The oldest known written story is “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” a poem written on clay tablets about the adventures of the king of Uruk in what is now Iraq more than 4,000 years ago. The poem tells of Gilgamesh’s adventures and his personal growth. It tells of Gilgamesh’s bravery and his development as a leader but, most importantly, the poem details his relentless efforts to complete his duties both sacred and ordinary.
The poem was written to provide an outline or guideline for future leaders on the necessity to honor one’s duties. It is not a small matter that the first written human communication’s purpose was to reinforce the fundamental need of persons of character and consequence to fulfill their duties.
Duty as a concept is important to the fire service. It is fundamental in our principles. Many confuse duty with service; they are different in meaning and practice. Firefighters intuitively understand what is meant when someone says the call to duty.
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