An Election of a Lifetime

When I was a young man, my dad made certain that I did two things; register for the military draft and register to vote. Dad was a World War II veteran and believed that it was a sacred right to vote in elections. He felt that voting was a very personal right and would never tell me how he voted. However; he spoke very fondly of Harry Truman, so I knew even without asking that he was a Democrat.

What I found odd about that is that Dad worked very hard, would not accept handouts and was very charitable, even though he didn’t have much to give. What he gave was his time. Whenever a call for help would go out in our community, Dad was one who would answer the call. He made me very proud to be his son.

Unbeknownst to me, Dad called Joe Talbot and had him come over to the house to register me to vote. I didn’t know it at the time, but Joe was a Democratic precinct committeeman, so I was registered as a Democrat. I voted as a Democrat when George McGovern ran for President in 1972 and then I voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976. That was the last time that I voted Democrat in an election. Carter ruined it for me and many Americans for his failure to bring down inflation, deal with the gas shortages and for his handling of the Iran hostage crisis. I think the best thing about Jimmy Carter was his brother, Billy. At least Billy was funny and entertaining and there was also Billy Beer.

I was already seeing liberalism in our colleges. Some of my required reading was books written by Karl Marx and Tolstoy. College professors were showing up and speaking at some of the war protests. Politics were permeating the classrooms, but I was young and very open-minded at the time, so I didn’t reject what I was learning. In fact; at that time, I thought that I opposed the Vietnam War, but I didn’t really understand our involvement in Vietnam.

TV news was devoted for the most part to the war in Vietnam. Newscasters like Cronkite, Harry Reasoner, a young Dan Rather and Huntley and Brinkley were reporting absent of their own political views. In fact; you could not discern their politics. There was no political commentary to their newscasts, unlike today. Though they presented their news with all due respect to the office of the President, they also did it with a certain impartiality.

When I entered the workforce, there was no pension or 401K plan; only the promise of Social Security. With our representative government, there was no talk of “career politicians”. Corrupt politicians were the exception and not the rule.  I can’t remember any political ads from “special interests” groups. I am sure that unions were involved in politics, but not to the extent that you see today. They seemed to be more transparent back then. As my wages slid up the scale, I couldn’t help but to notice that more and more was going to taxes.

I have been witness to many life-altering events through the lens of our news media at the time. The assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X; the attempted assassinations of President Ford and President Reagan; the Vietnam War, the war protests, the 1968 Democratic Convention that had the whole world watching, Vietnam Vets being spit on, the shootings at Kent State; the space program, the space race with Russia, the space shuttle; the killing of the Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics, the Oklahoma City bombing, the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the attack on America on 9/11/2001; the bombing of the USS Cole; Grenada, Somalia, Jonestown, Waco and the Branch Davidians; mass killers Charles Manson, Charles Whitman, Richard Speck, Henry Lee Lucas, John Wayne Gacy, Albert De Salvo, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz; the siege at Ruby Ridge; several Olympics, World Series, Super Bowls and Rose Bowls; “classic TV” shows and I attended a venerable hall of fame of rock concerts.

As I metaphorically simmer in the sauce of what is my sixtieth birthday, I want to believe that the window to my soul is clear in purpose and awash with the wisdom of my years. Decisions that have been made on a personal or professional level have not been without consequences; both good and bad.

But, because of the many events that have populated my life that have helped to shape my personal convictions, I wonder if it has also fed my cynicism or expanded my views; perhaps both.

While growing up, I got my news from three TV stations, a couple of radio stations (WKEI and WLS) and one local newspaper.

I believed what I heard from those reporting it, because I believed in THEM. They were a trusted source, because reporters looked for the truth in what they were reporting. They apparently understood the enormous responsibility that they had to provide their viewers, readers and listeners with the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They knew the power behind the freedom of the press came from those who had fought and died for their rights and it was not to be taken for granted. Newspapers held their opinions to the editor and with letters TO the editor. I cannot recall that the local paper endorsed any candidate, but only encouraged citizens to vote.

On television, stations were very careful not to show favor to one candidate over the other, because of the “equal time” provisions. And there were no attack ads. You heard me; NO ATTACK ADS!

Radio was pretty much the same. If Candidate A would go on the radio for an interview, the same was offered to Candidate B. Politics was a lesson in civics at a very grass roots level.

And to be honest; it was much easier back then to decide who you were going to vote for. Parties had platforms that were not as convoluted as they are today.

But, today; where we get our news is as partisan as the politics.

You can’t trust the information anymore, because the reporters have thrown aside their impartiality for a chance to become the next President’s press secretary. They no longer want to simply report the story; they want to BE the story, leaving the voting public to make their important decisions based upon attack ads, blogs and Wikipedia.

Many of us grew up working hard for everything that we have, never once asking our government for anything. We controlled our small slice of life with family rules, the Golden Rule and the rule of law. Government back then was truly transparent with very little voter fraud, no hanging chads or shadow cabinets.

Those days are gone, but we have been headed to where we are today for a very long time. I live in a state that has seen two of the last four governors go to prison!

I have never wanted someone who has more than me to give me some of theirs’. I had hoped to get to a place where I could afford to give something back and I have…by CHOICE. I don’t want to because I HAVE to! I want to help to care for others who can’t care for themselves, but not those who simply won’t.

I believe in only ONE entitlement – Social Security, because I have been paying into it since I was 17 years old. Yes; I am entitled to it, because I have paid for the privilege. What I thought was a lock box for my retirement has turned into a giant piggy bank.

So, to help get our country back on track, I am going to vote in the most important election of my lifetime.

What I will be voting for is a brighter future for our children and grandchildren, Social Security for our seniors, fair taxation, affordable housing, cheaper gas and a strong military.

Oh and smaller government.

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

Trustees; Train Hard or Go Home!

You heard me!

Don’t come here expecting accommodations or special considerations.

You’re a grunt just like the rest of us. Time to pay your dues.

You can’t be on top of your game if you don’t train.

You can’t extend your reach or maximize your effectiveness, unless you are willing to put your blood and sweat into it.

You don’t have the first idea of what I’m talking about, do you?

You were never a firefighter, were you?

Were you “appointed” by your buddies on the city council or the county board?

Oh; you are one of those whose ego has to be fed by “new challenges”.

You don’t mind making decisions that affects other peoples’ lives, as long as you have tort immunity, huh?

I’ll let you in on a little secret, Braveheart; I came up through a department that was run by your kind.

Your playbook, ‘How to Say No to Everything Except Free Meals’ has served you and your cronies well, but it has left your fire departments underfunded, under-prepared, under-manned and has left you ‘under-educated’.

You have spent all of the tax money on real estate for a fire station that will never be built in your lifetime, paid attorney fees for ‘expert’ advice that cost more than the entire fire department was paid for calls last year and the hotel bill at the conference where trustees are supposed to attend seminars while the wives go to ‘luncheons’; except the ‘seminars were hospitality rooms with an open bar.

So; what did you learn? What knuggets (sic) of knowledge did you take back to share?

Let me bring you up to speed.

First of all; if it were up to me, ALL trustees in the state of Illinois (you got to start small) would be elected.

Why?

Because, when I ran our department as chief, I had way too many problems with our appointed trustees. None of the three knew anything about firefighter skill sets, the training required, the laws governing fire districts or of the funding needed.

They only knew how to say “NO” and that cost me hundreds of dollars of my own money on top of the taxes that I paid. It wasn’t enough that I volunteered, but I had to pay for the privilege!

Don’t worry, though; there were plenty of firefighters just like me.

The strangle-hold that gripped our department was finally broken in the early 1990’s when we petitioned to have our trustees elected and then elected three, new trustees. The survival skills that we learned as firefighters served us well, in that it taught us to mitigate even the toughest hazards, which in our case was ending the reign of the Good Ole Boys, who wouldn’t raise the tax rate, even though we didn’t have enough turnout gear to outfit everyone, kept the thermostat at the fire station on 50 degrees in the winter, refused to pay for training, went into debt for a new fire station that would house trucks that were all at least 20 years old-plus with no new money saved to buy a new one, paid for bad advice and threaten to kick us off if we dared to question them!

If I sound bitter, I’m not.

I’m BETTER.                                                          

Why is it that, as firefighters, you accept that you may have to risk your lives to serve the public, but are afraid to stand up to tyrannical trustees-mere mortals?

I realized early on that our trustees did not have the same commitment, goals or attitudes of their fire department. They thought that the fire department and fire trustees were somehow separate and “different”. What’s wrong with that picture?

When I go to trustee seminars and conferences, the conversation will usually gravitate to “issues”. You should see the looks on the faces of the other trustees when I tell them that I’m elected. Their eyes will actually cross when I tell them that I was the fire chief and started the petition to have our trustees elected rather than appointed. You see; they threatened me one too many times. It was literally them or me and I knew I wasn’t going anywhere.

And now?

I’m president of the board of trustees and am totally committed to being the best trustee that I can be; just like I was committed to being the best firefighter and chief that I could be. There is that same commitment to training.

And though I don’t always agree with the other trustees or firefighters, they at least know that I will give everything its due regard, research it if I have questions and make an informed decision.

I will continue to learn more about finding additional revenue streams, the ever-changing laws that govern fire protection districts, the newest life-saving equipment that is available, the Freedom of Information Act, the Open Meetings Act and find new ways to attract and to retain firefighters. Money will ALWAYS be spent protecting the firefighters first and that means training and equipment that they need to keep them safe when they are called upon.

And if you are a trustee and you aren’t doing the same, then you need to come into the 21^st century, buy a computer with Internet service, a cell phone and learn to lead by example. Lose the entitlement attitude and serve your firefighters and community with the same selfless attitude as your firefighters.

If not, then go home!

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. This article is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-produced in any form.

Firefighters in Dresses Hailed as Heroes?

http://youtu.be/evN_Y749UFQ

By now, you have undoubtedly seen the video.

According to wctrib.com, the two Sedan, MN volunteer firefighters occasionally wear dresses to raise funds for their volunteer fire department.

”The group of volunteers were waiting in line in preparation for Padua’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday when a fire erupted in a truck and the firefighters went to work”.

Volunteer firefighters Ted Aubart and Ben Terhaar, one wearing green and the other wearing red evening gowns are seen manning the hose to extinguish the vehicle fire.

Yes; the video has gone viral and it has made the rounds at all of the major news outlets. This morning on Fox News, the news anchor described the pair as “heroes”.

Now; back in the day, when I was new to the ways of firefighting, it was not uncommon for us to tackle fires dressed only in our “street clothes”. It was part necessity and part stupidity. I say “part necessity” because back then, we didn’t have enough bunker gear to outfit everyone. You were lucky to find a pair of boots that fit. I say “part stupidity” for obvious reasons. Like most; we learned from our mistakes and lived to tell about it.

Several fire service websites and bloggers have taken this story and ran with it. Some have made light of it, while others have pointed out the obvious safety concerns of firefighters not properly attired in full turnout gear with SCBA. Is this a department that believes that it is safe to fight vehicle fires without proper gear? Do they believe that smoke and fire from a burning vehicle is somehow different than “other” smoke and fire? What about polyvinylchloride, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide? Were they wearing heels or pumps? Did they have matching clutch purses?

Volunteer fire departments have been battling image problems for how long? I mean; it’s one thing to dress up like Liza Minelli and sing Broadway tunes in the privacy of your own home, but to do it in public? The money would have to be right; I can tell you that.

I’m not too fond of circus clowns, but men running around in evening gowns with a big hose in their hands is a nightmare from Hell. The one in the red dress was spot on, but the guy in the green dress clashed big time with the color of the fire truck. So, the guy in the red was completely out of touch with the blarney, but gets kudos for accessorizing with a red fire truck. The guy in the green showed his Irish, but looked so gauche with the rest of his ensemble.

And where was the chief? Was he standing just off camera in a dazzling, white Versace evening dress?

Had they gone strapless, I would have scary images running around inside my head of them tanning nude so as not to get tan lines. However; there would have been no concern for straps slipping off of the shoulder had they chosen to go strapless.

Wear your air and hide your back hair!

Now, I come back to my original question: what was so heroic about two guys in evening gowns squirting water on a burning truck?

I can tell you this: you won’t see this kind of “class” at FDIC.

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

Rescuing the Lady

Oh, where to begin.

As if things weren’t already bad enough in Illinois, I read today where my state is the third most corrupt state in the nation. Chicago has the distinction of being named as the number one most corrupt city in the nation.

For many of us who have lived in Illinois our entire lives, this doesn’t exactly come as a revelation, but it is very frustrating after spending so much time in politics with the idea that we were going to change it.

I want to say that our politics in this state isn’t reflective of the people who live here, but unfortunately, it is people (real and imagined) who vote for the jamokes that get into state politics long enough to muck things up, plead guilty, serve their sentence and then become lobbyists when they get out. Our most recent poster child for Illinois politics comes courtesy of the Illinois Department of Transportation, where a mob bookie got a $70,000 a year job with the DOT and now, with the help of the union, continues to work for the state; much to the chagrin of his DOT supervisor.

You probably never thought that turning a key in a lock could be hazardous to your health, but at Menard State Prison, over $10 million was awarded to prison guards AND the warden for injuries caused from this innocuous act. Apparently, some of our Illinois Industrial Commissioners had their own workers’ compensation claims and were suffering “sympathetic” pain for the guards.

In an effort to cut our deficit and to bolster our credit rating, the state raised my state income tax by 67% and they also raised the corporate tax by 47%. Makes you want to run a business and work there, doesn’t it? Caterpillar recently told Governor Quinn the Mighty that they will not increase their business in this state, as long as the climate is so “anti-business”. Let’s see; we had the money to bribe Sears and the CBT to keep their business here, but not Caterpillar? I lost my job at Cat when they moved the engine assembly to Texas. Then, at about the same time, they moved the road graders from Decatur, IL to North Little Rock, Arkansas. And now; a new Cat plant is going to Athens, Georgia, but Quinn still thinks that Cat is just “blowing smoke”.

It was clear that the Gov was hurt by Oberhelmann’s statements and he could barely muster a reply. He said, “We overhauled the workers’ compensation system in this state”. Quinn’s idea of “overhaul” must mean that, when you get your oil changed, you are having your engine overhauled. The work comp “overhaul” did NOTHING to lower rates in this state.

So, there has been no meaningful spending cuts made yet, but Quinn and his bobble heads are still finding ways to RAISE money through the good taxpayers in this state. Now, Quinn and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanual want to charge a $65 “fee” for gun registration in this state and as we all know, a “fee” is not a “tax”.

It wasn’t that long ago that Rahm the Merciless was President Obama’s Chief of Staff, but Rahm couldn’t get everyone on board with doing things the “Chicago way”, so, feeling like a fish out of water, Rahm returned to the familiar waters of Chicago politics, where he has been doing a yeoman’s job of bullying his city council AND our governor.

So, that brings me to Obama. He got his start in politics as a community organizer. There must be a playbook or instruction manual that teaches one to organize. Now; I have to wonder if he was organizing in the most corrupt city in the nation in spite of it. After-all; he is a product of that environment. Did he escape it squeaky clean? I don’t think so. Look at his shadow cabinet of czars, his recess appointments, Obama Care, activists judges, the NLRB, his fast and furious attorney general’s willingness to sue private citizens and businesses to stop them from exercising their liberties, suing states to keep them from enforcing immigration laws and then it becomes very clear that President Obama is a by-product of his environment. His hypocrisy has no limits.

The House and the Senate haven’t been much help, either. Many of them still believe that they are beefing up their re-election victories by pigging out on pork projects for their home districts, because they are too chicken to base their chances on the moral and ethical strength of their votes on various pieces of legislation. And besides; giving the special interests groups that support and the special attention that they deserve isn’t “buying” votes in the strict sense is it?

Sure; everyone wants their taxes to come back home in some way, but it has caused a de facto redistribution of wealth. However; in Illinois, tax money that is taken and is supposed to come back to the school districts isn’t. Instead, Quinn the Mighty is simply telling school districts that they are going to have to take on a bigger share at the local level which will most likely cause property taxes across the state to skyrocket. I wish that I could tell my creditors to eat it in the same way that Illinois government tells their taxpayers.

In his “State of the State” address, Quinn offered NOTHING; only get tough talk, but no plans to get tough.

The 2012 elections will be the most important election in my lifetime and I don’t exaggerate when I say that. I cannot think of another single election where there was so much at stake at the state and federal level. We have an opportunity in Illinois to flip the entire legislature as ALL of the seats are up for re-election. There are but a very few who deserve the privilege of our vote for them.

At the federal level, I can’t wait to pay $5 a gallon for gas, even though we sit on enough oil to truly become energy self-sufficient and cut the cord to Middle East countries that don’t like us very much, but are more than happy to take our money and the lives of our soldiers and citizens.

That is not to say that I am for price controls, because I’m not, but why is it that gas prices can go up whenever a sheik farts, but a utilities company must “request” a price increase from the legislature?

I fully understand a company’s duty to shareholders and yea, though I don’t know what “obscene profits” are or what it is to have “too much money”; I know that our country survives because of capitalism.

I believe that, in many cases, those who have their hand out because “they can’t help it” are a myth. I have always felt that those in need will receive their help from charitable donations from kind-hearted givers. Government is not a charity nor should they determine for us how we should spend our money.

It’s a fact that not everyone can afford to buy a house, a car or go to college. Those decisions should be made by potential purchasers. When I took out the loan for our first house, interest rates were eight percent. I made my payments without the help of the government. I borrowed money for my vehicles from the bank and never missed a payment. Back then, there were no incentives to buy and interest rates were eight to nine percent. We took out student loans so that our son could go to college and we paid back every dime. We never looked for a bailout from the government. What has changed, other than loan rates have dropped dramatically?

All of us who came from poor beginnings know that we had two choices: stay there and wallow in self-pity fueled by government cheese or to change it.

I chose to change it. I won’t apologize for it and I refuse to stand by and allow government to tell me that I have too much and must give some of it to someone else.

I pay my taxes and I donate to charities. I volunteer my time in my community and will help where help is needed.

THAT is MY decision and because I am opposed to extending that charity to flimflammers and scammers of the System, I will not believe that I am a bad person.

The state of the government and the condition of our country is our fault.

So, I say that it is time to rescue Lady Liberty and to take back our country from dysfunctional governance.

It is a non-partisan approach. Republicans and Democrats alike have managed through several parliamentary procedures to set themselves up as the ruling class and in the process have trampled on our Constitution.

I will not consider any candidate from any party who will not work to change it. I want a government who will allow me to keep what I have earned and return upon my retirement the Social Security funds that I have paid since I was sixteen years old.

I have supported government at all levels. I don’t expect any more than what I have paid for. I expect government to honor their contract with me. Period.

Rant off.

Game on. November can’t come soon enough.

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

Take a Bow, Bowring™!

Disclaimer: This article is NOT an endorsement of the product that is mentioned throughout the article. I am suggesting that it should be given a closer look and make your own decisions based upon your personal experience with the Bowring™. I have not been compensated in any way for my comments.

Whenever I go to a trade show or conference, I will hit the exhibitors’ booths and look for that ONE tool that might have an impact on how firefighters do their jobs.

FDIC is just around the corner.

In this “super-bowl” of fire service conferences, registrants can participate in the HOT programs, classroom programs and cruise the exhibits in the Exhibition Hall and at Lucas Oil Stadium.

In short; FDIC presents a golden opportunity for firefighters to train, hang out with like-minded people, and take a look at fire equipment; some new /some not-so-new.

If you’re lucky, you will get to see and to talk to some of the brightest stars in the nation’s fire service in one of our country’s shining cities-Indianapolis.

This year, much to my dismay, I will go on Friday and come home on Friday, because of a prior commitment.

If I have any time left, I want to hit the exhibits to look for the tool that I think will be a “game-changer” for firefighters.

Last year, as I walked the exhibits and hung out with the likes of Erik Estrada, I came upon the Paul Conway booth, where I saw the most amazing hand tool-the Bowring™. This multi-purpose tool immediately caught my attention and as I listened to Tony Mack describe its many uses, I was completely blown away. It was also an honor and pleasure to meet and to talk to THE Paul Conway.

Then, Tony called Clint Bowring over. Clint was this tool’s inventor. To hear their excitement as they talked about this tool was infectious. You can get the story of the Bowring™ from their website at www.thebowring.com.

You are probably asking yourselves, “Why would I bring up a tool that I saw at LAST year’s FDIC”?

Because, as I watched Clint Bowring, Tony Mack, Evan Fenton and Ryan Lujan literally GIVE their tool away to firefighters to try, I thought that I would at some point see an article written by one of my blogger friends who assured this group that they would try it and report on it.

But, to date, I have not seen ONE blog written on the Bowring™.

I want to be clear that this tool does not replace firefighters, but it does allow a short staff to do more by simply reaching into their pocket for this tool. It will definitely save trips to the truck or at the very least will eliminate the need to carry several tools in addition to a charged hose line.

When I think about it, I would have to put this tool right up there with the Halligan bar. Note that I didn’t stutter.

I watched video footage of firefighters using this tool and I shook my head in amazement. A tool that could fit into pockets on turnout gear; rescuing a down firefighter, taking out a windshield, shutting off gas, forcing entry and so much more was mind-boggling!

Finally, I looked at Ryan Lujan and said, “Basically, only your imagination limits the number of uses for this tool”.

He said, “Exactly”.

These are Oklahoma City firefighters who clearly believe in their tool. Hopefully, they will be at FDIC again this year. I would be curious to know if business has been good for them.

If seeing is believing, then I believe that the Bowring™ is going to find a wide audience.

Go to www.thebowring.com and check out the videos and the testimonials. It can also be found at www.paulconwayshields.com.

I will be on the floor at FDIC 2012 in search of the next revolutionary tool.

See you there.

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

The Love of the...Stress?

You can go to the many fire service-related outlets or social media sites every day and read comments left by firefighters as to why they love being firefighters.

The first book that I read on this subject was Dennis Smith's "Firefighters". It was a series of interviews that described in the firefighters' own words on why they loved what they did. It was released in 1988 in hardcover.

More recently (2008), Rick Lasky released his "Pride and Ownership: A Firefighter's Love for the Job". Rick captured the essence perfectly and in a style that was uniquely Rick's. He articulates what many firefighters feel, but struggle to describe or to explain.

An article in a Sunday paper got me to wondering; if firefighters love what they do, then why is the firefighting profession listed as Number 2 on the list of most stressful jobs of 2012?

What isn't clear in the article is the type of stress that the author is referring to. There are many types of stress and I can only assume from the tone of the article that they were writing about mental stress. However; there are many types of mental stress as well. But, I will address it in general terms.

The 10 most stressful jobs of 2012 are:

10. Taxi Driver

 9. Photojournalist

 8. Corporate executive

 7. Public relations executive

 6. Event coordinator

 5. Police officer

 4. Military general

 3. Airline pilot

 2. Firefighter

 1. Enlisted soldier

Read the full article: http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=579194&query=stressful%20jobs

The article's author offers opinions for the causes of the stress and some of them might have merit, but firefighters have a uniquely different view of the job that they do.

When "firefighting" as an occupation or an avocation is mentioned, it is spoken, using very positive adjectives to describe it. For instance:

"I love what I do".

"It's not a job; it's a calling".

"It's the best job in the world".

"I get a rush when we are at a job".

"I'm happiest when I'm with my crew".

"We are a family; a brotherhood".

"There's nothing like it".

When a firefighter talks about it, there is excitement in their eyes, a smile on their face and a mouth that won't run out of things to say about a job that defines them as a person.

We talk and talk about the "big ones" and of some of the extraordinary efforts made by others that we were witness to. You might even get a mention, but you will deflect it with a "That was nothing", but inside; you are proud that your peers noticed your effort.

All of the jokes, the good times, the meals shared, training together, responding together, attending each others' family milestones and retirements…

How could this possibly be stressful?

Many firefighters recognize their mortality and know that, on any given day, that they may perish or that a fellow brother or sister could. But those thoughts remain deep inside of them and thoughts of accomplishing their mission are what occupy their minds and even if they are thinking about their mortality, they don't talk about it much; if at all.

Firefighting is their dream job. They have been preparing to be a firefighter since they were a kid. It is everything that they had hoped for times ten!

Does any of this sound stressful to you?

According to Dr. Melissa Conrad Stoppler:
Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental unrest and that may be a factor in disease causation. Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress include trauma, infections, toxins, illnesses, and injuries of any sort. Emotional causes of stress and tension are numerous and varied. While many people associate the term ‘stress' with psychological stress, scientists and physicians use this term to denote any force that impairs the stability and balance of bodily functions.
If stress disrupts body balance and function, then is all stress bad? Not necessarily. A mild degree of stress and tension can sometimes be beneficial. For example, feeling mildly stressed when carrying out a project or assignment often compels us to do a good job, focus better, and work energetically.
Likewise, exercising can produce a temporary stress on some body functions, but its health benefits are indisputable. It is only when stress is overwhelming, or poorly managed, that its negative effects appear.
An important goal for those under stress is the management of life stresses. Elimination of stress is unrealistic, since stress is a part of normal life. It's impossible to completely eliminate stress, and it would not be advisable to do so. Instead, we can learn to manage stress so that we have control over our stress and its effects on our physical and mental health.
If we take that and apply it to what I have written so far, I have described "good stress".
Bad stress as described by Dr. Stoppler could be sleep deprivation, the many obstacles getting to the scene, being short handed, critical injuries requiring swift decisions, deceased victims, a Mayday call or anything pulled from Murphy's playbook are just some of the bad stuff that plays out everyday in this country.
Add crappy pay,the threat of loss of jobs or the loss of health benefits as you fight cancer during your "retirement" and I have to wonder if the good outweighs the bad.
I know that the "bad stress" isn't enough to discourage those who are serving and those wishing to serve. 1.3 million are still answering the call and there are more wanting to get in than are getting out. And that is good.
We seem to be willing to risk the "chemical" changes to our body that over the years, will impact our good health because of the love for the job. Many will say that they don't feel stress, but it's sneaky stuff. Just like we may not know if we've had one too many barley pops, the cumulative effect of stress may be building and might tap you on the shoulder at a most inopportune time. It is here that I hope that good will triumph over bad.
I would add one more descriptive reason to the list and that is:
"It is worth the sacrifice" and "it" is friends, strangers, neighbors, families and the communities that we serve.
TCSS.
The opinions and views expressed are those of the article's author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

Blogging Then and Now

Every now and then, I have to remind myself that I have been blogging for a long time.

My first article went up at Firehouse.com during the early days of the MembersZone feature. Back then, you could sign up for free, but if you paid, you could get content that wasn’t available with the free membership. That first article was posted in the “Volunteer’s Corner”.

From there, I went to the IACOJ website, where I posted several blogs in the “ChiefReason” section.

The Board there gave me a piece of their pie and we had many, many great discussions.
So many fond memories there; too many to count. From the many strangers that I met through the website, I was privileged to make many friends and it was done from both sides of a debate.

I always felt comfortable. It felt like a home and that I belonged.

Then, I went on a new adventure.

I was asked by the founder of FirefighterNation to come and join his new venture and that took me to FireEMSBlogs.com, where I managed to post 2-3 times a week, as well as participate in their forums.

That exposure lead to a slot on FirefighterNetcast, an up-and-coming blogtalkradio show that was gaining popularity. It was live and unscripted-right up my alley!

But, nothing ever remains the same and you look for new challenges or they find you.

However it happens, you find yourself somewhere else, doing what you love to do.

I have been with Fireengineering.com for more than a year now. Bobby, Peter and Scott have been a blast to work with.

From Firehouse.com to now, I have posted well over 400 articles. Anyone who has read my blog knows that I write about an array of subjects. Many have been about fire service issues and many more have not been.

Having the freedom to write about whatever I want is what draws me to blogging. I don’t expect everyone to get it and I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with me. Anyone who has blogged for as long as I have has been called every name in the book and yet; that doesn’t serve to discourage me or to entertain thoughts of giving it up.

It DOES cause you to step back now and then to re-examine your words, because the right words properly presented can be powerful and the wrong choice of words can be hurtful.

And though I have always taken great pride in choosing the right words, I haven’t always been right. As I am not one to be satisfied with hitting for percentage; I don’t want to hit a home run at someone else’s expense, either.

Firefighter safety has always been close to my heart. I have advocated for it at the local, state and national levels. I have had the grand opportunity to use what I love to do to put it into the public arena as a blog.

During my active, fire career, my department made several, interior attacks. That was back in the days when doing a 360 simply wasn’t done by small departments. We had to rely on our training from smoke classes and building construction class to keep us safe. You see; back then, if the chief didn’t respond, it was the guy first on scene who was in charge.

It was only after taking tactics classes taught by the likes of Rick Lasky, John Mittendorf, Tom Freeman, Bob and Ray Hoff, Eddie Enright and many others that I realized the importance of doing a proper size up.

And still; we never made a rescue from a structural fire in those years then or since.

My rescues came as an EMT and as a rescuer at vehicle accidents and there were many.
There are many in the volunteer service like me, who go an entire career, believing that we were prepared to fight our way into a structure, race to the victim(s) and pull them out of Harm’s way, but will never know if our heart and our training were up to the task.

I still get excited and a little emotional when I hear or read about a crew that got in, made the grab and everyone went home.

I can’t say that I know that feeling, but I can say that the willingness of anyone to make that effort is one of the pillars that built America’s fire service.

Unless you write strictly opinion pieces, where you simply write within a single dimension, you have to do a lot of research, which in my case, requires a lot of reading. All of that reading goes into my blogs.

Risk management (safety) is how I make my living, so I tend to gravitate in that direction.

The best fire service book that I have ever read on firefighter safety is Paul Grimwood’s “Euro Firefighter”.

I don’t know if that was Paul’s intent for it to be a safety manual, but it is to me.

From the many case studies, interviews, NIOSH excerpts and strategies discussed in his book, it is written in a way that immediately impacts the reader with many key elements needed on the fireground by officers and firefighters alike. Paul is one of those authors who must be read. He absolutely knows what he is writing about. The last I knew, Paul held the highest fire service degree awarded in the UK AND he has worked out of some of the busiest stations in the UK. I am honored that he calls me “brother and friend”. I am humbled that he used some of my work in his book. If I never write again, I will always have that.

That brings me back to the point of this blog.

You can write something that has impact and relevance; you can state opinions designed simply to get a reaction or you can write what many others write about and in the process, get lost in the maddening crowd. It’s simple for me; I don’t want to go with the crowd.

When Priceless Paul Combs posts one of his extraordinary drawings, I always study it for several minutes, wanting to see every nuance and subtlety. His gift is that every drawing tells a story in vivid detail and he leaves no questions about his intent.

What Paul is able to accomplish with drawing pens and paper, I try to do with a combination of words. His is more visual and mine is more of a visualization.

While watching the movie “Contagion”, I was struck by a line that Elliot Gould’s character spoke to Jude Law’s character.

Gould said, “Blogging is graffiti with punctuation”.

Really?

I thought that blogging was a more highly-regarded medium than that. Why; some blogsites have been sold for millions.

Blogging has kept my brain hitting on all cylinders. This year, I will turn 60. Not only am I looking forward to it, but I am embracing it.

Six decades on this Earth with over three decades in the fire service.

I’ve got plenty left.

TCSS.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author, Art Goodrich, who also writes under the name ChiefReason.  They do not reflect the views and opinions of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. Articles written by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form.