Firefighter or Employee: what is missing?

Firefighter or Employee: what is missing?

Have you ever witnessed a firefighter who is superb on the fire ground but completely incapable of getting along with others at the fire house?

This is a bigger problem than we realize. What is it that they are missing?

Consider this:

A doctor who is the most skilled in his region but no one wants to see because he has a terrible bedside manner.

A husband who provides for his family but fails to provide the love & support his family needs from him.

Is it clear yet? Their heart isn’t in it.

The question we must ask ourselves is this:

Are we here for what God can do for you or are we here to see what God can do through you?

A personal moment for the author was when he realized that he had become an expert at serving God but had become a rookie at being God’s friend.

The firefighter whose understanding of the job that is at the skill level only will miss out on the greatest opportunity in their lifetime:

It is the power of relationship!

Having an authentic and genuine passion for what you do comes from a deeper understanding than merely how to do it.

It means that you know it, value it, and care about what you are doing.

A follower of Christ will understand that to be a Christian isn’t to merely know the Bible; it is to have a relationship with God through Jesus that is visible in your every day life.

You must have visible proof of your beliefs not just on Sunday. A firefighter must be a firefighter in their heart first and not merely when the bell hits.

This is the difference between an employee and a firefighter. This is the difference between a leader and a manager. This is the difference between a coworker and a brother.

This is the difference between a religious person and a believer.

Live out your beliefs by investing the time in your relationships: with God, your family, and your brothers & sisters in the fire service.

Be Authentic and lead others by your example.

SLICERS, DICERS, AND NOW: NICER

SLICERS, DICERS, AND NOW:  NICER!

The fire service is alive with research, livid debate, training, and education.  Sadly, many passionate firefighters suffer from the fall out during the passionate process of fire service change. It’s like trying to smile while having a root canal. We all want to improve but deep down there is an inherent fear of change.

A quick look at the internet reveals ‘spirited debate’ and heated battles between some of the fire service leaders and on many fire service blogs and discussion boards.  Many firefighters become disheartened and feel that they are under attack during these moments.  As a member of a research project that takes more than its fair share of ‘spirited debate’ I welcome the discussion.

Let me explain:

If you had a classic car that you poured your life savings into, all of your sweat equity, and years of restoring it; would you let just anyone come in and start making decisions about paint color, accessories, interior, etc.? Absolutely not! You poured your life, your passion, and quite a bit of your financial resources into this vehicle and you are not about to let just anyone come in and change what you have worked so hard to build from the ground up.

Sound familiar?

Firefighters are passionate, they are dedicated, and they have (rightfully so) developed a sense of ownership over the way we do business. I applaud each and every firefighter who debates, discusses, and passionately defends his or her position because it means that you CARE!

However, I do believe that there is no place for tearing each other apart and destroying others brands or businesses simply because you disagree with their tactical playbook. We are better than that. The discussions that I have witnessed and seen online are reduced to name calling and hyphenated discussions that are a waste of time and a blemish to the honor of what we are trying to do as a fire service.

With that being said, might I suggest a new acronym to guide us through the murky waters of change. Consider these principles the next time you have a ‘discussion’ about change.

NICER

N: Now- As you discuss controversial, new, or change in the fire service before you respond take a moment and consider how far the fire service has come and how change has benefited it along the way.

I: Integrity- Consider the remarks that you make can me repeated, twisted, and  misinterpreted by others very quickly. Your remarks reflect who you are. Consider the impact of your words before you speak them.

C: Community-remember the person you are talking with is a part of the firefighter community, the brotherhood, they are our family member, and we should honor them even if we disagree. “Don’t sacrifice a relationship just to win an argument” (Alan Brunacini)

E: Encouragement is in short supply these days. As you end the conversation, whether you agree or disagree leave each other with encouragement. They care enough to discuss the subject which reflects the depth of their passion for the job.

R: Respect, Reflect, Refine: The fire service reminds me of Christianity. There are a lot of churches out there, trying to save souls, but are inefficient because they are too busy arguing about the best way to save someone.

We let our differences get in the way of the main objective. Respect each other, reflect on what was said, and use it to refine your own knowledge and beliefs. But most of all remember the mission is to save lives! Your purpose should be to educate not cause division within the ranks of our community.

Let us lead change and be above reproach. During the course of each others education we should be building relationships not tearing them down.

God Bless,
Andy

#Brotherhood It lives through YOU!

Brotherhood-Its lives through you!

“Let us consider how we may spur one another to love and good deeds. Let us not forsake meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” 
Hebrews 10:24-25

Many firefighters today have become disheartened with the word “brotherhood.” It’s not uncommon to hear statements such as:
“Brotherhood is dead, no one is treating me like a ‘brother’”

“Brotherhood, I got your brotherhood right here…Let me tell you about the time…”

Dear friends, I witness far too many firefighters let the actions of others dictate and influence their future behaviors. My favorite game is “Who can be the worse firefighter.” For example:

You relieve me late, I relieve you late.

You don’t clean up the station, I don’t clean up the station.

The problem with this mentality is it is soley based on what you receive and not what you give. To understand brotherhood, you first have to understand that your heart has to continually be willing to do the right thing especially when others are not.

Your actions, beliefs, and words need to be based on your inner desire to fulfill your calling not because Z shift isn’t doing their job, or someone hurt you in your past, or you were the victim of a poisoned fire station.

As firefighters, we understand that we are to respond to a bad situation and make it better. Why is it that we can’t seem to take that mentality into our fire houses that are struggling with the cancer of poor morale?

Brotherhood starts with you! It starts with you choosing to practice what you preach and consistently do so no matter what others say, do, or don’t do to you.

As a family, the fire service needs to embrace the concept of personal ownership. Each day repeat this statement: “I am responsible for my attitude, my behaviors, my actions, and my discipline.”

It is not someone else’s job to affirm your bad behavior it is our job as the brotherhood to help cut out the cancer of the fire service and replace with ‘healthy firefighters’ who appreciate and understand that this is the greatest job in the world.

Keep the Faith!

 

#Firefighters How do you deal with discouragement?

Dealing with Discouragement:

The roles & responsibilities of a firefighter aren’t easy. The ever increasing demands on our knowledge, skills, and abilities causes one to feel as if you most know everything, be prepared for anything, and can never take a breath.

One who is passionate, dedicated, and has a love for the calling of a firefighter can become weary when the following occurs:

All of your efforts are not appreciated and the mediocrity is rewarded.

Your family situation suffers

And the organization that you call the greatest job in the world makes you feel worthless.

How does one reignite the fire that once burned in their soul?

How does one reconcile their sacrifice and dedication with worlds constant lack of appreciation?

The answer is simple but the application is beyond difficult.

Our hope, Our joy, and Our significance cannot be based on the appreciation or lack there of from others.

The world will always disappoint you, betray your trust, and change the meaning of truth.

The calling of a firefighter has to be based on an inner desire that cannot be dictated by circumstances. Otherwise you will become a “fair weather firefighter”; which means you will only be happy when things are going well.

In a profession where we deal with tragedy, loss, and death on a regular basis; one has to understand that being so close to such pain will have an effect on you.

My friends, there is one who will not abandon you, disappoint you, nor betray you. It is God. If your calling is sincere, and your heart is to endure, then you need the full armor of God.

This peace that comes Jesus is one that allows you to stay motivated, encouraged, and inspired despite the negativity that surrounds you.

If you don’t know Christ, I pray that you will ask Him into your heart today and the “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians) will guard your hearts in Christ Jesus.

With Christ in your heart, His Armor clad around you, and His Spirit speaking through you there is nothing that will cause you to fall away.

God Bless

What every #firefighter needs to know

The bridge to the broken heart:

Firefighters function together despite differences, beliefs, or personal preferences. We are able to put aside our differences and function as one towards a common goal of serving our fellow man. Take a team of firefighters who have never met and place them on an apparatus and it is amazing how quickly they can come together as a team.

Yet, in the midst of personal conflict or troubles we seem ‘statistically’ incapable of helping ourselves. This is not to say that firefighters do not help each other. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Examples of brotherhood are found everywhere in this great profession. This article is written out of one individual’s passion to help stop a disturbing trend in the fire service.

We are brought together in ‘brotherhood’ to serve our fellow man but another unique element unites us all: Brokenness.

Firefighters have a servant heart and truly want to make a difference in the world. In this pursuit of service, we can become damaged by the painful moments that we face. One who comes too close to pain and tragedy on a regular basis rarely walks away without a wound to their soul.

We want to help yet we all need help sometimes. Our hardships and trials can produce undesirable effects in our lives, our families, and to our health.

What then can we do about this growing problem?

Seek comfort by sharing you burdens:

2Corinthians 1:3 What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials.

And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.

Every firefighter knows the burden of ‘that one call’ that is forever etched into their mind. Whether or not you believe in God, this article is to inform, inspire, and encourage others that there is hope. And unlike some motivational writings, the problem will not be simply defined but the reader will be given a few practical steps to help prevent the following statistics from increasing.

The following statistics are consistent and well known:

Each year, around 100 firefighters die and around 50 percent of those deaths are cardiac related. Each year, 70-80,000 are injured.

The following statistics are not well known:

Each year firefighters are at a statistically higher risk of the following:

Suicide, PTSD, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, and divorce.

The fire service has been working diligently to save lives and improve firefighter safety.

Why is it that the behavioral health programs are not given the same priority as life safety?

The NFFF met ten years ago and developed 16 life safety initiatives to improve firefighter health as safety.

Life Safety Initiative 13 addresses Behavioral Health Management in a proactive manner. It addresses firefighter behavioral health from a comprehensive approach and not as a reaction to their behavior.

How many departments are currently addressing Firefighter Behavioral Health outside of the normal EAP and CISM programs?

How many are addressing the underlying issues that we all face?

“We are killing firefighters long before they ever get on a fire truck” Rick Lasky

This article is for all those who hurt, all of those who have had failed marriages, lost their jobs due to substance abuse or alcoholism, and for all those who suffer silently in the dark moments of their soul. And sadly, for those who have lost friends to suicide.

 What can we do as “The Brotherhood” to take a proactive step towards preventing this trend from continuing? Here are four simple steps to helping combat the problem:

 1)    Education:

Realize that the greatest opportunity to save someone’s life may be standing right next to you. Our problem is widespread and we need to be more educated about how to “rescue our own.”

These statistics paint a picture that should cause us all to wake up.

In a fire station of 10 people the likelihood of one member will:

Suffer a divorce (70%)

Suffering from PTSD: (16-24%)

Suffering from anxiety and or depression: (up to 55%)

Suffering from alcoholism (25%) or substance abuse:

What then can we do to combat this problem?

1) Learn the warning signs:  Each member of the fire service should receive training on performing a firefighter size-up. As you have learned to continuously monitor conditions on the fire ground so you can apply the appropriate tactic so must you learn to watch over your brother or sister. Look for Physical, Emotional, Behavioral, and Job related changes.

 2) Preventative Maintenance: in order to better serve on another it has been proven that we handle stress better if we have a support group. This can be a peer support group, life group, etc. but WE all need one. It is imperative to be surrounded by those who can provide comfort, counsel, and watch over each other throughout our careers.

 3) Know your 911: As firefighters, we teach children fire safety, fire prevention, and to call 911 in case of emergency. But, if you were faced with a co-worker who was in a desperate situation that could compromise their life, health, family, and or job would you know who to call?

 As well trained responders, it is interesting to note that we are more capable of helping our citizens than ourselves.

There are numerous resources, counseling services and services offered to first responders in need. The key is to helping someone is having this information readily available when you encounter a situation.

Each firefighter should know the resources that are available to them through their local department. If your department does not offer any resources please message the team and we will locate and put you in touch with resource in your area.

Don’t let your life or your brother’s burn down around you! Step up and be there for them. It will be hard, it will be painful, and it will require sacrifice but that’s what the calling of a firefighter is all about.

Additional Resources:

Examples of these services would be:

Alcohol & Drug Use: The FRAT program: http://www.livengrin.org/contact/

When those who help others need help:

http://1strespondertreatment.com/

The First Responder Support Network:

http://www.drannbuscho.com/frsn.htm

Book: FDNY Crisis Counseling: Innovative Responses to 9/11 Firefighters, Families, and Communities

Further Information:

Recognizing and combating firefighter stress:

http://www.fireengineering.com/topics/device/mobile/t/68178810/recognizing-and-combating-firefighter-stress.htm?m_n=true

Everyone Goes Home: Life Safety Initiatives from the NFFF:

http://flsi13.everyonegoeshome.com/history.html

 

 

 

 

 

Brotherhood Exemplified: Don’t miss the call!

Brotherhood Exemplified: The Application

Each firefighter is trained to recognize the signs of many dangers. After reading this, you will be faced with a new training challenge. Applying your training to recognize the signs of danger in your fellow firefighters:

Impending Flashover:

As firefighters, we are trained to recognize the signs of an impending flashover. Rapidly increasing temperatures, a non-tenable environment, thick turbulent smoke and then it happens…

Consider the imagery. A firefighter under significant stress begins to rapidly change their behavior, they become difficult to be around or remove themselves from any form of camaraderie, and any attempt to go near them is met with turbulent angry behavior.

This is a warning. This individual is lashing out at you not because of something you did. It is a desperate cry for help and it is sent the only way we know how. We will literally watch our lives burn down around us before we call for help.

Our pride can be our greatest demon. Are you going to wait till they call?

“Before they call, I will answer. While they are yet speaking, I will hear” Isaiah 65:24

Read the smoke, continually size-up your fellow firefighters, and watch for signs of impending problems. We pride ourselves in responding to others in need but often our greatest opportunity to make a save stands right next to us in our fire house.

Don’t miss this one. I share this with you because I did. A close friend of mine who was always the happiest guy you had ever met started to show signs of a problem.

One day, I asked him how he was doing and he frowned and shook his head. This guy never did that. He was the perpetual optimist.

That night, I stayed awake thinking about the look in his eyes. I couldn’t shake it. The following day, I discovered he had committed suicide.

I share my story with you in hopes that each of you will look around the room and realize this:

We are all that we have.

We are a family and families take care of each other. Look after each other and take this calling seriously.

Firefighters are in desperate need of encouragement. This journey to bringing back brotherhood begins with you. Will you be an agent of change? Will you encourage when no one else will?

Be an agent of positive change, and care enough to look outside of your own circumstances. The greatest rescue you may ever make may be standing right beside you.

Can you hear the cries of their heart?

#Firefighters Have you ever doubted?

#Firefighters Have you ever doubted?

“Faith is the confidence that we hope for will actually happen;

It gives us assurance about the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1)

Have you ever doubted?

Have you ever lost hope?

Have you ever felt that God wasn’t listening to your prayers?

If you have, there is good news for you… You are not alone.

In life, I have asked God for help and hoped He would come through instead having complete faith that He would.  Throughout my life, He has saved me time and time again yet I continue to doubt when faced with another obstacle.

Why is this?

I can only speak for myself when I say that I have placed too much faith in what is seen than what is not seen.  Consider this:

A blind man walks boldly through the darkness not because he knows the way but because He trusts who is leading him.

God, I have tried time and time again to take your place, to be self sustaining, and only to fall back to my knees in desperation. All the while that I tried to live my life without you, blindly seeking fulfillment in temporary things, I didn’t have the faith to trust in the unseen eternal things of God.

The key to life isn’t as visible as we would like to think it is.  It is visible to those who know what to look for:

“It is the tangible, real, and sincere actions of one who boldly trusts in God especially when they can’t see their way. Their lives of continuous faith in the face of adversity are our modern day example of Faith in Action.”

Let us understand that in our dark moments that we will often despair but this is not our final destination. To grieve, to cry out in desperation and to pound on the gates of heaven with our pain is what we should do. We should never stop talking to God, being honest with Him, and seeking Him even when we think He isn’t listening. Read the Psalms, and watch how David pours out his heart to God.

God has made a way for all of us and He hasn’t left us alone. His word and His Holy Spirit lives in those who believe.  But you are not made to do this alone! Do not isolate yourself and your pain! Come along side others who have bore the same burdens.

Jesus said “Come to Me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Through the power of sharing our lives and what God has done; therein lies the bridge to connect to others.

When you doubt, when you have lost hope, and when you feel alone; call out and stay connected to God. We can bear one another’s burdens but only when we have the courage to speak the words “I need help.”

The Trinity of Turn-out Gear

The Fundamental Series: The Trinity of Turn-out Gear

As firefighters, we are taught all of the foundational aspects of our tools, equipment, and P.P.E. in the beginning so we can build upon this knowledge throughout our career. In the Christian life, we often feel confused or lack clarity about certain issues that we face. This article is an analogy of our turn-out gear and The Trinity in hopes to help explain in terms that any firefighter can understand.

Matthew 28:19 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

A firefighter understands the importance of their turnout gear. Without turn-out gear they are unprotected and will be burned in a fire. As a firefighter places their gear on the rig for their shift, they take the proper steps to insure their gear is ready for use.  Each part of their gear must be checked to insure it is put together properly, that it isn’t damaged, and that all of their necessary tools are there (hand tools, safety glasses, etc). 

The gear that a firefighter wears is armor. From the outside, it appears as if only a thick canvas like material but there is more to this armor than meets the eye.

Ask yourself this question before we go any further:

You prepare yourself to fight a fire but are you prepared to fight the fires of life?

Turnout gear is comprised of three distinct layers: the thermal liner, the moisture barrier and the outer shell.  Each layer is vitally important. For example, if you entered a fire with only the outer shell you would become burned because the thermal liner is missing. The thermal liner and the moisture barrier provide the majority of the protection to the firefighter.

In the beginning God created man and he was unclothed e needed nothing to protect him from the world. As sin entered the world by our choice to disobey God, rather than let us be burned by the fire, God provided a layer of protection between us and death that no fire can ever penetrate.

He shielded us from thermal insult through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ.  Jesus stood between us and the fires of hell and said:

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned: the flames will not set you ablaze.

(Isaiah 43:2)

As a firefighter, you must put on your turn-out gear to be protected. As a Christian, you must allow Jesus into your heart to be saved but there is so much more to the Trinity of His Turn-out Gear.  He not only rescues us from the flames of hell, He leaves with us another layer of protection called The Holy Spirit.

In the next part of this series we will discuss how each one of us can put on the armor of God as we face the fires of life.

 

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Has #Brotherhood lost it’s meaning?

“A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity” Proverbs 17:17

Walk into any firehouse in America and mention the word “brotherhood” and it’s guaranteed to start a conversation.

The conversation will lead you either towards a positive direction or down a dark road of bitter hurt.

Why should the word brotherhood cause someone to look at you with disdain?

What or Who changed such a powerful word into a painful image of hypocrisy?

The word brotherhood is often tossed around with relative ease but very few understand the true meaning behind the word.

Brotherhood is more than a word it’s a calling.

What does calling mean to you?

Calling is an inner longing that you cannot shake. It is a part of you, it’s what makes you tick, and you simply aren’t happy doing anything else. It is authentic and genuine. It is a part of you.

You can feel the passion in a speakers voice who is authentic because their words are an expression of their heart. You can see the passion in an authentic worker by the pride they take in their job. It takes a genuine, authentic, and passionate person to continuously live out the meaning of brotherhood.

A lot of firefighters lost something vital in the early phases of their journey. It is this:

Brotherhood requires a deeper commitment that no performance appraisal could ever truly measure.

It’s a personal commitment that goes beyond a job; It is a lifestyle and an expression of what you believe.

It is who you are, lived out for all to see not for recognition or reward. It is an image of the mark on your soul that says:

“We care so much that we are willing to go the extra mile, carry your burdens, and hurt with you because that is what we were made to do.”

If you have ever felt this way, know that you were meant for something more than a job. You were made to answer your calling.

#Firefighter Training: You are here for a purpose

#Firefighter Training: You are here for a purpose

“Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning” Proverbs 9:9

Firefighters train on some of the most difficult situations under very difficult circumstances.  We understand that our lives and the lives of others depend upon our abilities to perform when called.

What motivates someone to help someone in that they may have never met and will probably never receive any recognition for their actions?

Love is the answer:

As firefighters, your basis for serving is out of love. This love is exemplified in Jesus Christ. Over the history of the fire service, many firefighters have died trying to save someone that they never met and possibly may not have agreed with.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

Now most people wouldn’t be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners.” (Romans 5:6-8).

As firefighters, we understand the depth of sacrifice. We have all seen, known, or lost someone close to us in the Line of Duty. Our friends & loved ones, and our brothers that have gone before us “showed great love” by serving their fellow man.

God understands this. How does He understand this you ask?

For He “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).  If we would try to understand the depth of God’s great love for us…

How might this change our world?

As you go and serve others, remember that God loves us so much that He gave His only Son so that everyone would live.