (apparatus, personal, funny, you name it), discussing such "minor" topics as how to wear your hair so it doesn't interfere with your mask and helmet (which isn't a "minor" topic to those who have long hair. I think if most men had long hair the topic of how to wear your hair in your PPE w0uldn't be so lightly dismissed as a couple of writers on this thread have done). THIS is the forum for talking about anything which is primarily of interest to Firefighters and EMS, but not necessarily about Firefighting and EMS.
THIS is the forum to organize a "firefighter Woodstock." Two of which will take place this summer in Michigan and Pennsylvania. THIS is the forum to talk with other Firefighters about riding motorcycles and missing riding because of winter. THIS is the forum for testing new ideas against other firefighters. THIS is the forum for the "whacker" in all of us who just loves all of the trappings of the Fire Service....Lights on POVs, Ceremonies and superstitions, Junior FF/ Fire Explorer programs, tattoos, music, fundraising. Even coffee.
In short, this is THE FORUM for all those "Social" things which make us a COMMUNITY, not just those topics which make us all colleagues...this is The Forum for the things which make us The Firefighter Nation.
Art, I take my coffee black. Please pass the pot?
GM
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Hey GM,
One comment re: the long hair issue......I have hair halfway down my back...and there's a lot of it (according to the drifts of it on my bathroom floor after I finish drying it ever day---there's almost enough there to build a dog from scratch)....
The hair issue is frivolous, and in my opinion was placed there by someone enchanted with the look of their words on the page. Hair: clip to get it off my forhead (and the clip stays in my helmet band when not in use) and a ponytail. That's it. everything is off my face, my helmet fits. End of story. No further discussion or "debate" required.
One of the points that Art was making was about the repetitive number of posts in the same discussion which are basically restatements of someone else's opinion from 229 pages earlier.......repeated again on page 45, page 72, page 73, page 74, page 92.....
I don't drink coffee, I chew on the whole beans...
:)
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