Why do you do it?
So why is it that you do what you do?
Years ago, I asked my father why he joined the fire service. My father was working two full time jobs and made time for the fire service. He told me that he needed to do something to get him away from his wife.
I would later think of why I joined the fire service and realized that for me, it was a way to get to know my father. Yes, later I joined EMS so that I could help people who may have been getting closer to their end of life.
I have heard people who said that emergency responders joined so that they could get in the newspaper. I will admit that some emergency responders find a way to be in the headlines or trying to control organizations, because they want to be in control or their personality had to be fed at all time.
I learned, from my uncles who raised me, I was a firefighter to help people. I was not into it to be in the paper or for any glory. I did the work and that was it.
I have seen many who wanted to be paid for their fire service but the people that I respect were the unpaid professionals, who shared their experience and knowledge. I know and have met many people that shared their knowledge for free. One of the things that stand out in my memories was when I was taking my Haz-Mat Technician course. We had a student sitting taking the course and they had a nuclear physicist teaching the chemistry part of the course. The physicist went teaching the course but he was incorrect on his information. A gentleman in the class kept correcting the instructor. You could see that the instructor did not like that he was corrected. He looked at the person correcting him and said "if you think you know more than I know, you get up here and you teach the class." When the man came up to the front, the instructor asked him who he thinks he was. The gentleman politely introduced himself as having a doctorate in chemistry and he was able to rattle of chemical facts like me reciting the alphabet. Did he join Haz-Mat to prove himself to an instructor? No, he found a place where he can use his expertise to help others.
I have noticed emergency responders who are in emergency services for the rank. They tell you that you need to respect them because they have the horns, but they have no right to even talk with people because they have no subject matter knowledge or how to deal with any person.
People go through some experiences that make them humble. I know a person who survived a backdraft and now he teaches the fire service and stresses safety and the difference that fire gear can make.
People do work many times for free because they want to help people just for the sake of assisting people.
As I was working with disasters and supervising people, I came across people who decided to bring a scrapbook with them to show how important they were. These people were sent home because it was obvious that they did not have the heart to help people but to build their resume.
There are many people who are in emergency services to build their resumes also but the people who are really respected are those who give from their hearts. One of the people that I respect and that is respected by so many people gives from himself and shares his knowledge.
The one thing that gets me is when someone is asked to speak. They may say that they don't really know that much about the subject matter but they are really the subject matter expert. I always find it amazing that the people that have humility may really be the smartest person in the room.
I love the story that a friend conveyed to me. He was at a party with his cousin, a beautiful woman that could pass for a model. A gentleman was expressing a challenge that he was having with a particular Apple product. The woman expressed that she may be able to assist and the man dismissed her as just a pretty dumb woman. Do you think that he was surprised when he found out that she was in charge of the think tank for Apple?
So doing a reality check, why do you do what you do? Is it to be a servant or do you do it so that others will serve you? You can still serve others and enjoy yourself.
I think we know a person that was here to serve His fellow man to the point of the supreme sacrifice. If you don't know Him and want to, I can help with the introduction.
Stay safe,
Didymus McHugh
didymus-mchugh.com
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