101 Rules for the New Firefighter
1. When working at a new house for the first time, shut-up, work hard, and pay attention. I can promise you that everyone is paying attention to you.
2. The young firefighter knows the rules, but the old one knows the exceptions.
3. Let the tool do the work.
4. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath.
-Michael Caine
5. "Twenty-five years from now you will be more disappointed by the the things that you didn't do than the ones you did."
-Mark Twain
6. Don't make a scene and never disrespect your brother.
7. Never take the seat that faces the television when sitting at the dinner table.
8. When in doubt, take a halligan.
9. Two hands. Two tools.
-Mike Ciampo
10. Never claim to be what you're not. Time reveals all things.
11. If you don't know what you're doing, say so.
12. When approaching a fire scene, it is imperative to slow down three blocks before arrival.
13. Suck it up.
14. You shouldn't worry when the guys make fun of you. You should worry when they don't say anything at all.
15. Give Credit. Take the blame.
16. Never turn your back on the fire.
17. When things go wrong, don't go with them.
-Elvis Presley
18. Always show up to work at least a half-hour early. There is no better gift you can give to guy or gal your relieving.
19. Never trust the hand lights on the truck. Buy your own.
20. Don't gloat. Don't brag. The guys will do it for you.
21. Take pictures often.
22. Seek out the busiest units and the best officers.
23. Drink coffee.
24. Don't tell war stories to non-firefighters. No one thinks its as exciting as you do.
25. Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.
-Aesop
26. Don't be so eager to get off probation. The time you spend riding backwards will be the most fun you have in your career.
27. Never be the last one to the truck, or the sink.
28. Be the last one to bed.
29. Don't be afraid to fail
30. Drill. Drill. Drill
31. Never respond to criticism in an e-mail.
32. Surround yourself with smart people.
33. Maintain a healthy fear of this job.
- Windsor building fire
34. Stay committed to being a life-long student of the fire service
35. Share your ideas and observations. You never know it could save someones life.
"I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow."
-Woodrow Wilson
36. Learn to cook at least two great meals.
37. Read John Norman's book, Fire Officers Handbook of Tactics
38. One fire sticker on your car is more than enough.
39. Don't complain about how many calls you had last night. No one cares. Least of all, the people that are working 9 to 5 jobs while you're napping.
40. Have pride in your department, but more for your station.
41. Be precise.
42. One of the best ways to learn is to teach--even if its teaching what you just learned.
43. Don't panic.
44. Befriend the driver. You won't get anywhere without him.
45. Go down fighting.
46. If you're carrying more than one knife, you're a moron.
47. Be careful what you put on paper or e-mails. You can't take it back.
48. Don't scribble in the logbook.
49. Learn how to swim. You don't want to be the guy that can't go near the water.
50. When you're a guest at a house (on overtime or just there for the day), follow their rules.
51. Offer to help before you are asked.
52. The phone and the doorbell are always for you.
53. Just because you have the uniform, that doesn't make you a firefighter. . .It just makes you a city, county, or government employee. Your peers will let you know if you're a firefighter or not.
54. When spending money, good quality leather boots are always worth the investment.
55. Never call out sick on a drill day.
56. If you don't have kids, Christmas is not as important to you. You should not be asking for the day off.
57. The one true measure of a successful shift is returning home safely.
58. Don't date a co-worker.
59. Carry two wedges and 20' of webbing.
60. You will find no better camaraderie than in a firehouse
61. Don't talk about the other department you worked for. No one cares.
62. Participate in a good practical joke.
63. Introduce yourself. Don't be offended when you're not remembered. You're not memorable--yet.
64. Treat your body well. You'll be glad you did.
65. Always have $20 in your wallet. No one wants to take you to the ATM.
66. Learn your territory. Know it like the back of your hand.
67. When you are out in public, never criticize your own department. You can make up for lost time on your next shift.
68. Take the stairs.
69. Don't show off. Impress.
70. When using a power saw, patience, form--not strength are needed to make the cut.
71. Choose the right blade.
72. Fire is always changing and you cannot be stationary in your attitude to something that is always changing.
73. Never criticize a fire or a call unless you were there yourself.
74. Don't wear your fire t-shirt to the gym unless you plan on giving mouth to mouth. Trust me, its never going to be the 18 year old co-ed with sweatpants that read, 'juicy' across her butt.
75. Be patient with the ER staff. They can't help that they chose such a miserable career.
76. Dorms are for sleeping. Turn the tv off and hang up the phone.
77. Don't go cheap on the ice cream and the coffee should be from Dunkin Donuts.
78. Courage is not the lack of fear, it is acting in spite of it.
-Mark Twain
79. You are what you do. Not what you say.
80. One of the most difficult and dangerous things to do on a fire scene is backing a truck up.
81. Pace yourself.
82. A fellow firefighter who is not willing to share their knowledge is suspect.
83. Avoid gossip
84. The common sense approach is usually the best way.
84. Stick to the plan. You haven't been at it as long as you think you have.
85. Follow instructions.
86. Read John Mittendorf's book Truck Company Operations.
87. Attend fire conferences. You'll see that your department is not the center of the universe and there are other guys that are already doing it smarter and better than you are.
88. Be the guy that everyone has to say, " take a break. You're making us look bad."
89. If your department allows it, invest in a leather helmet.
90. Always look up and around and read Brannigans book Building Construction For the Fire Service. If you can't make an educated guess as to how a building will perform under fire conditions, you are putting yourself in danger.
91. Demand more from your officer.
92. It is a good idea to carry a multi-tool.
93. Never defend the liar, the cheat, or the thief.
94. When your officer tells you to take a nap, it's not a joke or a trick. He wants you to be worth a damn at 3am.
95. You don't clean a seasoned cast iron skillet with soap and water.
96. Shaving your arms is not cool. It's a good way to contract MRSA.
97. I'll take the chubby firefighter that can work all day over Mr. February who has to eat six meals, drink three protein shakes, and is no good to me after one tank.
98. Always eat dinner with your crew. Your diet is not as important as family.
99. Never ask the guys to lie to your spouse when he or she calls the station.
100. When it's your time to drive, always remember that you're now responsible for all the lives in the truck.
101. The day you show up to work hungover, or sleep deprived is the day everyone is going to need you.
I've actually got more than 101, but I thought I'd like to see if anyone has anymore. That's all for now.
-George
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93 comments
Another quotable quote for your collection:
Unknown Firefighter’s Admonition: “Murphy was an optimist!”
Bob Kenyan, Instructor and Public Information Officer
Avinger Volunteer Fire Department
Avinger, Texas (NE TX Piney Woods)
Bear Creek Fire – 41,000+ acre Wildfire in Sept., 2011
From a probie’s perspective,
Always be the first one done eating and wait to be offered a second helping. Grab the officer’s plates first then down by rank…do not let them clean their own dishes, even if they insist…unless they make it clear that its a direct order to stand down.
Show up an hour before your shift time or 15 min before your senior officer (whichever makes more sense) and start cleaning the rigs…starting with the box and working your way up.
Always always always bring cake and ice cream when it’s a first for you…every day is a first and don’t you dare bring a store bought cake (wrap it in foil if your useless at baking).
C. Fisher, HFD
“Page 2”
We were all “FNGs” at one time. If you see an “FNG” making a mistake, don’t ridicule him, teach him. — Bob Southwick, captain, Engine 6, Anchorage Fire Department (IAFF Local 1264)
* * * *The firehouse is a place where divergent views can come together and men, no matter what their background, can love each other for the job they do. — Mitch S., WGFD, Winter Garden, Florida
* * * *My wife bitches because I spend so much time at the firehouse training, so let’s make every minute count. She’s bound to cut me off soon. — Captain Brad Shull, president, Fairfield County (OH) Firefighters Association
* * * *In response to my nozzle person’s first fire…
“Hey Lieutenant, it’s hot in here….”
“Yea, that’s why they called us, Ken.”
— EJL3, Mattydale FD, NY
* * * *Gone to fight
We’ll do it right
Let’s pray we all come home tonight.
— Donnie Bathje, eng/paramedic, North River Fire District
* * * *In reference to the “probies’” first day: Remember one thing: you’re joinin’ us; we’re not joinin’ you. This is a team. Listen to the guys, and we’ll bring ya home.
* * * *Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. — Sgt. Stephen Gray, West Memphis Fire Department
* * * *A job done half-ass is the same as a job not done at all.
* * * *The difference between a dude and a dud is an E for effort. — John Hawkins
* * * *Bitchers don’t work and workers don’t bitch.
* * * *“A funny thing about firemen: night and day they’re always firemen.” — Backdraft (the movie), submitted by Sam, Cypress Creek VFD, Station 21 (Engine 21, Booster 21, Equipment 21, Rescue Boat 21, Engine 25)
* * * *Greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. — John 15:13
* * * *Integrity means treating all your patients with care and respect even when no one is watching. — M. Shaw, FF/PM, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue
* * * *Men are like steel: when they get hot they bend. — Captain Phillip L. Queen
* * * *Any fool can criticize, and most fools do. — Captain Phillip L. Queen
* * * *Most firefighters tend to criticize those things they don’t understand. Understand it before you criticize it. — Captain Phillip L. Queen
* * * *It is far easier to justify to a property owner why you went defensive than to explain to a grieving widow why you didn’t. — Captain Joseph Knitter, training officer, South Milwaukee Fire Department, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* * * *“The hero is commonly the simplest and obscurest of men.” — Henry David Thoreau. Submitted by Captain James L. Jester, president, Ocean City (Maryland) Volunteer Fire Company; firefighter, Salisbury (Maryland) Fire Department
* * * *“Professional Firefighters Providing Volunteer Services” — Custer Volunteer Fire Department, Custer, South Dakota
* * * *Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret. — Mark Pure, FF/paramedic, Greenacres Fire Department
* * * *Let no man’s ghost return to say, “My training let me down.” — Aaron Heller, captain, Hamilton Township Fire District 9, New Jersey
* * * *On every job, give it all you’ve got. If you don’t, you’re selling everyone who carries the title of “firefighter” short. — Bill Hopson, Beachwood Fire Department
* * * *Why is it that “training on a job” always winds up with someone getting hurt? — Bill Hopson, Beachwood Fire Department
* * * *If it were easy, everyone would want to do it. — Lieutenant Paul Czarnecki, medic, Elbridge Volunteer Fire Department, Elbridge, N.Y.
* * * *Just because your certified doesn’t mean your qualified. — Chris Parrott, Henrico Co. Division of Fire
* * * *Just because you’re excited, doesn’t mean I’m deaf…. Stop yelling!" — A dispatcher
* * * *Here’s to firefighters,
* * * *One and all,
Always at your beck and call. Vigilant and unafraid,
Volunteer or city paid,
Scientific men are these,
Fighting fire, a dread disease. Pray for them
As they go past
Every ride may be their last.
— Jerry Poland, deputy fire marshal, Adams County, Pennsylvania
Training Department Motto: “…Training as if our lives depended on it…” — Barbara Bush, FF/RN, Carbondale, Colorado, Fire/EMS/Rescue
* * * *My father, a retired battalion chief, used to say, “We go in together, we come out together.” Also he used to day, “Cool heads fight hot fire.” But my all-time favorite is from when he was captain. I was, “I only have two rules on my engine company: Rule No. 1 – Don’t burn the captain; Rule No. 2 – See rule No. 1!” — Lieutenant Jay Gallagher, MHFR, Manns Harbor, North Carolina
* * * *If you can’t see your feet, you better get off of them. — FF Gary Noel, Northbridge, Massachusetts
* * * *Train hard, fight easy. — Peter Weatherstone, New South Wales Fire Brigades, Goulburn, NSW, Australia
* * * *If you’re holding your own, your losing the f***ing building.
* * * *Compassion is not a page in your protocal book; it comes from within you. As firefighters and paramedics, we must have and never lose our sense of compassion for the sick, the injured and the ones who call for no apparent reason. — Michele Shaw, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue FF/PM
* * * *If you think training is expensive, check out the cost of ignorance. — Lieutenant David Record, Oklahoma City Fire Dept.
* * * *Know your zone and read your map. Each Code 3 U-turn gets brighter and louder. — Kevin Shaw, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue FF/PM
* * * *Wherever you go in this great family of the fire service, never forget where it is you came from and those who helped you get there. — Fire Inspector/Firefighter Mark Parker, Waterford, Connecticut
* * * *Good and bad, all form what becomes your character. — Fire Inspector/Firefighter Mark Parker, Waterford, Connecticut
* * * *Always train realistically because we respond to reality! — Fire Inspector/Firefighter Mark Parker, Waterford, Connecticut
You can vent a fire all you want, but the fire won’t go out! — One liner that ended a heated argument between a hoseman and a truckman, SFD
When you tell your lieutenant you need training, prepare to ladder the walls of your station at 22:00 hours, to perfect airbag placement by 22:30 hours and to load hose before midnight, thinking all the time how much you love your partner for including you. — Michele Shaw, Palm Beach County Fire
* * * *Beware of those who don’t think they need to train!
* * * *Don’t be giving so many orders; they just might listen to you. — The late Harry Ford, Rescue 4, FDNY
* * * *The ABC’s of firefighting are “Always Be Careful.”
Fireground decisions can’t be made from a swivel seat. If it ain’t right, fall back on your training and cover your brother. — Lieutenant Don Collins, City of Goldsboro Fire Department, North Carolina
* * * *The mind is like a parachute; it only works when it is open.
* * * *Pain is temporary; pride is forever. — Quoted from Lt. Bruce Clark of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue
* * * *I am not a fireman for a living; I am a fireman for life. — Matt Cantrell, F.D. Engine3, Weatherford
* * * *What is your duty? Whatever the day demands. — Lieutenant Brian Smith, Eugene Fire Department, Eugene, Oregon.
* * * *Old firefighters don’t really retire — we just go away for awhile. — Larry Byrnes, 1st Battalion Chief, FDNY
(Larry responded to the World Trade Center from his home on Sept. 11. This was his district for more than 20 years. All he had was a bell cap and handie-talkie he got off an injured FF. Larry began doing what he knows best, helping re-establish a sector incident command structure.)
* * * *Think like a terrorist and plan like a responder. — Peter DeJesse, battalion chief, Broward County Fire Rescue, Florida
* * * *Amateurs practice until they get it right; professionals practice until they cannot get it wrong. Which one are you?
* * * *Pump at 140 and cook at 350. — Eric Kaufman, engineer, Hanford Fire, California
* * * *If you can see the incident commander’s ass instead of his face, he is in the wrong place. — Dean Dysart, Ventura County Fire Department (ret.)
* * * *Go home with all the players you came with. — Matt Thorpe, lieutenant, King Fire Department
* * * *Bravery is performing a task or action without thinking about the consequences. Courage is performing the same task or action knowing full well what the results are going to be . . . but performing anyway. — Deputy Chief Timothy E. Pace
* * * *There are three types of men: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what just happened. Which one are you? — Mark Langston, Decatur (Illinois) Fire Department
* * * *He who knows everything has a lot to learn. — Jim Lusk, Chevron-Phillips FF, Borger, Texas
* * * *Someone took the time to name every street and tool; the least you could do to complement this is to learn what they named them. — David Bullard, Martinez (Georgia) FD
* * * *“Praise in public and criticize in private” — something everyone of us should do. — Jon Drew, Station 35, Home of the Kings, Houston, Texas
* * * *There is no “I” in TEAM. — FF2 Kenneth Crutchley, Montgomery County DFRS
* * * *If you didn’t learn anything today, your usefulness is at an end. — FF2 Kenneth Crutchley, Montgomery County DFRS
* * * *This job — love it or leave it!
* * * *The difference between training and education is this: we train to know how to do something and educate to know why it works. — Art Stoike
* * * *We ARE our brothers keepers. Stay low, stay safe; every one goes home.
* * * *If company officers pay attention to the little things on the training ground, the company will be able to handle the big things on the fire ground. — Captain W.P.S., Engine Co. 3
* * * *Fire fighting is not just something we do, it is a way of life. — FF Steven McGrath, Grand Lake Road Volunteer Fire Department, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
* * * *The bigger the man, the finer his simplicity. Remember always that pomposity or “airs” is like an inflated toy balloon. Some day a pin punctures it, and the result is pathetic. Build then your popularity on qualities of justice and fairness to all. — Bill, Millwood Fire Co. #1 Inc.
* * * *Everything dries out; nothing un-burns. — H.L. Wilson, chief of operations, retired, Charlotte Fire Department
* * * *Hope for the best; expect the worst. — Walt Lewis, OFD, Florida
* * * *The hardest thing a fire department has to do is maintain/raise current standards of operation. It’s easy to lower them.
* * * *Understand this now: Rekindle is not in my vocabulary. — Randy Stulce, Cedar Hammock Fire-Rescue, Bradenton, Florida.
* * * *Remember, there are no false alarms; they all go off for a reason — whether it be real or not.
* * * *More fires are put out with blood and guts than with tactics and strategy. — Bill Maison
* * * *When the ladders go up, the walls usually come down. — Bill Maison
* * * *You have two hands, carry two tools!
* * * *The more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. — Bob Day, NYS Fire Instructor, Wayne County
* * * *If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. — Peter DeJesse, Battalion Chief, Broward County Fire Rescue
* * * *No one trains to fail; they just fail to train. — Jerry D. Jensen, Sarasota County Fire Department, Special Operations
* * * *People get into this business because they care. However, they don’t know how to act on the fact that they are. We need to train them how to act on their caring. — Captain Ted Sommer, Cottage Grove F.D., Cottage Grove, Wisconsin
* * * *A firefighter should always try as hard to get into the fire department as he or she did to get onto the firedepartment. — Captain W.P.S., Engine 3
* * * *The man that knows “how” to do a job will always have a job, but the man that knows “why” he’s doing a job will eventually be the other man’s boss. — Deputy Chief Timothy E. Pace Flowood, Mississippi
* * * *Success or failure of any operation is dependent on the actions or inaction’s of the first-due company. — Quentin M. Maver, battalion chief, Charlotte Fire Department
* * * *There is no such thing as sexism in a fire station. Fire treats everyone the same, and no one wants to come back one member short."
* * * *Ever notice the guys with the blackest helmets always have the cleanest turnout pants? — FF/EMT Brent Gaskey, Lebanon (Ore.) Fire District
* * * *I’m not here to be in a social club; I’m here to do a job. If I make a few friends along the way, Great! If not, oh well. — T.J. Lynch, career firefighter/paramedic, Fayetteville (N.Y.) FD
* * * *If you look at one of your firefighters and can’t see something good in him, you shouldn’t be looking at him in the first place. See the good in each, build on it, and use it to improve your organization. Soon you won’t see as much negative. — Deputy Chief Steve Wilder, Bradley (Illinois) Fire Department
* * * *“You know you’re in trouble when you turn around and tell your firefighter to lay a line and he starts to assemble an IV set.” — Captain Rick Fritz, High Point Fire Department, High Point, North Carolina
* * * *Our new sophisticated title: ‘Exposure Protection Engineers’ (think about it.) — Battalion Chief John Izak, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Co. 65
* * * *Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss-poor Performance — K. Zaccard, Honover Park, Illinois
* * * *“With all our new hires, we old-times have a new saying at fires. It’s called the 10 percent rule: 10 percent of the people are doing 90 percent of the work.” — Dave, Modesto, California
* * * *“If you are not seeing a probationary firefighter’s best effort while he’s on probation, you never will.” — Captain D. Bramell, Tracy Fire Department
* * * *“Let no one say their training let them down.” — Firefighters of the 00-1 Fire Academy, San Jose Fire Department, California
* * * *In reference to being assigned to a tower ladder over a “stick” aerial: “Why take the stairs when you can take the elevator?” — Lt. Danny Shulltz, Millbrook (Dutchess County), New York
* * * *“This will be the hardest pin-in you have ever worked . . . until the next one.”
* * * *“When we go in, it’s going to be hot! When we leave, it had better be cold! NO REKINDLES.”
* * * *“Don’t get tunnel vision, and provide for safety first.” — Deputy Chief Justin Sturm Jr., Grizzlies Fire Department, Mariposa, California
“Try to be the man your dog thinks you are”!
* * * *“Panic can save your life, as long as you’re the first one to do it and you’re headed in the right direction. . . . Think about it!”
* * * *“Real heroes don’t leap burning buildings; they go through them.” — Captain Shane Taylor, LOB FD, Canada
* * * *“‘The fire went out and nobody got hurt’ is a poor excuse for a fireground critique.”
* * * *“Beware of the firefighter who tells you he has survived numerous ‘real’ flashovers and doesn’t act scared.” — Chief Billy Goldfeder
* * * *“Did you ever notice that those who think certifications are not important usually don’t have any?” — J. Scott Gillespie, B.F.D.
* * * *“Never second-guess your officer. He was put in that position for a reason!” — Captain Millhouse & Lieutenant Evans, M.F.C. #1
* * * *“Volunteers aren’t paid for what they do, they do it because they care. Support your volunteers! — Captain Millhouse & Lieutenant Evans, M.F.C. #1
* * * *“In this line of work, remember to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these. — Captain Joe Bruni, St. Petersburg Fire/Rescue
* * * *“Practice does not make perfect, nor is it meant to. Practice simply increases your repertoire of ways to recover from your mistakes.” — President/Captain James L. Jester, Ocean City (Maryland) Volunteer Fire Company
* * * *“Attention first due engine officers! Don’t let yourself get distracted by obvious rescue problems or reports of people trapped upon arrival. Don’t allow yourself to lose sight of your responsibilities and objectives. Engine companies make rescues by putting the fire out! Once that is accomplished, there are no more rescue problems!” — Captain Dan Troxell, DCFD, Engine 15
* * * *“When you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway!”— J. Scott Gillespie, BFD
* * * *“If someone makes a mistake on the fireground, ask the standard question: ‘Who taught him that?’” — Trent Engler, San Jose Fire Department
* * * *“Mistakes are like knives. They either help us or hurt us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle.” — Jerry Byrum, Engineer, Santa Paula Fire Department
* * * *“If you find yourself on the fire ground wondering where your company officer is, you can rest assured that your company officer is wondering where the hell you are. Stick together.” — Lieutenant Myles “Tex” Meier, Berkeley Fire Department
* * * *“When attacking a room of fire, keep the nozzle on a straight stream. The skin on your ears will thank you.” — Lieutenant James “Jake” Rixner, Richmond (Va.) Fire Department
* * * *“Remember, just because you have the certificates doesn’t mean you know how to do your job. Prove it!!” — Capt. Millhouse, M.F.C. #1
* * * *“Know when to hold ’em, and know when to fold ’em.”
* * * *“You perform how you practice, so practice how you want to perform…. Full speed practice = full speed performance.” — B.J. McCart, H.F.F.D. firefighter
* * * *“Sometimes, the best way to protect an exposure is to PUT THE FIRE OUT!!!”
* * * *“During my career, I tried to live up to the old saying, ‘lead, follow or get the hell outta my way.’” — Dick Nichols, City of Batavia, NY, retired after 31+ years
* * * *“Knowledge is power . . . empower others, share it!” — Rick Talbert, fire chief, Titusville, Florida
* * * *“An inch-and-a-half will knock down all the fire it can reach within a few seconds. Unless you are crawling forward, you’re not doing your job.” — Lieutenant James “Jake” Rixner, Richmond (Va.) Fire Department
* * * *“Sweat more in peace; bleed less in war!”
* * * *“The real and valuable expert in this fire business is someone who knows more about what he does not know than about what he does!”
* * * *“I frequently remind the men of my truck company, ‘You may not fight fire every day or every week like they do in the Bronx or in L.A., but fire here won’t care; it doesn’t know you’re not a New Yorker, and it won’t wait for you to explain, but it’ll expect you to start actin’ like one.’” — Captain Ben Fleagle, firefighter in Alaska
* * * *“Faith in God, trust in training.”
* * * *The true meaning of CHAOS…
* * * *C=Chief
H=Has
A=Arrived
O=On
S=Scene
The true meaning of PANIC…
* * * *P=People
A=Are
N=No longer
I=In
C=Control
“After knocking down a room of fire, use a straight stream to sweep the debris out of the path you intend to crawl through so as to advance your line with-out burning your knees.” — Lieutenant James “Jake” Rixner, Richmond, Virginia, Fire Department
* * * *“Remember, if you don’t go get it , it will come get you!”
* * * *“Do you have 20 years’ experience or one year’s experience 20 times?” — Albe, Norwalk Connecticut
* * * *“Lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.” — Donnie Bathje, firefighter/paramedic, North River Fire District
* * * *“Stay low, or you’re going to have to take a blow.” — Tom Redmond, firefighter, Melbourne Fire Department
* * * *“There are too many outstanding firefighters today. You know, the ones outside, standing.”
* * * *“It took me twenty-two years to realize that I am getting paid for the transportation business — driving to and from the Fire House. I would do the rest of the job for FREE.” — Victor F. Dane, engineer, 1524 B Shift
* * * *“I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do, believe that his is a noble calling….” — Chief Edward F. Croker, New York City Fire Department
* * * *“Engine guys make movies, Truck guys make history.”
* * * *“When asked ‘Why do you do this job?’, I usually reply, ‘Because I love it.’Even if they cut the pay in half, we would probably bitch about it; but we’d still show up.” — Walt Lewis, Orlando Fire Department
* * * *“You have two ears and one mouth; listen twice as much as you talk” — Dan Shultz, Millbrook (N.Y.) Fire Department, based on Benjamin Disraeli, English statesman (1804-1881): “Nature has given us two ears but only one mouth….”
* * * *“You can always tell a chief, but you can’t tell him much.” — Greg Stewart, San Francisco Fire Department
* * * *“An officer cannot be a good officer if he is not a good leader. He may be able to fool himself and even other officers, but he cannot fool his company.” — Bill, Millwood Fire Company, New York
* * * *“I am not here for me; I am here for WE, and WE are here for them!” — Sled, Kingston Fire Department, Kingston, Rhode Island
* * * *“You get authority from your rank; you get respect from your actions.” — Bill, White Plains Fire Department, New York.
* * * *“The day you say ‘I know it all,’ please follow it with ‘I therefore submit my resignation.’” — R. Reichenbach, assistant chief, Spring Lake Fire Department, Spring Lake, N.C.
* * * *“Hey, brother, that’s why they call it a job!”
* * * *“Remember, when that bell goes off, we are all here for one thing. BRING IT!”
* * * *“Some people think that all you need are the fancy tools and trucks to do the job, but sometimes all it takes are little things, such as using your brain and thinking.” — Matt Quick, FF2/EMTD, Wildwood Fire & Rescue, North Carolina
* * * *“There go my people. I must find out where they are going, so I can lead them.” — Alexandre Ledru-Rollin, reactive fire officer
* * * *“Learn from the mistakes of others; you’ll not live long enough to make them all yourself.” — Randy White, Ottawa, Canada
* * * * “…(L)eadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.” — General Colin Powell * * * *“I’d rather call extra mutual aid and cancel them with my thanks than call for mutual aid later and wish they had been there five minutes earlier.” — Captain Larry Dysart, Newark Township Fire
* * * *“Mutual aid: I would rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them.”
* * * *“Holding with one engine, one truck; cancel the chief!” — Lt. Chris Shields, Lyncourt Fire Dept.
* * * *“Knowledge isn’t itelligence; the ability to use knowledge is! Apply what you learn.” — Ireland!
* * * *“Complacency kills…. Remember, there’s no such thing as a routine fire.” — Phil Whitson, chief, Grizzlies Fire Department
* * * *“The tower ladder is to the aerial as armor is to fixed artillery.”
* * * *“A fire department without a tower ladder is like a branch of the military without a helicopter.”
“The tower ladder is a force multiplier.” — Rich Pattererson, F.D.N.Y
Hey kid, relax, we didn’t light this fire, you know. We’re just here to help. — Stephen Walsh
* * * *How ‘bout considering the ABC’s upon arrival of your next “worker.”
A — Attic space (Do you have smoke issuing from the attic?)
B — Basement (Smoke or flames visible from basement windows?)
C — Contents (Color of smoke)
Just something to consider. — David Giovannini, Orlando Fire Dept. T10
* * * *If it’s wet and it’s not yours…don’t touch it!
* * * *“First out, first in.” — Keith Murry
* * * *“Fightn’ fire is like the lottery; you gotta be in it to win it.”
* * * *“An earnest effort reaps fine results. Try hard, then try harder.” — Justin J. Lefever
* * * *“Chop through or fall through.”
* * * *“Heroes do. Heroes don’t stand around.”
* * * *“Doing things right or doing right things. Make the hard right choice.” — Aaron Craft, Texas
* * * *“You can look good by being good, but you can’t be good by looking good.” — Jay Comella, O.F.D.
* * * *“After making a statement ‘I believe that . . .’, never follow it with ‘Am I right?’”
* * * *“Knowledge is only of value when you give it away.” — Leo Buscalia, Ph.D.
* * * *“Learn as if you would live forever; live as if you would die tomorrow.” — M. K. Gandhi
* * * *“It’s best to keep your mouth shut, and let them think you a fool; than open it and remove all doubt.”
* * * *“Our work place is not the firehouse; it is the fire building! Make it behave!” — Tom Brennan (value of truck work)
* * * *“Yield to the lights and sirens and pray for the firefighters.”
* * * *“Training doesn’t cost….It PAYS!!!!!”
* * * *“The more you practice, the luckier you get!”
* * * *“Laddermen don’t scrutinize, we improvise.” — TEAM LADDER 18
* * * *“TRAIN LIKE YOU FIGHT ’EM + FIGHT ’EM LIKE YOU TRAIN = SUCCESS! Learn and do it.” — John Gibson, Cherry Hill, N.J.
* * * *“Today could be the day…. Are you ready?”
* * * *“Know what you know; know what you don’t know!!” — From a past fire chief of the Greenville Fire & Rescue Dept., North Carolina
* * * *“Murphy’s law is always in effect in fire service…. What you don’t want to happen will, what you want to happen won’t. So be ready to Adapt, Overcome.” — Matt Quick, North Carolina firefighter
* * * *“We are born with our eyes closed and our mouths open and spend the rest of our lives trying to reverse that mistake!” — Dr. Dale Turner
* * * *“Firefighters put out fires. Chief officers save firefighters’ lives.” — Paul A. Skinner, chief, Daytona Beach (Fla.) Fire Department
* * * *“There are no dead heroes.”
* * * *“Heroes are remembered, but legends never die. If you are a legend, people won’t know about you and your service until you pass on.”
“The best thing an old firefighter can teach a young firefighter is how to be an old firefighter.”
* * * *“When arriving at a hazardous material incident, never pass a dead cop.”
* * * *Five tactical priorities that must be considered as a Fire Service leader:
R = Respect – Earned not given!
E = Example – Lead by example.
C = Credibility – Consistency and caring
E = Effort – 100% all the time!
O = Orders – Know how to take them, know how to delegate them.
— Shawn Cullen
* * * *“If it’s predictable, it’s preventable.”
* * * *“TRY before you PRY.” — Eric Gancz
* * * *“Rusty tools are a sign of no company pride.”
* * * *“A good leader is a good follower and an even better listener.”
* * * *“When going to work, you may carry what you want but have what you need (have the right tools for the right job).”
* * * *“The person behind the scenes does more work than those in plain view.”
* * * *“Fire prevention is suppression in its purest form.” — John Tait
* * * *“Luck reinforces bad habits.” — John Hawkins
* * * *“You guys can stretch hose anywhere you like, we can’t stretch ladders one inch.” — Tom Brennan, FDNY (ret.) to an anxious engineman when challenged about apparatus placement.
* * * *“There are three things that keep a firefighter alive in any situation: Instincts, FEAR and training. Loose one of them…loose your life.”
* * * *“Believe me, smoke really does burn. Treat it like petrol vapors, and cool those gases.” — Nigel Kind, Sheffield, England
* * * *“If I had used my yellow bottle more back then, I wouldn’t need my green bottle now.”
* * * *“Train like your life depends on it . . . because it does! Train hard; work safe.” — Lieutenant Bruce Clark, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, Palm Beach County, Florida
* * * *“Seniority can be yours if you stay around long enough!”
* * * *“Call ’em if you think you need ’em . . . you can always send ’em back.”
* * * *“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”
* * * *“Hoses bend, ladders don’t…. Park the truck where you can use it!”
* * * *“For those smelly EMS calls, you might try a little ‘Vicks Vaporub’ ™ on your upper lip and under your nose. It works!”
* * * *“The reception on hand-held radios can occasionally be poor. One of the causes may be the interference your body creates. Try holding the unit up and away from you; there may be noticeable improvement.”
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And if you wonder why .. what planet are you from and what rock have you been living under?!?
;)
Always respect the “Dozer Operators” they are trying to make your life easier…