Smoke and Mirrors: Stop calling firefighters "heroes."

[sconfire]

--removed--

[Engine58]

WOW

I have a few choice words for him but I dont want to get thrown off the forums....that's just ridiculous, sounds likee someone is jealous.

[mdoddsjffhnfc]

lets give the writer of that article some turnouts, an SCBA, and a hoseline. put him through a live training evolution in a burn building. See how he reacts. He has to understand that even though some departments may not get alot of runs per shift, who knows if a firefighter will return to station after that 1 call. People who aren't in that situation don't understand what it's like (hell, i may not even understand fully, i'm just a Jr. FF) but its some scary stuff.

ya may want to rethink what ya said mr. article writer.

[E229Lt]

He's welcome to climb a mile in my boots.

[dfdfff]

I have read these forums for years but after reading this I decided it was time to join and post a message!

This is his email. Let him know what you think!!!!

[email protected]

[Weruj1]

Thats total BS !!!!!!!!!!!!

[CollegeBuff]

While a few big-city fire stations may have four, five, six calls, or more during a shift,

Tell him to talk to my EMT instructor on Providence Rescue 4.... not uncommon for him to make 17 runs in a 14-hour overnight shift.

I think we have a word for him, and it begins with M.

[Weruj1]

CB the whole thing stinks of where the ______s do business and almost hardly worth replying to it is so crappy.

[nmfire]

Someone that stupid is not even worth my time e-mailing. He wrote that for one of two reasons...

1. He is possibly the stupidest person alive and actually believes what he wrote.

2. He is possibly the stupidest person alive and only did for publicity even though he knows he is wrong.

Notice the two factors that are constants

[PFire23]

Originally posted by nmfire
Someone that stupid is not even worth my time e-mailing. He wrote that for one of two reasons...

1. He is possibly the stupidest person alive and actually believes what he wrote.

2. He is possibly the stupidest person alive and only did for publicity even though he knows he is wrong.

Notice the two factors that are constants

orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, he really wanted to be a firefighter and couldn't make the cut so he became a journalistic bastahd instead

[Scoop422]

This sounds like a guy who tried to get hired and couldn't, or a guy whose first girl friend ended up marrying a fireman.

[Neman13]

Idiot

What a flipping Jackass.

[stm4710]

just

[ullrichk]

Anyone's village missing an idiot? I think we've found one.

[Mongoose772]

Brothers & Sisters:

Before this thread devolves into a mass of angry firefighters chanting a crazed mob-mentality mantra of “DEATH TO SPORTS ILLUSTRATED” or some other passion driven slogan…lets take a long minute to read exactly what has been written.

Yes, his prose is inflammatory, but there is a significant amount of truth in what he writes.

Now before you denounce me as a heretic and bring out the tar, feathers and tie me to the stake…let me say that I, like many of you, am a career fireman. I have spent the entirety of my adult life working for a municipal, unionized fire service. I am proud to be a firefighter, and have never been embarrassed when I have told someone what I do for a living. I may not make as much money or drive a new H2, but I sincerely believe I am a valuable part society and make a positive impact in my community. When attacked, that genuine pride can make me become part of the angry mob as easily as many of you, and I have in times past. But when we see a spade, let’s call it a spade.

Take out the sarcastic egocentricity of this guy’s article, and just look at the plain statements. He writes,

1. “Firefighting is a cushy job.” (Ok, that’s inflammatory, no doubt), however I DO only work 7 or 8 shifts per month! I DO work a second full time job AND find time to run my own small business! Even though I work for a fairly busy department, personally responding to more than 1000 calls annually, I DO typically manage to sleep 5-7 hours per shift! (Not to mention, I do give tours, BBQ burgers, and I WAS in our local calendar last year!) Hey, this IS a good gig. I don’t deny it. I often tell people I don’t get paid for what I DO, do, I get paid for what I CAN do. And that’s no dodo.

2. “Firefighting isn’t that dangerous.” That’s pretty true too. His statistical references are right on. Most of the brothers dying ARE from heart attacks or motor vehicle collisions responding to an incident. I often tell those firehouse tour goers, with the right combination of training and equipment firefighting is as safe as many other industrial professions.

3. “Firefighters are adrenalin junkies.” I don’t agree with that. While many volunteer departments are plagued with “jolly whackers” that still think William Shatner made a big comeback on Rescue 911…the reality is that to most professional firefighters, this is just a job. Certainly we experience a sympathetic adrenalin response when we have “the big one”, but we control that natural excitement with a calculated, well-practiced, professional response. I respect fire and other hazardous environments, and don’t let the machismo of the moment to allow myself to be injured or worse.

4. “Firefighters are a well propagandized special interest group” I am proud to be part of my local and international union of professional firefighters. But they DO wield the firefighter banner as a political sword to further their own agendas. The IAFF is very political. I get the campaign letters in the mail all the time. Don’t you? We do push our own interests, just like everyone else! We do use our popularity with the public to achieve our own ends. Hey, it was a contract year this year, don't think for one minute we don't use our good public image to negotiate with management. It's about the only tool we have! I'm glad everyone loves us!! Aren't you?

Am I a hero? I am a hero. I am a hero to my children. Sometimes I've been a hero to my neighbors children. And on a rare occasion I've been a hero to just some faceless person on the street. I’m glad for that. Don’t we make a lot better role model than some dimwitted NBA or NFL star butt boy is going to write about next week? I’m not happy an article like this was written, but I’m enough of a realist to know that he’s not just a guy who “didn’t get hired”. He did some homework. He got a good portion of it right. His motivations do not seem well meaning, but we can't deny that there is truth to what he says. Think about it.

Fraternally your brother,

Dan-
International Association of Firefighters
100% Union Firehouse