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A firefighter who is positive, energetic, and driven can become discouraged if he or she is in a constant environment of negativity. This effect is even more dramatic if they are having personal problems at home. In our faith we need to remember that in order for the fires of our...

The lifeblood of firefighting is training. It’s where our passion is taken from a raging inferno and channeled like a welding torch. Once chaotic, our lives are now fueled with purpose and direction. It is through training that we’ve become equipped with the tools to...

As a firefighter begins his or her journey, he or she is constantly reading, processing, and committing to memory large amounts of information. The depth of one’s commitment to his calling is not only shown in his knowledge but in his understanding of that knowledge. An incident...

Have you ever noticed when someone mentions developing our KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities) that knowledge is the foundation upon which skills and abilities are built? We have all studied training manuals in the fire service. God has a “training manual” that...

I am blessed to be a part of the fire service and be involved with passionate leaders such as yourselves. Today I was fortunate to climb with my fellow firefighters 110 floors in Charlotte NC for the fourth year in a row. However, this stairclimb was very different for me. Before...

Have you ever read something that changed the way you think or behave? Do you have a book that has so much meaning in your life that you go back and re-read it again? As firefighters, we are in the business of saving lives; therefore, we value human life. Our dedication to the...

As we move forward, we will explore 5 ways that can help each of us build our faith as firefighters. #1 – Studying The Training Manual As firefighters, we are constantly about the business of reading, learning, and applying. The same disciplines hold true with building our...

Many great firefighters are non-believers and it’s neither this article’s intention nor the author’s to state that a non-believer cannot be a great firefighter. It is my belief that faith is a key asset to the fire service and to our firefighters. Consider the...

Firefighting is and always will be an inherently dangerous profession marked by selfless acts of bravery, commitment, and sacrifice. The creeds and oaths that are spoken by those who embrace this calling are not taken lightly. Consider the words of Benjamin Franklin that were...

The Promotion Process In our fire service journey, we all will come to the threshold of an important decision: Do we take the next step in our fire service career? Many of us prepare diligently for the promotion process and do well. Let us stop for a moment and consider a few...