As I read of, hear about and watch the politics surrounding the tax plan for the United States, I can’t help but look at the fire service. Are we Democrats, Republicans, Independents and all the rest when it comes to our service delivery to Mrs. Smith, Mr. Sui or Mrs. Rodriguez? No, we are public servants.
Perseverance and respect
As a firefighter who was blessed enough to work and volunteer in fire departments that gave me the chance to work on an engine, ladder, rescue, ambulance, support vehicle and chief car, the focus was always on a positive outcome for the citizen, customer or visitor—however you would like to refer to them. It troubles me to see the engine versus the ladder versus the squad in what they carry, who uses what, and what role each should play. Mrs. Smith doesn’t care what role we play or what we use to help her as long as we prevent harm, survive and be nice. Our neighbor and very progressive fire department once had decals on the back windows of their support utility and command units that read, “We’re Quick. We’re Trained, and We’re Nice.”
Of course we can’t think about Mrs. Smith and “Be Nice” without acknowledging Chief Alan V. Brunacini. We will always miss Chief Brunacini, as well Chief Carl Holmes, Lou Amabili and all the other great fire service legends, icons and leaders we lost recently.
As I look back on the contributions they made to our great profession, I recall the controversy they faced and the tolerance level they maintained in order to keep pushing for change. Their perseverance required a tremendous amount of dedication, commitment and humility.
Some of you may recall the controversy over the process and final vote over NFPA 1500. Many do not recall the battles that were fought internally and externally to enjoy what we have today. How many remember the divide created over NFPA 1710 and 1720, yet look at how many of us use it, comply with it and strive for it. Most of us don’t know what it was like to get the federal government to invest in the fire service with the National Fire Prevention and Control Act, yet we enjoy the National Fire Academy (NFA) and U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) today. Chief Brunacini was instrumental in these early battles and faced significant pushback—and he did that for us, for the betterment of the fire service.
We have more struggles ahead. For one, the closing of the diversity gap is still a daily struggle, a struggle for which we will diligently work to educate, understand and change the culture.
Brunacini, Holmes and Amabili also shared another important attribute: They served the fire service with great respect until the day they died. We can only hope to fill a small part of the footprints they left behind. But this won’t be easy.
As I attend conferences and meetings, pay close attention to social media, and spend time with various fire service groups, I can’t help but be concerned about the current status of the fire service, where we are going, and what part of the past we are re-living. Why can’t we all learn and grow to new maturity levels with the knowledge, lessons learned, and stories left behind for us by legends and icons before us? It is sad that some members are still stuck on being proud of their “firemen,” high-fiving each other about what THEY did on the fireground, even when someone else has lost their life or their property, or literally fighting over who gets to do what on the fireground. The positive here is that I believe these members represent a minority of our profession—we just can’t let it grow.
Fill their shoes
As the song says, “Who is going to fill their shoes?” Well, the shoes of those past usually can’t be filled because of their uniqueness and the times and situations they led through. It is my hope that there are leaders within our service who will take on the next challenges and do it in a uniting way, as well as in a manner that is “nice.” Be nice, stay safe and serve well!
