Dare To Be Different!

Blogger’s Note: Lately, there have been several discussion topics about the C vs. V again.
Now; I am neither the conscience nor the moderator for this website, but I can tell you that those members that are using this forum to voice their displeasure over a perceived “snub” by other firefighters clearly don’t understand how to navigate the website or to do a search for this topic, for if they did, they would find reams on this topic. So, my goal is for this to be the END ALL blog on this petty but rather disruptive perception.

What gives any of us the right to feel or believe that we are entitled to be called a firefighter?

For some of us, we have held a steady job, been married, are raising children, are helping with community projects in our small, rather rural communities and all the while, we have been thinking about joining the local fire department to help out…so we do!

We are interviewed, accepted and are issued gear, along with a pager. Does this entitle us to call ourselves “firefighter” or to be regarded by others as a firefighter?

For others, getting on a paid fire department has been in the family for four generations and has been your childhood dream. It’s never been an option; it has been your destiny. Your goal is to serve in a large city where history has been witness to some monumental fires and extraordinary firefighters.

We get our name on the hiring list, go through the testing including CPAT, complete our interview and get confirmation that we have been hired. Does this entitle us to call ourselves “firefighter” or to be regarded by others as a firefighter?

It occurs to me after joining this website that there is a “Who’s Who” of current and former firefighters who are offering up a plethora of information on a wide range of subject matter. The training articles are second to none and the authors are likewise. The author’s style and tone of their articles do not discriminate nor differentiate between career, paid on call or volunteer firefighters. It is information that anyone who wants to improve their skills as a firefighter can do so. Do you think the authors of the blogs, news articles or training articles even care about what TYPE of firefighter you are? Oh sure; there will be articles on rural water supply that may only apply to a rural, volunteer department, but on the flip side, you will see articles on aerial truck operations that are interesting to guys like me, but are targeting metro firefighters. We can’t leave out our friends in wildland firefighting. They engage in some highly specialized tactics that warrant their own niche as well.

Did I say “type of firefighter”? I certainly did.

All MEN/WOMEN are created equal. Firefighters are NOT!

This may be contrary to what you believe or have been told, but it is an educated opinion that is supported by years of personal observation. We have seen nicely choreographed illustrations from authors who have been on both sides of the spectrum. They have been career firefighters who have gone on to volunteer. We have also seen the other swing where volunteer firefighters have become career. In both cases, the firefighter is taking SOMETHING from where they came to where they’re going. It might just be oodles of experience and the respect that experience will earn you with your peers.

Why does it matter so much to want respect or acknowledgement or acceptance from people that you don’t even know? Why would you presume to even EXPECT respect from someone that you don’t know, because isn’t one of the pillars of respect built on knowing the person or at least knowing something about the person? In my mind, you are being disrespectful by immediately wanting respect simply because you are on a fire department. When these people have not seen us perform our tasks, then how can we expect them to measure us all the way to a level of respect? We can’t and we shouldn’t, because it is wrong and very frustrating for those who don’t understand. The bottom line here is: if you are sitting there believing that you deserve it, then you aren't doing anything to earn it and if you don't earn it; you won't get it.

And on the other side of the coin, how can we say that we are the SAME as they are if we haven’t seen them perform their tasks, which are only in our realm of basic skills until they go to academy and start riding the trucks. It changes right then and there. We are no longer the same. Numbers of calls and time spent in classes and training cans DOES change all of that. However; this alone isn't a free pass to respect.

For me, it has never been about puffing my chest out around the paid guys. When I got my FF II certification, I knew that I was better for taking the training, but didn’t bother to gauge it against a career firefighter. It didn’t occur to me and frankly, it didn’t matter. I was trying to raise the bar for our fire department. As we progressed, so did respect between us, because we realized that our training would help hone our skills and keep us sharp. Respect could be measured in the amount of training that you did or didn’t do.

And with regards to training outside of the department with other departments? It was done with the intentions of LEARNING and not whether career guys were busting on us. It was about doing it right or doing it wrong and having to do it again. And if you had to do it again, then you shouldn’t complain that you were being picked on, but rather, shut up and do it right. What; because you are in turnout gear, you are entitled to get a free pass? You think that’s respect?

I want to see an end to the career/vollie debate. We all know what we are capable of doing. We know if we have the right to call ourselves “firefighters” and to have the privilege to wear the gear and to serve our communities. We cannot take anything for granted; least of all training and our interactions with other departments on a mass incident.

As far as respect?

Worry about getting it from your kids, your fire department and your community first. That should be all that matters anyway.

Then, you can look at how you measure up with others who are in the fire service. Use it to weigh your strengths and weaknesses, then share your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses. If you set out like you have nothing to prove and conduct yourself with a reserved and quiet humility, respect will sneak up on you before you know it. You may not hear it, but you WILL feel it.

Ask yourself if you want to be the same as all of the other firefighters or do you want to be different?

Dare to be different!

Tell yourself that you’re entitled to pursue the possibilities that exist in becoming the best firefighter that you can be for your family and your community.

Respect the honor, tradition, history and the dangers associated with firefighting.

Work on your life-saving skills and forget about saving the world.

Study hard and train hard. Word will spread. Respect will grow.

There you go; all because you dared to be different!

TCSS.
Art

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