Believing the Lies

For too long now, I have relied on other peoples' opinions to dictate how I operate. Like little devils on my shoulder, there has always been a barrage of voices telling me what is and is not possible. "You have to shut down the nozzle to make any kind of advance with a 2 1/2" line." "You have to have at least two people to carry a 35' ladder." "You don't gear up for an automatic alarm; the dispatcher would have told us if it was on fire."

These voices continually have won out before I even attempted to prove them wrong. Even worse, there have been numerous times that I passed along these false gospels. This only perpetuates the cascade of short-comings. Senior men wonder how the fire service has evolved to what they deem as "weak." It happens when we trade dedicated effort for the comforts of the dayroom.

I am here to admit that I have bought into some of the lies. With that being said, I am tired of it. Watching how others have managed to put in hard work and push the envelope has proven that, far too often, I have given up too early. That is not acceptable.

The fire service was built by people who were willing to put everything on the line; the same people who saw an opportunity to take an unwanted job for the outcast immigrant, and elevate it to profession of greatness. What right do I have to do things differently?

The digital age of fire service training has seemed to blur a lot of the lines when it comes to finding the truth that I seek. Social media has allowed firefighters to pass along trainings and new techniques unlike any other time before. No longer do we have to wait for annual conferences to hear the latest and greatest. This information is now immediate. Unfortunately, the approach to this mass sharing of knowledge is often taken to one of two extremes.

On one hand, we criticize, deny and negate the feasibility of the things we see. I'll be among the first to admit that not all information is valid just because it goes viral, however, shouldn't we explore the possibility that the information is helpful prior to deciding upon a final verdict? All progress halts when we intentionally disregard what is being shared before any attempts are made to apply, or if needed, tweak and apply.

The other extreme occurs when all things are taken as truth, and then immediate attempts are made to implement them on an incident scene. You will likely hear our profession referred to as a craft. This implies that firefighting requires a calculated, skill-based execution of duties. The majority of the time, we cannot assume that this will be accomplished by watching a video several times. Yes, there are people capable of carrying a set of irons, a hook, and a vent saw while balancing a 28' extension ladder in a high-shoulder carry, but that does not mean that it anyone can replicate it effortlessly.

Where I have failed so often is by not even making an initial attempt. Say, perhaps, that I am one of those people who can carry the entire ladder truck on my shoulders. Yet, instead of doing so, I never try it. What, then, is the outcome when choose to believe the lie that tells me that these people are only an anomaly? No one benefits! My lack of action provides zero opportunity to make a substantial difference. These are the instances where the lies cannot win.

It's on me to test what my capabilities are. It's on me to sort through the garbage, and apply what I find to be true. I'm done believing the lies.

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