1%er.......... are you one or are you an employee

One man show

This goes out to all the brothers and sisters out there who are 1% er's (not the bike clubs) but the hard core firefighters who bust there chops everyday training and doing there thing aka firefighters not employees volunteers and paid we are all 1% er's.

I was in a conversation once with my good friend from down in the orange state, Julio about being a jack of all trades master of none mentality within the fire service and we proceeded to discuss our thoughts about being jacks of all trades master of all of them. But the conclusion we came to was why do we need to be jacks of all trades and masters of none? Why not master them all???

Those are the 1%er's.

They are the firefighters who bust there butts to make themselves the best there is. Not because they have to but because they want to! It's not about being able to talk down to there peers it's so they can help lift there peers and help themselves and there peers do two things get home safe and better serve the people they swore to protect. Plain and simple 1%er's are volunteers, paid, men , women, American, Canadian, Germans, they are firefighters who bust it.
Being a 1%er is a mind set and behavior not the letters on your coat. You can have Falmouth on your coat or FDNY non of that matters because we all put our pants on the same way.

1%er's don't act like a bunch of stuck up Prima donas . There humble,down to earth, easy to talk to, one of us, they will share with everyone not just a well known writer or what not, they will talk to the lower small town volunteer probie and the District chief of 35 years out of Brooklyn in the FDNY or a busy firefighter from Detroit and Camden.

They don't wait for somebody to sit and hand feed them some education they get out there and self study be it a new article out a new book, maybe some old classic stuff from Andy Fredericks or Tom Brennan. Maybe they call up Aaron Fields or PJ Norwood to discuss stretching and advancing the big guns (the 2 5) or to talk about roof operations in there small department in rural Alabama.

They are on Facebook, Fire Engineeing, Fire House, all the blogs and magzines and watching YouTube videos to better themselves and others. They go and spend more time going over there tools and trucks than they do watching Jerry Springer or the days episode of sports center.
They get out there in the field study there first due area for problems they may encounter at a "job" in one of those buildings
They get out there in the field study there first due area for problems they may encounter at a "job" in one of those buildings.

1%er's don't just talk Brotherhood they walk it. It's not for the fame and fortune, but rather the pride and love of helping others and for there brothers and sisters.

These 1%er's are the very definition of professionals and the backbone of the fire service.

Why did you post this you ask?
Because we should all strive to be 1% er's.

I want to tell you something. We all talk about support the troops and god bless them they are out there dying to protect us............WHO DO THEY TRUST TO PROTECTION THERE FAMILIES HERE IN THE STATES WHILE THERE PROTECTING US OVER THERE?? WE ARE!!!!!!!!!!
Shouldn't we be up to the challenge to not only protect there families and friends but everybody else put there. We won't get there watching TV. You will get there by striving to be a 1%er.
So what type of fire fighter are you a out of touch out of skill get by. Or a hard core 1%er who eats up training and knowledge, questions the status quo, shares what they know, willing to give you the shirt off there back, and is a fireman's fireman. If your not I ask you this what's holding you back.
Until next time stay low and go