Uniform Stories
To those of us on the job, the helmet is a tradition that allows us to express our respect for those who have gone before
I am not a machine; I am a simple person who signed on to do a job, and have done it well
Official statistics show that 343 firefighters lost their lives on that day, but there were really 344
Putting our children in the path of danger goes against every instinct we have
The individuals assigned to the “truck” have some of the most dangerous jobs at a building fire
How much work gets done when the engine crew can‘t get to the fire?
I would rather go into a fire with a poor test-taker who has more time on the job than me, than the guy who aced the test but hasn’t seen diddly
You are trained to be a fixer of all problems, and that’s pretty cool
These individuals often exhibit an egotistical need to be a “hero” or find themselves bored and lacking social maturity
We are here to save lives and protect property and get out alive
It seems like every time a firefighter dies due to a heart attack, it’s quiet
One of the best parts about our job is the people we work with and the bonds we form with them
The most important thing a fire officer has to know is the capabilities of his or her people
I’ll tell you right away that I didn’t become a firefighter in order to get rich
If we want to be good at what we do, we don’t really have a choice
From cooking meals for the families, to planning benefits, I’m proud to be working alongside all of them
To me, the true test of who you are as a firefighter comes after you get that badge
Teach firefighters to stay calm and take the extra minute to do things right
It’s OK if you don’t agree with the other party’s point of view, but realize they aren’t going to change the way they do things
The fire was actually held to the room of origin, but the smoke damage throughout the building was extensive
FDNY
Jack Pritchard first joined the New York Fire Department in 1970 as part of Squad 4
Don’t just be there for the laughs, but be there for the tears as well
Everyone knows firefighters don’t get older, they get better
Chief Richard Tucker was cold and stern, like a cross between Bobby Knight and Clint Eastwood, and his words were sharp and to the point
I wish you had to deal with seeing all of these things, and then somehow not let it affect your personal life
The simple answer is that we have lost trust in the average driver
One of the greatest things in the day of a firefighter is meal time
When one person gets the firefighting fever in your family, it is infectious
I’ve got a lot on my mind after all these years, every one of those years filled with similar incidents
It seems that no matter what unit you’re on, the other is worse
It is a person’s individual right to train and respond to emergencies, be it as their full time job or as a volunteer
One day I was tending bar in a fancy restaurant, the next I was a firefighter/EMT in a big city
It’s not the uniform, it’s the person wearing it who makes it more than just cotton, stitches, patches and polyester
