I'm fairly new to the fire service (2 years on a paid dept), and I didn't grow up around it. I didn't start training to be a fire fighter until I was 27. But one of the first things that struck me was the tremendous sense of pride and tradition that I read about and heard about from fire fighters that I spoke to. Now that I am on a dept, I have to say that I've been less than impressed with the attitudes from some of my "brothers". I long for that sense of team and brotherhood, the sense that I am a part of something bigger than myself. But I just don't see it. The newer guys (my generation) don't have a feeling a gratitude for the job and for those who came before us. The older guys seem to be so disgruntled that they just want to get to retirement. This is obviously a generalization; there are those who put their hearts and souls into the fire service. But I haven't felt that overwhelming sense of belonging since starting fulltime. I recently read another forum on teamwork, and most mentioned that the most important aspect of teamwork is TRUST. In my dept, I don't think anyone trusts the leadership or each other. One of the reasons I'm on this website is to try and build my own knowledge of tradition, and do what I can to re-introduce it. I have started another forum, asking what are other departments time-honored traditions. As I continue to work and live here, I want to rebuild that sense of trust and brotherhood. I want to have traditions. I don't want other newbies to feel the same letdown as I do. For those of you who put in time and effort to keeping those traditions and teamwork, PLEASE KEEP IT UP!!!!

Charley,
I understand your disappointment in the brotherhood but let me assure you that it is still something strong and meaningful to many firefighters in todays service. It is harder to find yes, but it is still out there. At my station that is one thing I push for and work on just as hard as the training that we do. Brotherhood is the true fire service and that aspect of it will never die. Where I work sounds a lot like your career place, very disheartening and depressing at times. Advice is sometimes hard to give on subjects like this but the best I have is to just hang in there and keep the faith. Your desire to bring the brotherhood back to life will take you far and be respected but it’s something that may take time. Don’t be afraid to vocalize your concerns with your peers and ask them why its not something they strive for. But regardless of the responses know that you are a brother that serves in the greatest career in the world. Be safe and keep the faith.

Dan

I feal your pain, and share your passion. I too have noticed how over the years the passion that most guys had has disapeard. And how the new troops dont seam to share the passion we once had when we started, did we let them down? Is it simply a different mentality now? I didnt grow up around the fire service yet I was hooked the first time I sat in at a fire prevention seminar at my school in first grade. I new at that time thats what I want to do, at 17 I joined our local fire dept at 22 I got my degree in fire science and finally at 29 I became a career firefighter.I believe this is the best job in the world paid or volunteer and the true essence of brotherhood is alive and strong at times. Unfortunately most times your feelings that the brotherhood is strong is during tragic LODD's. I do my part trying to pass tradition and attempts to inspire, sometimes it works better than others. I have passed around Chief Laskys book "Pride and Ownership" and that has helped light the fire for some guys as well. I guess I will leave you with the same advice a firefighter gave me once, "one brother at a time, its infectious"
Take care and stay safe and keep the passion alive