Forged By Fire

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Forged by fire

Long ago I began this journey
Not knowing what to expect
Now those who came before me
Have earned my utmost respect

I realize that it’s not “my” destiny
That keeps me pushing forward
It’s more about “our” traditions
Than any personal rewards

Forged by fire
Hardened like steel
Makes me question
Exactly what’s real

Started out as flexible
Willing to bend any way
Taught early to fight my fear
Not let it get in the way

So as I edge closer to retirement
I feel it’s my sacred obligation
To pass on the lessons I’ve learned
To another firefighting generation

I didn’t come to this job with experience
I learned it all from others
They taught me the way they learned
Straight from their veteran brothers

It’s never been about any individual
Firefighting’s a team sport
If there be only one lesson I could pass on
It’s believe in what you’re taught

Respect & Pride

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John Lennon once wrote “All you need is love”. In a person’s early years that might be right on, but in our adult worlds I have to disagree with him on this one. While love is something that is extremely important, and something we all crave, I submit that the one thing we all need most in our lives is something that Aretha Franklin sang about all those years ago also, “respect”.

Respect is earned – we’ve all heard that before, right? Well, by the time we’ve become adults our actions have already proven who we are – morally, socially, etc. While we are constantly evolving as beings, our core values are usually set in our early adulthood.

In recent years the respect level shown to firefighters by those outside our profession has been seemingly non-existent. We have been under constant attack by those who would accuse us of being overpaid and over-glorified public servants. Many outsiders don’t understand what we do or how we do it. None of the politicians have shown us the respect we deserve. To them we’re merely numbers on a budget ledger.

The one thing we have maintained during these recent attacks on our integrity is our mutual respect for each other. In our close knit brotherhood we’ve had each others’ backs and respected what our brothers and sisters have done or earned – by way of actions on the street or promotion to higher ranks. This has been true for as long as I can remember. For the Providence Fire Department this began to change as members became more and more disheartened under the parade of weak Chiefs of Department after Mike DeMascolo. It got continually worse until it bottomed out under George Farrell.

Once this chief was forced out I had great hope that things were going to change for the better. Well, they have……..yet they have not. We now have an administration in charge of our fire department that is attempting to restore the pride, the integrity and the honor to the PFD. Years of petty and personal decisions made to benefit a chosen few have lead the rank and file to lose the overall pride we once had for our great department. Although I may not always or completely agree with the way the new administration is going about it, their efforts could turn the tide in the right direction.

However…..they need to understand that we will never be as “spit & polish” as the military. We are the working man’s heroes. Part firefighter, part nurse, part plumber, part chemist, etc. – jacks-of-all-trades. We get our hands dirty on a daily basis. When a person is being attacked or robbed or threatened they call the police. When they find themselves in danger from any other source they call the fire department…and we always respond in a professional and timely manner. No matter what!

Another area that this administration fails to take into consideration when dealing with the individuals on the department is the importance of “honorable service” – especially a long and distinguished career of honorable service. This seems to mean nothing to them. They need to understand that for all the right strides taken to restore pride in our department, discounting the value of the individual’s service will most certainly sabotage any possible gains in that area. The rank and file members need to believe that their service and loyalty toward the betterment of the department is a two-way street.

I believe that until this administration understands these facts our department will never turn the corner toward becoming, once again, a fire department that we can all take pride in.

TIRED............

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I’m 58…..but I feel like I’m 70.

I’ve been on the job for 32 years…..but it feels like 50.

I’m sooooo deep-down dog tired.

I used to love this job…..now I dread going to work.

I tire too quickly, drink too much and cry too easily…..

I used to expect the best from everyone…..but now I trust no one!

I used to care about everyone…..now I only care about my family, my fellow first responders and the victims

I used to write in an attempt to change hearts and minds…..now I write to keep sane

Getting very close to the time to pack it all in and retire.

Too much abuse to my body…..to my heart…..to my very soul.

Nothing seems to change; at least not in positive measures.

I’ve just about lost hope on the direction of society and I fear for my children’s and grandchildren’s futures, but feel powerless to protect them.

I desperately want to some how, magically, wake up to a brighter tomorrow but…..

I’ve seen too many suffer, too many perish, too many hate and too many simply demand that “we” provide for “them”…..entitlement!

I’ve seen too many people lie & cheat & worse with no consequence…..and too many good people punished in the name of “image” or “political correctness”…..

I’ve seen too many people abuse the power afforded them and too many good, decent, moral people who feel (correctly so) powerless to make a difference.

At some point a person has to walk away…………………………

West, Texas Fire & Boston Heroes (again)

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It’s hard to imagine that a Volunteer Fire Department that has been without a Line of Duty Death for it’s over 100 year existence, serves a community of about 2,800 residents and only had approximately 30 members could lose 9 members in a split second….but that’s exactly what happened in West, Texas this past week. This department reportedly responded to only around 120 calls per year.

Yet, these members responded without hesitation to an obviously large fire in, by far, the most hazardous property in the entire area. All they knew was that their community and its residents were facing a major emergency and they were the ones that had signed on to “protect life and property” in their town. It was not their job, but it was their duty. They knew that the only way to prevent a catastrophic disaster was to act bravely and act fast. So, they rushed to the scene and very quickly paid the ultimate price. The price that all First Responders know, in the back of their minds, that they might be called on to pay some day.

Heroes are not the ones who stand up in front of you and pound on their chests to let you know how tough and brave they are. Real heroes are born of circumstance. They are the ones who step up and answer the call without thinking of themselves when faced with choice of putting themselves in danger to assist and protect strangers or distancing themselves from the danger expecting “others” to step up. Real heroes are the “others”. These men from West, Texas are the real heroes.

So are the First Responders, doctors, nurses and good Samaritans who stepped up in Boston and its surrounding communities earlier this week. Be proud that America has so many potential heroes amongst us who are willing to place themselves in danger to assist the rest of us in our time of need. This week has certainly put the spotlight directly on the “great” qualities and character that makes this country so strong. Our willingness to stand tough and fight will always outweigh any hardships, natural or man-wrought, that we may face as a country!

God bless all those who have stood tall this past week!!

Boston Marathon Bombings

Yesterday, in Boston, evil once again reared its ugly head. It’s becoming all too commonplace in this world of ours. We’re becoming numb to it all. That is, until it hits close to home.

Remember that these cowardly acts perpetrated against innocent victims in other parts of the globe have the same personal consequences to real people that this act had in Boston. It’s easy to ignore the pain and the horror when it’s halfway around the world, but it is exactly the same. We can only search out and punish the perpetrators and pray for the victims and their loved ones and families.

Another common factor in all these terrible scenes is the incredible heroism and dedication of the First Responders. This was never as visible as it was on 9/11 where hundreds of firefighters, police officers and EMS personnel were witnessed by millions on TV running into the towers before the unthinkable happened. The same reaction could be witnessed yesterday by all First Responders and other Good Samaritan civilians and doctors. They rushed to help even after a second bomb echoed in their ear, making them aware that there could be more attacks to come. God bless them all.

I have been a firefighter for over 32 years and it never surprises me that these men and women act this way at the most terrifying moments we encounter as human beings. Sure, we train for Mass Casualty events quite often. Training, however, only teaches you what needs to be done in these situations, but it takes a special quality in an individual to actually react so unselfishly and selflessly at a moment’s notice. These men and women will not forget the horrific sights they saw yesterday – never. They will be awakened with these images for the rest of their lives. But….even knowing the dangers they were immediately facing and being aware of the long term effects that they would encounter they willingly, and eagerly, rushed to the scene to make a difference. That’s what they do. That’s what we do.

I pray for all those who were so horribly affected and I’m extremely proud of my brother and sister First Responders. God bless them all!

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A War on Terror
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The holes in our hearts
can never be filled
by any amount of words
And though it’s important
to remember them all
their voices remain unheard

I don’t think they call
for any act of vengeance
but rather determination
That we band together
in the name of peace
not grieve in isolation

For no act of retribution
can bring them back
to stand with us once more
But America had to respond
because this cowardly act
was an act of war

For in this age of terrorism
there’s no resolution
through diplomatic means
We must root out the evil
and destroy it entirely
to avoid similar scenes

Though we may wish to temper
our immediate response
it’s kill or be killed
This weapon of terror they employ
requires that we react
as forceful and strong-willed

We must wage a war on terror
and turn it back on them
bring it to their shore
For we Americans wish for peace
and deserve the right
to live safely evermore
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From Hero to Thug

The day the towers fell people took notice
Of ones they never gave a thought
The police and especially the firefighters
Stepped up for those overwrought

As everyone else ran away from the buildings
They responded in droves to assist
And even as the situation became more dire
Their fears they managed to resist

As they perished by the hundreds that fateful day
The world learned a lesson in dedication
These men, like soldiers, who had sworn to protect
Headed to their fates without hesitation

Firefighters everywhere were struck by that blow
Everyday citizens did rally around us
They praised our courage and dedication to duty
Though we were embarrassed by the fuss

But we need not have worried about that
Public opinion changes on a whim
And within a few months of singing our praises
Their memories of heroes were dim

So when our contracts were up for renegotiation
Politicians put the blame on our backs
These leaders claimed to have no more money
They said they’d have to raise their tax

They told the public our pay was too generous
Our pensions and benefits too
When faced with having to pay more to the city
Taxpayers’ anger began to stew

Politicians and conservative types had a plan
Blame us for the recession
A campaign to label us as greedy union thugs
To force us into concessions

The debate goes on even now, ten years later
As they paint firefighters as useless slugs
Their outright lies and their editorial powers
Have turned us from heroes to thugs
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The Heroes That Time Forgot

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The Heroes That Time Forgot

I work in the midst of an army of brave men
Some be heroes and some be not
But in the realm of modern scientific progress
We’re the heroes that time forgot

The tubes of air we carry into battle
Are rated for thirty minutes
Though mask itself lasts for only about twelve
When we strap our face into it

Over thirty years of improvements have yielded
A bottle rated for forty-five
Yet it still gives us only enough for twenty
To allow us to survive

Wooden ladders have made way for aluminum
To make them easier to deploy
We still have to raise them and vent at the roof
Before the rafters are destroyed

Progress has given us C-G-M’s* and TIC’s*
To aid us in our work
But in order to employ these tools we need
To go where danger lurks

Modern science has made G-P-S commonplace
But our locaters rely on sound
We need to search through all the smoky debris
If our lost member is to be found

Sledge hammers, axes, pry-bars and more
Continue to serve us well
These tools of brute force, though seemingly ancient
Never fail after the bell

Engineers have made for much cheaper buildings
Via lightweight-construction
But when these structures are subject to fire
They’re prone to quicker destruction

Although they’re perfectly safe in normal conditions
They’re not designed for fire
So when a single thin member succumbs to flame
A catastrophic collapse transpires

While these engineering advances are taking place
Our job is still the same
We need to “put the wet stuff on the red stuff”
In order to squelch the flames

Just because the conditions have changed
Doesn’t mean we change our plan
We still must venture inside to put it out
As quickly as we can

So as we all enjoy the fruits of science which have
Given us what we’ve got
Let us not forget the firefighters who are
The heroes that time forgot

9-Aug-2012 -- Tom Kenney

*TIC’s (Thermal Imaging Cameras)
*C-G-I’s (Combustible Gas Meters)