It’s Not Their Fault, It’s Our Responsibility. What Drives You?
For all those who are exceptionally passionate about the fire service, what drives you?
This is something I never really figured out until recently. I thought I did what I love because of the adrenaline and didn’t know anything else. I contribute a lot to my father who has set an example of community service throughout his life which had a significant impact on me and my brother. After finally understanding where my drive comes from, I have expressed this to some people in the past and just had a conversation with my crews about this, so I will share.
My passion comes from an obsessive desire not to fail. I never want something bad to happen because of my inability to perform or lack of decision, knowledge, or training. My passion stems from my love of the job but mostly from the fear of failure, not by my personal failure, but failure to the citizens and to uphold the oath. Our failures help us become better and learn from mistakes, but a failure on the fire ground means injury or death.
I am ultimately accountable to the citizens we swore to protect and to men. The citizens don’t get to choose what fire department responds to their emergency. They don’t get to hire the best in the area unless they move. We are not like our car mechanics where customers can choose the cheapest or the most expensive. The citizens are stuck with us. Our failures have a direct impact on their life. They live and die based on our abilities during fire and EMS incidents. We are not here to play God, we are here to be the best we can be for our citizens.
IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT IF WE FAILED TO PREPARE. IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT IF WE CHOSE NOT TO TRAIN. IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT IF WE CANNOT PERFORM, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY!
NEVER LET COMPLACENCY AFFECT THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU SWORE TO PROTECT, IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT!
My drive took another leap after I was promoted. Not only do I need to look after myself, but now my crew. I have to carry the weight of our failures. I hope to never have to carry the ultimate burden of losing one of my guys, so I hold myself accountable not for my sake but for them. This profession is life and death. I take the ultimate responsibility and the oath seriously to the citizens, the mission, to the men, and to me. I hold myself to a high standard because I understand the consequences of my failure to prepare.
It could be that one training I miss or that one page I didn’t fully read, or a desire to skip over a few steps of a procedure, that could make the difference. These small actions could mean losing a citizen or a brother/sister. It could be as simple as being a few seconds faster on masking up, forcing a door, or stretching a line. We never know. Is this a little paranoid or compulsive? Absolutely. But at the end of my career, I never want to carry a burden that could have been prevented. I never want to look back and say I could have done more. I want to make the most out of my career, to say I did the job right and left it all on the table. There will be a time when I will need to hang it up and when that day comes, I want no regrets.
Motivation is hard and sustaining a high level can be difficult over a long career. There will be ups and downs in your involvement, passion, and dedication and that is to be expected. The most important aspect is to ensure our level of performance is not compromised during those lows and we share our passion and knowledge during the highs. When we are gone, the younger generation needs to carry on the culture of high performance, ultimate service to citizens, and the desire for continual improvement.
Find your why!