We asked some Firehouse contributors to share one key event that has had an everlasting impact on their time in the fire service, or a lesson they've learned over their careers.
Whether it was early in their commitment to protect their community, or after years of responding to major incidents, each person has a lesson that they pass along to others. Here’s what they had to say.
"I responded to an incident where a large SUV was bent in half and the driver's left leg was pinned. The leg was enveloped in a combination of the dash, rocker panel, kicker panel and floor boards. With 22 years of extrications under my belt, I was throwing every trick I had to get her out. It was so bad that a trauma surgeon was brought to the scene to remove her via amputation. But I said, 'No. Not happening. I disagree. She's coming out with everything she got into the vehicle with.' Finally, 56 minutes after arrival, she was removed with all of her appendages. And, six months after the accident, she showed up at our firehouse to say thank you for not giving up on her. The best part? She walked in! We train as hard as we do, because in moments like these, our abilities in our skills, regarding the science of alternatives, can mean a significant difference in the outcome for our customers." — Michael Daley, Lieutenant, Monroe Township, N.J.
"Our ambulance responded early one morning to a report of a child not breathing. I was not on that run, but when the crew returned after unsuccessfully attempting to revive the infant, one of our members went into a deep withdrawal — he had a child about the same age. We didn't know about critical incident stress at the time and were at a loss about what to do about it. We avoided this member for a few days, probably subconsciously thinking that we might catch what he was suffering from. That was the first time I realized that no matter how much firefighting experience I had, there were things in the fire service that could get beyond my help, and that I needed to concentrate on more than nozzles, hoses and pike poles if I wanted to continue to be a productive member. It opened my eyes about how the fire service was more than simply fighting fires and extricating victims of auto wrecks. It was about caring and treating the human soul, and that was a tough lesson that needed to be learned much sooner." — Assistant Chief Dave Fornell, Casstown, Ohio
"When I entered the fire service almost 30 years ago, I thought it was just going to become a job that was fun and exciting. I wasn't prepared for how it becomes part of your every fiber and defines a lot of who you are as a person. I have been many rolls within the fire service; firefighter, lieutenant, captain, hazmat, medic, fire inspector/investigator, etc. All of these positions have been truly amazing and I look forward to coming to work every shift because each tour offers something completely different. I wasn't prepared for how the brotherhood and bonding occurs while living in the firehouse. As I am in the twilight of my career, I know that I will miss this truly unique and special job that most never get the opportunity to experience." — Timothy Gilsrud, Captain, Coon Rapids, Minn.
"In the summer of 1977, we were dispatched to a single vehicle car crash with the driver pinned. The car was a new Chevy Chevette and it was wrapped around a utility pole with impingement directly behind the driver's seat. We relied on a regional response Hurst tool, as our department didn't own anything but Porta-Power equipment. Once the Hurst tool arrived, we elected to perform a roof flap and lift the pinned driver out with the help of the already applied KED. The moment we cut the ‘A’ posts from the roof, the car folded like an accordion. We had never heard of ‘Uni-Body’ and we weren't proactive with the installation of cribbing under the floor. The floor of the car folded into a ‘V’ directly below the point of impingement. The pinned teenager began screaming with pain and we quickly realized that instead of making the situation better, we had only exacerbated the dilemma. Soon after we returned to quarters, we arranged for New York State Fire Instructor [and Firehouse Contributing Editor] Ron Moore to come to our department and put on a 40-hour extrication class. Live and learn." — Pat Grace, Fire Chief, Escambia County, Fla.
"While leaders must create a shared vision and sense of purpose for their team, that team’s success ultimately is directly related to learning your personnel's strengths and needs and providing for them. A truly successful leader nourishes their personnel with respect, empowerment, praise and accountability. A mentor taught me people will never remember all your accomplishments, what they will always remember is how you treated them. Highly effective teams achieve tremendous results when they feel valued and supported both professionally and personally." — Todd J. LeDuc, Chief of Health & Safety, Broward County, Fla.
"One of the things that I was not prepared or trained for as a new firefighter was how to say ‘no’ to an officer sending you into an unsafe condition. We were requested as mutual aid to an abandoned warehouse fire. The incident commander eventually made the call to pull all firefighters out and stick to an exterior attack. The officer from the department I was on at the time disregarded that order. He sent us back in saying it would be ‘good training.’ At one point while in the building, a wall collapsed. It is a sound I will never forget. I was new to the industry, and despite having a bad feeling, I followed orders. Since that incident, I have learned a lot about training and safety. If I was every put back in that situation, I would not hesitate to speak up." — Candice McDonald, Firefighter, Winona, Ohio
"One of the best lessons I ever learned after getting the badge, specifically after getting promoted to captain, was to ‘trust, but verify.’ While it is important to trust your personnel, you also need to verify things. A great example was when I was working an overtime shift at a station I had not spent much time at as a firefighter, and shortly after the start of the shift, we received a call for a working fire in an apartment complex. The bell went off and I asked the crew if they knew where they were going and they all said yes, get in the rig, we will get you there. Stupid me didn’t pull the map book out and when the driver arrived to where he thought the call was, he said 'Oh crap.'" — Steve Prziborowski, Deputy Chief, Santa Clara County, Calif.
Would you like to be included in a future article? Share a lesson that you've learned and email it to: [email protected].
