The fire service has a rich history of members who are so into the job that it is a lifestyle rather than a job to them. To these members,the fire service is a defining aspect of their lives. Yet there are also members of the fire service who look down upon those who they say are “too passionate about the job” or “too into the job”. One definition for ‘passion’ from Webster’s Dictionary is “a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity,object,or concept.” How can one be too devoted to the fire service? How can one be too devoted to an oath that they swore to uphold?

Every member of the fire service should be passionate about their craft,regardless of rank or position. Every member should be devoting themselves to ensuring that they are capable of performing at the highest level when called upon to protect the citizens that they have sworn to protect. When a citizen calls 9-1-1 they are not expecting a half-hearted, unprepared response from the fire department. Instead, they are expecting a professional response from the best in the business. We as a fire service must uphold our end of the bargain to meet the expectations of the citizens. The citizens deserve no less than the best that we as a fire service have to offer. It is our duty to meet their expectations.

When a citizen has a fire in their home or business, they expect the fire department to arrive ready to operate and then go inside to
put the fire out before it destroys any more of their property. Even more so, when somebody is reported as trapped in a fire, the citizens have only one expectation of the fire department; to do everything in our power to rescue the trapped person. The citizens expect the firefighters to risk themselves for the safety of others. They expect us to take risks. They expect us to go into the fire building to rescue their families and friends. The fire service has created this high expectation level for itself through the actions of those who came before us. It is our job to continue to meet these expectations.

I pose the question; how do you plan to meet the expectations of the citizens if you are not passionate about the fire service? If you are not training or working to improve every day, how do you expect to perform to the best of your abilities when the citizens need you most? Every tour should include some form of training.

Company officers must be passionate about the job. As a boss, the company officer is tasked with making decisions in a matter of seconds that can have life-altering consequences. Company officers are also responsible for supervision. Many seem to think that this supervision responsibility is an administrative duty. To think of the supervisory responsibilities of a company officer as an administrative task is a cop out.

The true supervisory responsibilities of a company officer are on the fire ground. This is where the company officer must not only give orders but also supervise their firefighters as those orders are carried out. This includes direct supervision as those orders are carried out. If a boss orders a line be stretched and an interior fire attack be launched, the supervisory responsibility of the company officer is with the nozzle. Their job is to supervise the operation of the nozzle and therefore the safety of their company.

When the stakes are so high, who would want to work for a boss who isn’t passionate about the job or into the job? Firefighters must also be passionate about the job. They must be ready to carry out the orders of the company officer and to meet the expectations of the citizens. If the firefighters fail to meet the citizens’ expectations, there is nobody else to do it. We simply fail the citizens that day.

There is no such thing as being too passionate about the job. There is no such thing as being too into the job. As firefighters,we have a responsibility to the citizens that we have sworn to protect. We must do everything in our power to meet the expectations of the citizens. These expectations have been built upon the blood, sweat, and tears of those who came before us. They built the fire service that we are so lucky to be a part of. It is our duty to honor those who came before us by continuing the legacy that they have built for the fire service. This requires passion from our members. This requires our members to be into the job. Most importantly, this requires us to do everything in our power to meet the expectations of the citizens.