Still Considered a Firefighter?

[C2001UMedic]

Here's a question that was asked of me that I'll throw out for your opinion. I was a vounteer firefighter on a fairly active combination department for 3 1/2 years. I am a certified Firefighter 1 and all the other certifications that goes along with being a firefighter. During this time I worked my way up from NREMT-Basic, Intermediate, and finally to Paramedic. Once I received my paramedic license and got a job as a paramedic, I was no longer able to fulfill my comittment to serve my community and my department. I felt I did the honorable thing and resigned January 2002 so I wouldn't be one the things that I detested the most, someone that doesn't know when to hang up their helment.

The question was asked of me do you still consider yourself a firefighter? Though I am technically a certified firefighter, I am not active at the time. I was taught the philosophy once a brother, always a brother. In my job I interact with firefighters every day, and most of them know where I came from so there is a certain amount of respect there, besides professional respect amongst paramedics. Firefighting is where I got my start, and I can never forget where I started, the people I've had the honor and privilege to work with, or the experiences we had, together. So what do you active firefighters think?

[MalahatTwo7]

C2, I think I see what your driving point is in your question, and I understand it totally. I am a member of the Canadian Military, and while my primary job is an office clerk, and always has been (15yrs of it), my first unit was with a tank regiment. When I first got there I claimed to be a clerk first and a soldier second and had many polite arguements with my Adjutant until I hit my 3rd year with the unit.

The unit has a published book called ONCE A STRATHCONA, ALWAYS A STRATHCONA. The title always intrigued me, and I asked to peruse a copy sometime during my 3rd year with the unit. The book is a compilation of anecdotes, but after reading a couple of them, I started to get the point of the title, and started to realize that it applied to me as well. I have since moved on and have sailed on 3 different fighting ships, and a worked for a couple different base units but here is the real point:

For all the bashing around the planet that I have done since my time with the Straths, to this day I am still a Stathcona at heart. I was sent to the Regiment as a "Probie", they accepted me, taught me the basic art of warfare and then let me loose on to the rest of the world.

So there it is: ONCE A FIREFIGHTER, ALWAYS A FIREFIGHTER. What is it you guys down south say? Something like: You can take the man(or woman) out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the man(or woman). New York of course may be substituted for anywhere else in the world.

[N2DFire]

Originally posted by C2001U Medic
once a brother, always a brother

Nuff Said

[ggtruckie]

Sorry Brother, can't get out of the family.

[MOTOWN88]

What are you crazy???? Once you leave you can never come back, you have disgraced your family you have turned you back on us!!!!! .......oh wait...... thats the mafia not the fire service. Yeah being a fire fighter is like a really bad virus once you got it you cant shake it.

LOCKED IN FOR LIFE

[Grit76]

Is a retired fireman still a bro?

[MOTOWN88]

Grit,

HELL YEAH, DID YOU ACTUALLY THINK THAT YOU WERENT????? SHAME ON YOU

[NJFFSA16]

Originally posted by C2001U Medic
The question was asked of me do you still consider yourself a firefighter?
Firefighting is where I got my start, and I can never forget where I started, the people I've had the honor and privilege to work with, or the experiences we had, together.

Having said it so eloquently...you've just answered your own question!
You will always be a brother. You share that special bond C2001U Medic...and it will last a lifetime!

A hearty hand salute to you!