“Welcome to wherever you are. This is your life, you made it this far.”
Bon Jovi’s “Welcome to Wherever You Are” was one of six songs featured in a graduation video for Fairfax County (Va.) Fire & Rescue Department’s 122nd Recruit School, and its words poignantly matched the 1,000 photos of the recruits’ 22 weeks at the training academy. The 24 members of the graduating class made it through exercises in suppression, extrication, emergency medical care, rappelling, confined space and more.
The class included four Asians, six women and five Hispanics, matching the diverse community they will serve throughout Fairfax County. As the graduation’s keynote speaker, I asked how many of the recruits had family members in the fire service. Only two recruits raised their hands. I had anticipated a higher number of next-generation firefighters.
Looking at this graduating class, I was both jealous and awe-struck and filled with high expectations.
I was jealous because when I was younger I wanted to be a firefighter — or at least I wanted to drive a fire truck and operate the pump. (I didn’t do well as a radio dispatcher because I got too involved to keep track of who was calling and who was where on scene.)
I was in awe because of how adaptable they would have to be to keep up with changing roles of fire and emergency services, with fire calls going down, with EMS calls going up, with new bio-chem challenges, and with an emerging shift toward prevention and preparedness.
They are entering a fire service where legal liabilities and officer retirements are putting new emphasis on training and safety officers. Public safety educators will need to embrace new topics such as codes, residential sprinklers and preparedness, but their reach will expand to educating local governments and baby bloomers — yes, I said “bloomers” because that generation’s retirement is changing the landscape of employment.
I expect that these new firefighters will deal with these challenges, but I cautioned them against another. Cell phone cameras, video, Internet and Web logs will follow them on and off duty and provide on-demand coverage of their actions. Follow the rules. There is no off-duty for a firefighter or emergency medical responder.
Probationary Firefighter Karl Goza received the award for academic excellence at the end of the ceremony. “We [among the class] were mechanics and government contractors,” he said in accepting his award. “We have found out that being a firefighter is a commitment. It’s committing ourselves day in and day out. Being a firefighter requires courage … and this courage will help us to continue.”
As Bon Jovi sang “you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be,” it summed up this batch of probationary firefighters.
Be safe, now and forever.
August 15th, 2007 @ 7:00 pm
That the Fairfax Fire Department is becoming more diverse is laudable.
However, when more emphasis is placed on how many females, Asians, and Hispaincs are in an organization just doesn’t do our service justice. When was the last time a community acknolwledged the need for such diversity in public works or sanitation. Ultimately, it is the quality of service and not the color of ones skin or national origin that should be the difference.
To drive the point home: I wonder if the family of the victim who was not rescued for over 45 minutes, depite being on the phone with dispatchers when responders first arrived, cares about the diverstity of the crew who responded? The bottom line is; were they capable?
We should all be ashamed for allowing those who put “political correctness” ahead of the public’s welfare.