“We’ll take it from here.”

Hey ya’ll! Hope everyone is doing well and had a Happy Thanksgiving with family, or whomever you decided to spend the Holiday with.

For most of us, family is everything. People we grow up with and spend time with at family get-togethers; Aunts and Uncles, Grandparents, cousins. Then you have, neighborhood friends we hang out with and play with as young kids. People we go to school with and form strong, bonding relationships with. We kind of think of all those people as ‘family’.

In the Fire Service, and Police Service, it’s kind of the same thing. These two careers are unique in that way because in these lines of work, the people we work with, and even those we don’t actually work with but who are also in that line of work, are all referred to as our “Brothers and Sisters”.

I can’t speak for the Police as much, but for us who are in the Fire Service, are especially close to those we work with and who are also working in the Fire Service. Whether we actually know them or not, if they are in the Fire Service, they are automatically our “Brother or Sister”.

For us in the Fire Service, we actually live with these folks for approximately 240 hours a month! So, yes, you actually do have that ‘Family’ state of mind. It’s hard not to feel close to these folks when you’re living with them 24 hours at a time for 10 days a month. You live in the same house, eat at the same dinner table, watch tv together and sleep in the same room.

When the tones go off in the middle of the day or night for that structure fire, or Full Arrest, we are working together like a well-oiled machine. Especially for crews who have been together for any length of time, we each have a role in every scenario, and we all know what that role is. Sometimes, it’s like we can read each other’s minds. That’s kind of scary really if you think about it, right!? I don’t even know if I could say I can read my Husband’s mind that well, or at all if we’re being truthful, lol.

In the Firehouse, there is so much picking at each other, pranks being played, folks getting wet, shirts and badges being frozen, turnouts being put up on the flagpole or in the ceiling of the Bay, well, you get the picture.

There are serious conversations, jokes, emotional support, concerns for those going through a rough time, good deeds being done for a Brother or Sister who may be sick or hurt, and lots of praying for each other. The love and support that just gushes out of these people when there is someone in need is undeniable, and makes me love this job even more every day.

There is never a time when that love, care and concern is more apparent, than when we lose a Brother or Sister in the Fire Service. Have you ever been to a funeral of a Fire Service member? If you ever have, I’m sure you will never forget it! Just the outpouring of love from their own Department’s members, and surrounding Fire Department as well. The respect shown is top notch! It’s not a surprising fact, that you could see representation from Fire Departments from hundreds of miles away! And they are happy to be there to support the family of the lost member.

We lose members of the Fire Service regularly across the U.S.

In 2020, there were 140 on-duty deaths. Of course, with COVID going on, 78 of those deaths were related to COVID. Which means, there were 62 on-duty deaths, NOT related to COVID! (these numbers were reported by the NFPA report; Oct 2021) That is a lot in one year, in my opinion.

Actual causes of these deaths can be a handful of different reasons, and if you are interested in this information, you can Google it (NFPA.org).

I bring this subject up, because we just recently attended a viewing and Funeral of a Brother who passed away at 26 years of age, of Cancer. Although, his was not actually an on-duty death, it really didn’t matter to his Department, or ours. We still wanted to pay our respects to our Brother, and show his family that we support in their difficult time. For several days after, we will all have a little bit of a ‘sorrowful feel’ hang around. We mourn, and then we move on, keeping their memory alive by continuing doing what we do.

You don’t have to be a sentimental person to appreciate an outpouring of love like that!

“We’ll take it from here, Brother.”

We work every day here at the stations, not thinking about our own deaths, but of the people we Serve. Our concerns, while we are on duty are for the well-being of the citizens we swore to protect. And that will not change, ever. But when something DOES happen to one of us, it’s instantaneous concern and heartbreak. We still focus on the job at hand, but when it’s all over, our focus is on our own.

I have had a few minor injuries, and a couple close calls in my career. I’m sure most of my Brothers and Sisters can say the same thing. It’s the nature of the business. When we actually lose someone though, it kind of makes you stop and realize how dangerous this CAN be. It most likely won’t change our minds about doing it though. Most of us definitely rely on GOD to see us through, and give us the confidence to do the job.

I was asked a long time ago, when I first decided to make the move into the Fire Service, “Aren’t you afraid of getting killed!?” I thought about that question, and my answer, with a feeling of peace in my soul was, “I’m NOT afraid, because I have Faith in GOD, and I know that He will not take me until He is ready. Until then, he wants me to love and serve my fellow man, and this is the best way I know how to do that.”

I would love to hear from you. Please send me your questions or comments by clicking here!

Until next time! Be Safe and Be Blessed!