Off the Cuff: Upholding the Standards

Firefighter hauling ladder at house fire
Photo: Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department PIO

If you’re reading this: congratulations. We made it through a wild first month of the year! In the fire service we like to discuss and dissect any gossip that comes our way, and January was no exception. The topic of diversity-equity-inclusion (DEI) and the fire service was a hot topic on social media and around the kitchen table. Time and time again the word “standards” was brought up, and it made me stop and think. We (rightfully so) want our new hires to know what is expected of us on the job. We want them physically fit and mentally ready to perform under the pressure that is constantly thrown our way. It’s not only unfair to the fire service if someone doesn’t meet a standard, but also incredibly unfair to that candidate, who we’ve set up for failure and potential injury. Physical standards are just the beginning hurdle of a firefighter’s career, and ensuring people can easily meet helps protect all involved.

But…what about us?

We get to a point in our career where we spend all our time training the new firefighters. Maybe we start a family, maybe we promote up…whatever the reason we find ourselves in a place where we might not be able to hold up the standards that we want others to pass when they join our ranks. We may have gained more experience, and our instincts might be faster than the new firefighters, but can we really excuse keeping our hearts and bodies in fighting shape? Maybe it’s the firehouse dinner portions, maybe it’s the constant raiding of B-shift’s ice cream when you’re on your fifth wake-up of the night, or maybe it’s the latest crash and burn diet you let the new guy talk you into that only involves eating food from the forest floor…somehow we all end up in a unhealthy place that we know we need to get out of.

As you chew on that (every pun intended), it’s diet and nutrition month over here at Firefighter Nation. From the brand-new firefighter trying to get adjusted to sleep loss, to the mid-career firefighter who’s busy teaching or raising a family, to the firefighter who’s closer to the end of their career and is nursing injuries from beating their body up on the job—we’ve got something to help you. We can and should always demand that our standards for this job stay high. Let’s not forget to honor the greatest one of all: the standard we should ourselves to. Now put C-shift’s ice cream back, and don’t forget to not leave the spoon in the sink. Or the sponge for that matter. Please.

Stephanie White

Stephanie White is a 21-year veteran of the fire service. She started her journey as a volunteer, and has been a career firefighter/paramedic in Virginia for the past 19 years. 

Over her career she’s been actively involved in firefighter health and wellness while being assigned to some pretty great companies. She is currently enjoying the challenge that is spelling and writing while living the shift-work life. 

Stephanie is the managing editor of Firefighter Nation.  

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