BY CRAIG NELSON
It is three o'clock in the morning, and your engine or truck company is toned out to a working structure fire in an apartment building. Right off the bat, you start trying to gather information about the incident to which you are now responding because that is what this job is about-gathering information so you can safely and effectively produce the best possible outcome when you go to work. The more information you have, the better the decisions you can make. We are trained to be problem solvers in an extremely complex and often fast-moving environment where we encounter a multitude of dangers and hazards. Yet, the vast majority of our incidents end successfully, often preventing severe damage to lives and property.
In the world of fire, as cheesy as it sounds, failure is not an option! Training, experience, education, and hard work come together on a daily basis to help us provide successful outcomes. We encounter incidents at all hours of the day and night, many while most people are sleeping warmly in their beds. Keeping our communities safe is something we take great pride in. Yet, that does not mean that we can relax our focus for even one second. Those who have been around a while realize that we never know what hazards may be lurking around the next corner.
If you are a current subscriber,login hereto access this content.
If you would like to become a subscriber, please visit ushere.
