The Brother And Sisterhood Of Emergency Services

[Lucky 13]

Article by Lieutenant Steve Powell, Rockingham County Department of Fire & Rescue

Courtesy of VA Fire News

[94onair]

Great article Tommy. thanks for sharing. I was also at the funeral procession in Salisbury, and it was a very humbling experiance and like he mentioned there was a sence of brother and sisterhood there. standing next to people ive never met before i think we all felt comforted by each others presence.

[fireball]

a very interesting an touching article about Brotherhood and Sisterhood.

i received this nice article about Brotherhood in my e-mail,some weeks ago,i thought i could share it with you:





What is Brotherhood? I believe to be a Brother one has to have certain traits. Loyalty. A Brother is loyal to his fellow firefighters. He does the right thing all the time. He is loyal to his company and his officers.

A Brother has courage. Not the "I fight what you fear" courage. The courage to do the right thing all the time. Even if it is the unpopular choice to be done. He has the courage to step up and say "Hey this is wrong/unsafe/unfair". He has the courage to step in and stop dangerous pranks being pulled.

A Brother will sacrifice. He will be the one to work for that young kid who's wife just went into labor and needs someone to come in and relieve him. He is the young kid who is single, and decides to work Christmas for the senior man so he can be with his family. He is the one who will be the first to get in the bathroom or kitchen, knowing it needs to get done.

A Brother is understanding. He knows that not every decision, trade, detail, leave chit etc will be approved. He is the one that understands the need of the company/dept. come before his sometimes. He doesn't mope around for three shifts complaining about getting boned.

A Brother is supporting. He is there and ready to help another firefighter move. He is the one who listens when we are having a bad day and just need to vent. He doesn't judge us, doesn't offer advice or say what he would have done. He just listens.

A Brother does something to better the job. He does things to try and improve his company or his department. He takes that sometimes dreaded assignment to training and comes out of the field. He tries to learn his job and he tries to learn the history of the job.

A Brother takes the time to mentor the young probies or newer guys in the house. He doesn't just give them the crap assignments or make them do the crap work because he is senior. He answers their questions or helps them find the answers. He doesn't laugh at them or ridicule them when they don't know an answer.

A brother is not someone who lies.
A brother is not someone who endangers his fellow firefighters through unsafe actions.
A brother is not someone who pits people against each other in the firehouse by spreading rumors or ridiculing.
A brother is not a bully.
A brother is not the person always on the couch with the remote in his hand who only gets up for boxes and meals.
A brother is not someone who turns their back on a fellow firefighter in need.

And most importantly, a brother is not someone who turns their back on the injured or deceased firefighters family.

[LdrClmr]

I for one wish with every fiber of my being that the term SISTERHOOD be removed from discussion when referring to myself or my female counterparts in the Fire Service.

First of all, despite what many believe is it is not showing equality amoungst the ranks it is a form of segregation, it is dividing the members by showing destinct difference in title.

Secondly, we who have been in for any length of time were put through the same physical standards requirements as the men...those of us who passed are here today not by virtue of someone having felt pity on us and allowed us to have our standards requirements deminished to be able to allow us to perform with the same degree of efficiency as our male counterparts.... the moment you specifically identify somebody by gender, race, religion or complexion, you identify them as being DIFFERENT!


Since the minimized standards have been put into effect I have heard nothing but bitching and complaining from everyone predominantly the males due to the fact that they got to do the sissy testing and were therefore suspect of having lesser capabilities and to an extent the guys are right on the money! THEY ARE subjected to having more lieniant expectations for performance due to the fact they are females and frankly I think it sucks dead goat balls!

If you are needing to take a minimized standards test to allow you to be here, if you are given a pass because you happen to possess a couple of hooters and a vajaja how in the HELL is that fair to anybody? Can you do the work? Are you going to be able to haul ass and everything else alongside of the men on the crew? Possibly? Prehaps?? Maybe???

Double standards blow! When time comes to get in there and do the job I dont want to be comforted by the fact that some 95 pound woman got in by the skin of her teeth or the hair of her....yeah well Ive already been creative and borrowed one of the Captains expressions, I have run outta polite words to describe female genetalia so I shall refrain from trying to be discreet and subtle and just omit saying ANY descriptive words...suffice it to say YOU KNOW WHAT PART IM TALKIN ABOUT!

I took the mans test, I WORKED MY ASS OFF and I passed it by sheer determination NOT because some politically correct, bleeding heart equal rights activist decided to take pity on the poor scrawney chicks with dreams of grandure and limited upper body strength and FORCED the Fire Service to allow them into the trade.

Keep it up with the pointing out of differences there whizkids, insure that everyone knows that segregating by virtue of double standards is alive and well and that anyone who dares speak up in the defence of the Brothers gets their knuckles rapped and their ass kicked for doing so...yer really helping plead the cases of the actually physically capable women out there who are just as competant as the men they work with...NOT!!!!!

The word "EQUALITY" means JUST THAT....everything is the same, in the exact same proportion, NO differentiations between one and another of any sort or kind. NOW if you want EQUAL RIGHTS...THEN DO EQUAL STANDARDS...DON'T give this one so much and the other one that much....keep it centered right down the bloody middle...THATS what Equal means, not giving someone a lesser requirement to aid them in making the cut if they cannot perform to the same standard as everyone else....do ya think for 2 seconds a fire gives a shit about who can lift what or drag this for how far? HELL NO!

You think Im being hardassed when I say this....too bad its fact, thats what it is in the real world, Im sick of having someone challenge long standing practices that insure that only the fittest make the grade, that only the more enduring rise to the top....THATS LIFE....THATS what KEEPS US ALIVE...not relying on someone whos failed the basic females PT twice and then gets her bra in a fuuking twist and goes off and creates a grievance-suite and garners all kindsa media attention about how she was treated unfairly....how the hell is lowering our standards to allow these people in being FAIR TO US? MAN OR WOMAN....IF YOU CANT DO IT....GO HOME! PLEASE...Dont fight in court, get on by default, go to a job, fall down go boom and take 3 or 4 of my best men with you trying to save your sorry weak ass!

In closing permit me to rejoice once more in the fact of the matter.... I took the MANS TEST and I PASSED the MANS TEST!!!! I have worked alongside of MEN for 22 years and I have earned my title and the respect bestowed upon ANY MAN who has done the same...and woe unto the silly, weak wristed, panty waisted Nancy who dares to call me a SISTER! Ya know who gets called SISTERS...NUNS!! And you can BET YOUR ARSE I AM AS FAR FROM BEING A BRIDE OF CHRIST AS ONE CAN POSSIBLY GET!!!!

I AM A BROTHER! AND DONT ANY OF YOU EVER DAMNED WELL FORGET THAT!!!!!!!

[Lucky 13]

Well said Kimmie and thank you. You've managed to put into words what I've thought for a very long time as this plague of political correctness is certainly not confined to the fire service. Just the other day I saw an e-mail from our new unit commander in which he said something to the affect of, "Great job by our Wingmen and Wingwomen..." and I went, "WTF?" quite outloud.

Last time I checked, it was Wingmen, period. Regardless of gender. Infact, it's Airman, not Airwoman or Airperson (USAF had toyed with the idea of making the ranks gender neutral, but it died in comittee; unfortunately the RCAF hasn't been so lucky).

Anyway...enough of my mini-rant. You just touched on something that has pissed me off to no-end for years now, but wasn't quite sure how to forumlate a response.

And I'm proud as hell to call you BROTHER Kimmie.

[LdrClmr]

Why Thank You Brother Thomas and Ide offer to shake your hand but I was kinda scratching my balls and well one thing lead to another and...errrrrrr ....ahhhhh you know.....hmmmmmmmmmm......here....lemme go grab a towel and wash up first brb! Bwahahahahaha

PS why should you ever be surprised by the fact that if someones gonna slam their boot into somebodies dish by calling a spade a f**king shovel that it is gonna be me! I may not be overly loved liked or otherwise respected for my choice of words, my lack of demeanor at times or my crude and oft vulgar delivery...but when I speak there is NO misinterpretation as to my meaning and intent!

[FF_AUS]

A member of our service died off duty last week. Tragic. Brings home the reality of it all.

[jester1965]

We've had several of our departments "original" members pass away over the few years. Even though most of them (not all though) were retired and no longer doing much with the department, we always send an engine and folks to their funerals.

The families have all expressed their gratitide in the fact that their loved ones were not forgotten. A few words from the fire chief and a fire department marker and flag at the grave site with a bunch of firefighters present goes a long way in these parts where communities are small and close knit.

[FloridaFireLt.]

Ok here I go, I know I'm going to draw the ire of my esteemed brother Kim but I have to defend my use of the term sister here.

Let me say first that I do agree with just about everything Kim stated above except for the blanket criticism of the use of the term "Sister or Sisterhood". Secondly I should say that I generally dont get too hung-up on simantics. In my experience words are just words. It's someone's character and actions that truly define who they are or who they are not. In that respect my brother Kim has my upmost respect regardless of her anatomical make-up. As for myself, you can call me a dirty Mick bastard or anything else you can think of as long as when you feel you need the best help you can get, you call me.

Certainly there are those who use both the terms "Brotherhood" and "Sisterhood" because of political expediency and our ever increasing hypersensitive and litigeous society. I for one have used both terms but not for either of the reasons I just mentioned. I use the term "sister" to show my respect for those in our profession who, wether or not they are the most jam-up firefighter on the face of the earth, are in fact because of thier genetic make-up, female. Just as I use the term "brother" to show my respect for those who dont have that extra chromazome in them. I do not use the term in a condescending or derogatory manner. Kim, if my use of the term has offended you I offer my sincerest apologies Brother.

In closing I'd like to say I am both humbled and honored greatly to be counted among the Worldwide Fraternity of Firefighters.

And Kim, it gives me great comfort to know that I have a brother who I can borrow a nailfile and polish from if ever I feel the need

[LdrClmr]

nail files and polish are one thing, stay the hell outta my lingerie drawers... the last bra of mine you borrowed you stretched beyond repair and I wont even get into the fact you ruined my favorite pair of CFMs

[lafirechaser69]

Originally Posted by LdrClmr

The word "EQUALITY" means JUST THAT....everything is the same, in the exact same proportion, NO differentiations between one and another of any sort or kind. NOW if you want EQUAL RIGHTS...THEN DO EQUAL STANDARDS...DON'T give this one so much and the other one that much....keep it centered right down the bloody middle...THATS what Equal means, not giving someone a lesser requirement to aid them in making the cut if they cannot perform to the same standard as everyone else....do ya think for 2 seconds a fire gives a shit about who can lift what or drag this for how far? HELL NO!

This is the very thing I get my arse in trouble about on the paying job every year on my performance review. I believe that everyone should do their job PERIOD. I don't want to hear the excuses, we all worked our way thru the ranks and did the dirty work. I'm not aiming this shotgun at any one race,gender,or what ever, if you don't want to get hot, dirty,tired, stressed or strained stay your ass at McDonalds.

[FloridaFireLt.]

Originally Posted by LdrClmr

nail files and polish are one thing, stay the hell outta my lingerie drawers... the last bra of mine you borrowed you stretched beyond repair and I wont even get into the fact you ruined my favorite pair of CFMs

Sorry about that Kim...I guess I've put on a little extra weight lately

[LdrClmr]

yeah ya tell me that now ya big bitttth!!!!

[FloridaFireLt.]

Originally Posted by LdrClmr

yeah ya tell me that now ya big bitttth!!!!

Ummmm...I have no witty response to that comment.