Firefighting Wouldn't Be The Same Without This Irish Contribution February 01 2025, 0 Comments
It's undeniable, after almost 200 years, the influence the Irish have made on the American Fire Service persists. More than bagpipes and legacy hires name O'Connor and O'Malley, I would argue that the most important contribution the Irish have made to the fire service is slagging. If you're a firefighter, you know what it is, you just have never put a name to it. I'm not sure any other career relies so heavily on slagging to vet new hires, continued employees and even old veterans. Slagging ensures that your skin is thick enough to be 'one of us'. What is slagging you ask?
Slagging: The delicate art of teasing someone in such a way that they look forward to it.
The Irish came to the Americas in droves during the mid 1700's. Forced out of their country by famine and scourge, they came to a country who held its arms open and urged them to make their way--but to keep to their feckin' selves. Jobs were hard to come by and racism rampant.
Firefighting was difficult, paid very little, was extremely dangerous and perfect for the new immigrants that most were none to happy to see. The Irish persevered, persisted and made an indelible mark on this county.
Sure, I could talk about Irish grit, or Irish camaraderie as their strongest contributions, but let's be serious and acknowledge that slagging has left the most indelible and lasting impression on the fire service.
Every firefighter knows that you shouldn't worry if they're making fun of you, you should worry if they aren't talking to you at all. To be clear, slagging is a test. It's a poke to see if you'll break easy. Instead of saying, 'good job,' you say, 'it's about time you got off your ass.' It's a push to see if you'll push back. It's an exploration to find your achilles. Slagging at its best finds that achilles and flicks it, making the recipient just a little uncomfortable--uncomfortable enough to make a retort. Slagging acknowledges our soft underbellies and tells the world its okay to poke it a little bit.
Firehouses are breeding grounds for slagging. It’s a sacred ritual, ensuring that new recruits are both tough enough to survive the job and self-aware enough to know when they’re being had. Take, for example, the tradition in Miami, where Cuban coffee is stronger than jet fuel and a rookie’s first shift requires a toast usually atop the bumper or their chair. This, of course, is a trap.
Toast to a safe shift? Coward. Toast to being grateful for the job? Suck-up. Forget to mention the Chief? Disrespectful and doomed. There is no right answer. The point is to see how the rookie handles failure, humiliation, and the crushing realization that nothing they say will be correct. If they can laugh it off, they’ve passed. If they sulk, well… maybe fire prevention is hiring.
Slagging is alive and well in firehouses across the country, proof that the Irish influence endures. It’s why no one takes themselves too seriously, why humor is a coping mechanism, and why at the end of a long shift, nothing feels quite as good as throwing an insult at your co-worker, telling them they smell like monkey fart as you part ways.
Slagging is uniquely Irish and if conducted properly in the most Irish way, you will be slagged on your retirement day and then again after you die, as the only proper wake is an Irish wake, where even the dead aren't saved.
And if you're still reading this, go find something better to do with your time.
Slainte