Reckless & Too Aggressive
Reckless and too aggressive. I laugh when these words are used to describe high-performers in any organization, especially in the fire service.
Reckless is defined as, “without thinking or caring about the consequences of the action”. This would lead one to believe we are indifferent about living, almost describing us on a suicide mission. How dare anyone place that title on us, especially from those who don’t do the job or haven’t done the job in decades, if ever. If you truly believe we are reckless in our actions, how come nobody has ever gotten hurt? how come you haven’t addressed this issue with us?
Is it because you are afraid? Is it your ego or jealously that you are spouting these words of hatred? Or is it because you are uncomfortable with your skills as a firefighter? Just because you suck doesn’t give you the right to question our knowledge, skills and abilities. This is even more true when us, the high-performers in the organization, attend outside trainings without the assistance or acknowledgment from you. We train tirelessly on our craft, attending outside training, and look for every advantage to become better in our profession. Then after all of that, you have the audacity to question our motives or intentions? You are questioning our commitment to mission and oath? Coming from the people who have never attended training outside a 10 mile radius, who lacks the ability to perform the most basic skills and from administration who hasn’t seen a truck in 20 years, if ever.
Reckless, I’m Offended; Aggressive I AM!
I will take total responsibility and even wear that title with pride. AGGRESSIVE. You’re damn right I’m aggressive. We took an oath to protect life and property at all cost and that’s what the citizens expect. Like it or not, when we get down to it, they don’t care that we do pub ed events or made a cool video, they do give a shit if we don’t perform and their loved ones die. They care that we are competent in our job and will try to the end of hell to serve them. This cannot be fulfilled with risk adverse individuals who care more about themselves than people they get paid to protect. When you discuss risk, once we identify the risk, should that allow us to be more aggressive, not less? If I know wants going to hurt me, I can avoid those things or address them as needed. Just because we identified a risk doesn’t mean we are going to avoid it. It’s the exact opposite. We know the risk is present so we can address it and move forward with out mission.
If I am a citizen, I want aggressive firefighters. I want to know they are going to push a little further and a little harder to make the bedroom where my loved one could be laying in the smoke filled house and fire encroaching on them. I want those who will lay it on the line to save my family. If we have firefighters who don’t want to do that, then they should have become a banker or garbage man. The fire service has risks, the manufacturer of our equipment even tell you that. But this doesn’t negate our responsibility.
Just because we have trained our entire professional career to uphold the mission we swore to protect, we are getting labeled as reckless. Nevermind the countless hours we have trained. It is our experiences and skills that let us be aggressive. Its all the trainings and classes, that you hate to send us to, that allows us to make those decisions. I’m not a marytr and never want to have a LODD, but when I think it is right to push a little further to save a life, I’m going to. Don’t let your insecurities dictate how we fight fires.
Its funny they like to criticize and throw hatred our way, but when shit needs to get done and they are looking for the crew to perform in dire situations, who do they usually call upon? Its their Reckless and aggressive firefighters because at the end of the day, we are the doers!