SMOKY'S PAGE

THE ZEN OF FIREFIGHTING
BY BRYANT ROSS WITH THANKS TO SGT. MICHAEL HATCH

THE FIRE WILL NOT WAIT, CARRY ON, NO MATTER WHAT.
FIREFFIGHTING IS A PROCESS, NOT AN EVENT.
WHEN YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN, DO IT NOW.
LOOK TO YOUR LEADERS, FOCUS ON YOUR FOLLOWERS, IGNORE THE REST.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR TRAINING.
TO THE PUBLIC YOU’RE NOT JUST A FIREFIGHTER, YOU’RE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN THEY SAY “SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING”, YOU’RE THE “SOMEBODY” THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT.
LEARN IT LIKE YOU DO IT.
HIT IT HARD, HIT IT FAST.
NEVER DO NOTHING.
LEARN ALL THE JOBS, AT SOME POINT YOU'LL HAVE TO DO THEM.
KEEP CURRENT.
WHEN ON SCENE, ALWAYS REMEMBER, THOSE AREN'T VICTIMS, PATIENTS OR CIVILIANS, THEY'RE PEOPLE.
LEAD YOUR PEOPLE, NEVER DRIVE THEM.
IN ALL CONFLICT REMEMBER THE HUMAN ELEMENT.
LEADERS CAN ONLY POINT THEIR UNIT IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER, SUCCESS IS DETERMINED DURING THE HOURS SPENT GUIDING, COACHING AND TEACHING.
NEVER ENTER A FIRE WITH SOMEONE WHO IS BRAVER THAN YOURSELF.
LOOK AROUND, OFTEN.
IF YOU MUST RUN AWAY, DO SO QUIETLY, (SCREAMING LOOKS BAD ON THE NEWS.)
IF YOU HAVE PRAISE FOR SOMEONE, SAY IT LOUD.
WHEN THE TEAM WINS, IT WAS THE TEAM THAT DID IT.
WHEN IT'S DONE RIGHT, SAY SO.
KNOW YOU'RE THE BEST.
BRAVERY CANNOT EXIST WITHOUT FEAR.
LEARN THE JOB, KNOW THE JOB, DO THE JOB.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER BUT EXPERIENCE IS A FORCE MULTIPLIER.
WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND REMEMBER WHERE YOU'VE BEEN.
ANYONE CAN FIGHT FIRES BUT ONLY A FEW ARE FIREFIGHTERS.
MAKE UP YOUR MIND IN ADVANCE TO LEAD, FOLLOW, OR STAY OUT OF THE WAY, THEN DO IT!
SCREWING UP IS HOW WE LEARN
HOPE THAT IN THE END THEY MISTAKE YOUR SCREAMS OF TERROR FOR SHOUTS OF DEFIANCE
SUBTLETY HAS NO PLACE ON THE FIREGROUND
SOMETIMES IT'S GOING TO HURT
SHARE THE WORK
BEING POPULAR CAN GET IN THE WAY OF BEING AN EFFECTIVE LEADER.
RULES ARE FOR THE GUIDANCE OF WISE MEN AND THE OBEYANCE OF FOOLS.
YOU MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, BUT WHAT'S LIKELY TO HAPPEN?
TIME IS OFTEN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS, FAILURE, LIFE AND DEATH.
WHEN YOU LEAST WANT HIM IS WHEN MURPHY IS LIKELY TO APPEAR.
GRIPE, BITCH OR COMPLAIN, BUT NO SNIVELING.
NOTHING WILL SAVE YOUR ASS AS OFTEN AS THE BASICS.
DON'T CONFUSE BEING IN DOUBT WITH BEING CONFUSED.
NO PLAN SURVIVES THE FIRST TWO MINUTES OF A FIRE INTACT.
KNOW WHERE THE SPLATTER ZONE IS BEFORE IT HITS THE FAN
IF THE CREW ISN'T FOLLOWING, IT'S BECAUSE THE LEADER ISN'T LEADING
MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH YOUR PARTNER.
THERE ARE NO REFEREES ON THE FIREGROUND
IN THIS GAME THERE IS ONLY ONE RULE, WIN.
IF IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EASY, A CIVILIAN WOULD DO IT.
PRIOR PLANNING, DON'T RELY ON DIVINE INTERVENTION OR YOUR BRILLIANT ABILITY TO IMPROVISE.
REMEMBER AUDI, ATTITUDE, UNDERSTANDING, DISCIPLINE, INTEGRITY.
FIRE HAS NO MERCY.
I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, ENTERING A BURNING HOUSE IS NOT THE ACT OF A SANE PERSON.
ASSUME NOTHING.
TEACH BY EXAMPLE.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
BE AN EXAMPLE
NEVER MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE ELSE (UNLESS IT’S POSITIVE)
SIZE-UP BEGINS WHEN THE PAGERS GO OFF.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG, SPEAK UP.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING RIGHT, SPEAK UP
PRACTICE FIRES ARE REAL.
ONE CAN NEITHER LEAD NOR FOLLOW WITHOUT TRUST.
IT'S NOT THE EQUIPMENT THAT DOES THE JOB BUT THE PEOPLE USING IT.
CREATE THE PLAN, IMPLEMENT THE PLAN, MODIFY THE PLAN.
IF YOU WISH TO EXCEL, DECIDE TO EXCEL
" OR DIE IN THE ATTEMPT" SHOULD NEVER BE THE LAST LINE OF YOUR PLAN.
KEEP LEARNING.
GET SERIOUS OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.
IF IT WASN'T YOU THIS TIME IT MIGHT BE YOU NEXT TIME.
FIRST CLASS TRAINING RESULTS IN FIRST CLASS FIREFIGHTERS, SECOND CLASS TRAINING RESULTS IN THIRD CLASS FIREFIGHTERS.
LEARN YOUR LIMITS, SET YOUR GOALS, THEN RE-LEARN YOUR LIMITS.
LUCK IS FOR THE POORLY TRAINED
GIVE THEM THE JOB, GIVE THEM THE TOOLS, GET OUT OF THE WAY.
LEADERS SAY "FOLLOW ME"
DO WHAT YOU PRACTISE, PRACTISE WHAT YOU DO
THE FURTHER YOU ARE FROM THE LAST, THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO THE NEXT.
WINNING WITHOUT CHEATING IS A HOLLOW VICTORY.
SUCCESS IS DETERMINED THROUGH “FIREHALL MATHEMATICS”. IF THE NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS GETTING OFF THE RIG BACK AT THE FIREHALL IS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER THAT GOT ON WHEN IT LEFT, YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL.

AND FINALLY, WHEN IT ALL GOES WRONG IT WILL BE YOUR MATES THAT SAVE YOUR ASS, WE ARE FAMILY, REMEMBER THAT.

Our job is to save lives
as many lives as we can
at the cost of our own lives if need be
there is no particular logic to the mathematics of this
and damned little glory
but there is tradition
and there is honor
and that's enough.