Saving The Brotherhood When we think of the word brotherhood, what comes to mind? For many in the fire service it means being there for each other through thick and thin, good times and bad times, remembering the fallen and respecting each other no matter the circumstances unless criminal. Some in the fire service though forget about respect. They sometimes put their own interests before the feelings of others in the brotherhood. I am talking about the individuals that put arrogance and ego before the brotherhood and with it, do nothing more than take their own department with them in a downward spiral. We as volunteers have been in rough shape in recent years. Lack of funding, lack of volunteers and participation is killing what once flourished with activity and pride and as a whole. We have no one to blame but ourselves for this. We are all guilty for having animosity against another department for one reason or another during our time in the fire service. We, as a whole brotherhood have to stop and remember what the word means, out of respect for each other, for the respect of the fallen brothers and for the respect of the founders and creators of our establishments. Ask yourself before you act on a thought, “ Will this hurt the brotherhood?” if the answer is yes, then think. “What benefit will my words have, other than upsetting the brotherhood, upsetting the foundation for which our organization and purpose for serving the public was built upon and ultimately upsetting ourselves for burning a bridge that is unrepairable. As a human being, no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and hasty decisions that others do not agree with. Having said that, why disagree? What makes you better than anyone else? Is it your egotistical behavior setting in, causing the new member to be intimidated? What chain reaction occurs with your attitude? Lack of interest, lack of membership. Some feel that they are inadequate for what the job calls for and they are in fear of making mistakes so they quit even though they still have the heart to continue. The Attitude of ego and arrogance pushes people away. We all need to take a hard look in the mirror and recognize both our pros and cons. Before we work on the brotherhood, we must first work on ourselves to become the leader, the future and a guiding light for the potential in flux of new members for our organizations. To wrap it up, lets work together, learn together and teach together. Not only do we owe this to ourselves and to the people that have built our foundations and ideas but also to the future of our existence both in funding, membership and in one word, Brotherhood. Keep the brotherhood alive. Remember to humble yourself, remember where you came from and most of all, respect the veterans of the brotherhood. They are all we have left of days gone by and our time is limited to learn from them. Stay Safe, Mark D’Antonio
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 05:24:41 +0000