A Commitment to Train
How can we be our best without training?
I will admit that I have been working on and thinking about this article for quite some time. It started in many forms before I left in April for FDIC in Indianapolis. Thoughts continued there, especially after many great classes on leadership coupled with the fellowship of other officers from my home department, and talking with some of the great leaders in our fire service. This article was also inspired by the many hours spent in New York State Fire Officer 1, and many hours spent at the firehouse after class talking with my fellow officers about our department and where we would like our department to be. It finally reached a point where out of dead sleep on a night it came to me.
When we signed up to be a firefighter and took the oath, we pledged that we would do our jobs as firefighters and to save lives and property from the destructive force of fire. We not only took that oath, and made that promise to the public we serve, but we entered into a pact with our fellow firefighters that we would train like their lives depended on it, because frankly, it does. It's not
sometime talk about often, but our actions at a fire scene can directly impact not only the lives of those we are saving but also our friends and colleagues. My life depends on your training, and in return, someday yours may depend on mine. There is a reason we call it the Brotherhood, a term that in my mind includes all who are firefighters, male or female. I will stop at nothing to keep you safe and bring you home.
To me, the Brotherhood is a sacred bond between all of us- we may have our disagreements in the firehouse, but when the bells sound, I fully have your back and expect the same in return. That is part of what drives me every day as an officer. It's what drives me to continually train to be the best firefighter I can be.
When we arrive on a scene, it is expected by the public that we perform at our best, and I expect nothing less from myself and those around me. When we are at the firehouse or on-scene we need to remember we serve not only the public but also to each other.
Our officers work hard to prepare and present drills that are not only interesting but also of value to reinforce and sharpen our core skills and competencies as firefighters. This is a profession or hardworking, and that is reflected in our drills. While to some it may be boring or repetitive, these drills are critical in reinforcing skills that need to become muscle memory so that when “it” hits the fan, we know what to do.
“You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time.”
– NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi
I like sports metaphors, especially those from legendary coaches. They are easily relatable to many aspects of life, and especially to the teamwork we do in our jobs as firefighters. Lombardi’s quote above can be applied to more than just football. Think of our job, we are expected to win all the time. Every time we roll-out the door the public expects our best. Again, how can we do our best if we don’t practice and train?
“Teamwork is the foundation of success. The three universal questions that an individual asks of his coach, player, employee, employer are: Can I trust you? Are you committed to excellence? And, do you care about me?”
– College Football Head Coach Lou Holtz
So ask yourself, did you sign up just for the T-Shirt and social experience, or to be a firefighter? To me, this job is a calling, it is the most important thing I have done in my life. I want to be into the job, not just on the job. Don't settle for mediocrity or the complacent attitude. I will be the first to admit that I do not know everything, or am the best at every task. That's why we practice regularly at these tasks, not to judge one another but to get better at the tasks we are expected to do as firefighters. Be the firefighter that the public expects that you are, be the firefighter that you promised you would be.
We all know we do not respond to working fires at the same frequency as in years past, but that is not an excuse to not train and to always be at our best. You never know when you might be the one on the first-in Engine tasked with doing a room search, or pulling the first line. That's not the time to realize you are not as proficient as you think you are. We can always learn something new at drill regardless of our experience level or our status as an interior firefighter.
Those that have been around for some time, know and understand that hard work and determination built this department into what it is today. Our reputation as firefighters is because of our determination and dedication not only to our community but also to our level of competency and training. In my time as a firefighter, I learned that nothing is ever handed to you and that you have to go out and make it yours. That next rank, or certification does not come without a price to be paid. Most likely it came from time spent practicing and working towards a goal, then raising the bar. That is the way many of us still feel about our departments. We want to see our departments succeed but that doesn’t happen because of the efforts of a few. From top to bottom we made a commitment and that commitment is to, above all else our residents. In sports, many times coaches and general managers talk about players and reminding them that they play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back. Have pride in your department and the work that was put in before you joined. Have pride in your department and the work that you do to keep advancing our department forward.
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
- NBA Hall of Fame Head Coach Phil Jackson
The strength of our team depends on each members hard work, and each members strength only gets better with continued practice and hard work. That comes from attending drill and being engaged as a firefighter.
With that I strongly encourage all members to attend every opportunity to train. These are phenomenal opportunities to train on our department SOGs and to practice alongside our fellow members. You never know, they might be the one right alongside you on that first in hose line.
