As cold weather hit Texas last month, I took a trip to the local bookstore to pick up some new reading material. I usually start off in the area filled with local books, then make my way to books on U.S. history. Somewhere tucked between these sections was a book of quotes from famous Americans.
After thumbing through a few pages, I came across a quote that I had seen many times before, but never knew the origin: “Either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” This quote was shared with me years ago by someone who submitted an article to be reviewed at Firehouse, but until this moment, I didn’t know that it had been written by Benjamin Franklin in the 1738 Poor Richard’s Almanack, just two years after he helped start the nation’s first fire department in Philadelphia.
As I thumbed through the book, I found several other quotes from Franklin that are relevant to the today’s fire service, over 200 years after he died.
“Beware of the young doctor and the old barber.”
As experienced baby boomers leave the industry and rosters fill with firefighters and officers who have less time on the department, now is a critical time for the veterans to take the newer members under their wings. Explain what is needed to be a good firefighter, share tips and tricks, walk them through closes calls you’ve experienced to help them avoid repeating these mistakes. Show them how to interact with the public, during both emergency and non-emergency situations.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
This quote is perfect for training officers or firefighters tasked with instructing, whether in their own department or at conferences. They already take the time to talk through what is important and detail the steps to carry out life-saving actions. You can’t just talk the talk; you have to be able to walk the walk by repeating the skills over and over, until they are committed to your muscle memory.
“Wars are not paid for in wartime, the bill comes later.”
This is something we’re dealing with all too often, and it is reflected daily in social media posts asking for assistance and even in Firehouse.com headlines. Firefighters are being diagnosed with job-related cancers, others die following a response or succumb to the stress of the job. Much research is being conducted to better understand the impact of firefighting and stress on the body and mind, and equipment is being designed to reduce the toll, but the harmful effects of your next fire may not be realized for years. Take every action that you can today so it does not catch up with you years down the road.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
I have seen this quote flashed on the screen during a number of sessions at Firehouse Expo and Firehouse World because it is a factor repeated in line-of-duty death and injury reports. Between responses, spend the time preparing for the myriad possibilities that could send you out the door the next time the tone drops. Today’s firefighters are not only here to suppress fires, rescue people and provide medical care, but also to serve as an arm of social services and a handyman called out at 3 a.m. to fix a broken water heater. Spend time on communications and self-survival skills, but not just for the fireground. The ability to communicate with an agitated patient or deescalate a situation involving a combative family member is a skill that firefighters must learn and master.
Let’s shift back to the original quote from Franklin: “Either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” For decades, Firehouse has published articles by members who are passionate about what they do. While not every article or idea can be published in the pages of this magazine or on Firehouse.com, there are other options for sharing information with your brother and sister firefighters. You can write at the local level, perhaps for a regional publication. You can help write your department’s policies, develop training manuals or PowerPoints, or work with your public information officer to share your department “things” that are worth the writing. Regardless of your rank or title, consider how you want to make a difference, whether through the written word or taking action—or both.
