What Side?

Today I watched Chief Rick Lasky's Pride and Ownership video for the umpteenth time in the past year or so and today it struck me differently than it ever has. In my eyes we are rapidly losing our pride and ownership for the job. We have the strong few that are doing everything in their power to maintain the service that we once had. We must unite and make the decision about what side of the fence we are going to be on. Are we going to stand aside and watch as the unwilling and unmotivated try and succeed at ruining the good name of the fireman? Will we step aside while budget cuts destroy, and manpower shortages endanger our men and our communities? Or will we stand up with pride and fight for what is right in our beloved fire service. We are firefighters, the men and women that hold entire communities trust in the palms of our hands. If we don't stand up and puff our chests to save this service we begin to lose the trust of the men in the station, our brothers. Then when our communities see that we no longer can trust one another then they begin to lose trust in us. Now is the time to choose what group you will stand in! Will you be the proud that put up a fight to save this wonderful job? Will you do everything in your power to teach and motivate the rookies coming out of the academy so they can pass on the history and tricks of the trade to future generations? Will you please stand up and be the one that stirs others in your department to put a full 110% into there jobs, whether it be volunteer or paid? Or will you be the ones that come to the station and demean, put down, and destroy this family, the brotherhood? Will you talk the talk until the pressure is on and then agree with whomever is around to avoid confrontation? If you insist on being in the last group, please reconsider what place you have in this service. We are unlike any other job in the world and there is a reason for that. We care. We care for others and have taken a vow to protect their lives and their property under any and all circumstances that we can control. If this vow means little or nothing to you then now is the time to reconsider your place in the fire service because there are hundreds of good men and women that would love to have your job. If any are offended by this then I apologize, but if you are offended then please think about why you are. Pick a side

Keep the faith, Brothers

Dan Rice