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Great insight. Thanks again!
Devon,
Thank you very much for your kind words but I consider myself more of a fire service promoter then leader some people would call me a cheerleader which is a title I proudly accept and I'm honored to carry. But having been retired as long as I've been although I am still a volunteer in a nonactive training only status I'm always reluctant to consider myself a leader.
To the point of your comment I think what you're actually doing is helping people control change not obscure change. I think when you go upstream at the point of the issue and interject options and opportunities you allow the actual practitioners to direct the change and that is the best change of all. You are doing what a true firefighter would do empower other firefighters and citizens to create the environment we want to live in.
You're not mandating and you're not critiquing that's best left to those who really don't matter. What we do in the fire service creates an intellectual and moral dilemma for those people who don't have a lot of real-world experience /connection and by real-world I mean real fireground experience "up through the ranks"combined with a lifetime of study and introspection a self-awareness about the character of the firefighter.
That intellectual and moral dilemma we see being played out in inane comments and misguided initiatives. Almost a preoccupation with things that are inconsequential and a complete disconnect to the things that matter. There generally folks who don't understand that character and competence creates a philosophy of life that exceeds anything that they could ever vaguely understand. There generally opportunists, who are shallow disloyal and distrustful.
They would be completely confused by your upstream philosophy, but I think that all serious firefighters are going to start using upstream a lot more in their discussions. Again loved every word you wrote brilliant insight, to the point and intelligently written
Thanks Bobby! It's always been a desire of mine to look as far upstream as possible. It has the ability to change things without people even seeing the change happen. It's hard to implement though. I'm trying to make 2015 the year I focus on doing the things I feel are right and saying the things I feel need to be said. Thanks for your kind words. It's great to hear that from a fire service leader like you!
Devon,
Thank you for one of the smartest most well written to the point blogs I think I have ever read. I loved every word of it. And I would add what are we doing to educate people so that we create a wellspring of desire for sprinklers and not just a mandate that they use them. Absolutely loved this piece thank you thank you thank you. Your friend Bobby
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