Emergency Services

 We  call each other “Brother” but that is not a title to be awarded easily.  Usually a rookie is not called brother. That title is reserved for  someone that has gone through battle with our common enemy and we can  rely on that person. We may have friends in the department but may have  less that we actually call “Brother”.

Proverbs  17:17 states “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born out of  adversity” and our brotherhood has been molded and shaped out of  adversities that we have gone through together. We see so much of the  public’s challenges and we may put our lives in risk. The people that  are there with us are our Brothers.

When  we say to a brother “I got your back” that says that we are with them  through all their challenges and danger. When a Brother calls and they  say that they need our help, our response to help them should be  immediate and not a second delay.

We  are to look out four our Brother, offer them help, if you think they  may need it. This may be a car repair, painting a house or if you see  that they have something that is weighing heavy on their mind and may  need to talk.

Are  you a friend, who may only be in it for your benefit or are you a  Brother that comes when there is an emergency, even if it is  inconvenient for you. I personally know that I have at least one Brother  that is always there, even if I do not ask him to be there for me. He  has saved me plenty of times and pulled me out of a fire.

You  may be there to answer your calls for help from the public but are you  there to answer your Brothers’ call for help in their time of adversity?

Emergency  services, especially firefighting is a family business. We are a  Brotherhood, that is used for both sexes. Throughout history, the son  would follow in the father's footsteps and work alongside the father.  Just look around you. How many fathers and sons are on departments  together? I know that in some towns you may have an entire company that  is made up of fathers, sons, uncles and cousins. When I joined, my  father was my lieutenant and we have three father and son teams just on  our one fire company, and the sons all grew up together. The times that I  remember the best were going into burning buildings with my dad as my  partner.

When  I was was serving with my dad, out of my respect I would call the men  mister and their last name. I was told by one of them, "if I was good  enough to change your diapers, you call me uncle or you're not coming  out of the next fire alive." No this was not a threat by affection of  how close we become with one another and how we become so involved with  our families and those in our department. I cannot believe it, when I am  up at the academy and I see a family name on someone's turn out coat  and I know the father or grandfather, that I served with. Wow kids  really grow up fast.

By  having a family on the department, either a family by blood or a family  by smoke. We have learned so many lessons. We have learned how to care  for each other. Protect one another. If someone has a challenge in a  fire, we risk more to save a brother. We have learned how to take care  of anyone who wears a Maltese cross. We know to take care of the widows  and orphans. We are there for our fellow man in there time of need. We  start scholarships to help families of departed brothers.

I  need to go to a conference and I checked with a brother from another  department and a brother from another state said that he would be glad  to put me up for two nights. This was arranged through a mutual friend  that knew that I wore a Maltese cross and helped me.

So  many times you may see people walk past someone that is hurt and  injured but we are the first people to offer help, no matter who the  person is. I remember that the story of the Good Samaritan law started  on the basis of the Samaritan helping someone that he did not know but  the group was his enemy.

The  old question comes around "Am I to be my brother's keeper?" Well, you  are. Look at the business that you are in. A very good friend was a  carpenter, and learned from his father. It is so amazing how this man  loved people. He made sure that the widows and orphans were taken care  of. He helped people who were infirmed and disabled. He and I got so  close that his dad considers me to be one of his kids. I have learned  from them what truly taking care of people is all about. They even  taught me about search and rescue.Unfortunately, the son died at an  early age, before he turned 35.

What  a place like the fire department. Think about the phone commercial,  that shows how the world would run if it were run by firefighters. Just  think how the world would be if we kept up the attitude of our brothers  before us and truly take care of people. I heard a Deputy Chief from a  major department, who was concerned about the people who served under  him, he was so concerned about his people that he made sure that they  were out of undo harm, even before the union called to inquire.

Yes  we are our brothers keeper and we are to serve our neighbor. Just  remember, who is our neighbor? If we follow our property to the center  of the Earth, where all the property would meet, if it was not magma,  all the property would connect. You would see that every man is our  neighbor.

Stay safe my Brother, or Sister and I will see you when we come together again.

 The  holidays are coming and so is the change of the New Year and this gets  me thinking. We can give thanks for the officers that we have had and  look forward to the officers that are going to be sworn in.

We can look back at the past and think of our brothers who are no longer with us.

At  this time of year, people may not be able to completely understand us  even more. We may be having a holiday meal or have guests over at our  house or about to do something, like opening presents. Then an alarm  comes in and everything changes.

Most  people may want us to sit and finish our meal or watch the children  open the presents, but we get up and leave. We have some people who ask  us why we have to leave in the middle of our celebration. Our answer, to  us, is simple, “if you had a house fire, would you want the fire  department to show up?”

We  may be paid or volunteer but our services are needed all the time. When  emergency services joined, everyone answered the calling to help our  fellow man. Since we cannot plan emergencies, we have to be ready to go  at a moment’s notice.

I  remember two holiday celebrations that were interrupted. The first was  when I first joined and my father and I ran out of the house, as the  family was getting up and the second was a call that came in as my  daughter was just opening he presents. My daughter may have cried for  leaving in the middle of the event, but she understood that it was part  of helping other people. Emergency services help people when the person  is having a bad day. We do not fit it into our schedule. We  inconvenience ourselves so that we can be good servants.

At  this time of year, especially at this time of year, I would like to say  something for all the public; “Thank you for your time, dedication and  training. Thank you to your family for giving of their time that they do  without you. You provide a service to each person without consideration  of who they are. How many people and organizations can learn by  observing you?”

I  would ask that you also set aside some time for yourself. In emergency  services, as well as many occupations that provide care, we may take  ourselves for granted. We need some down time to recharge our batteries  and bring ourselves down to our level of normal baseline, whatever it  may look like for you.

Have an enjoyable holiday season and talk with you next year.