Today, amongst wondering if we will get iced in and making sure
the apparatus are ready, I read your article about Steve Webb,
his death, and the effects on your life and those around you (Remembering
Our Fallen Friends - An Appropriate Response FETN E-news,
Jan, 2007 edition). I couldn't help but begin to hear your words
and my voice remembering certain training evolutions or using
disappointment to create a better "next time". Like
you, training and teaching the young (and old) has become a passion
over the years, and although at times I have been considered unorthodox
and irreverent, I believe my point gets across and becomes a seed
for another day and time.
I thank you for your words and work, and for allowing us to be
recipients of your efforts and priorities. I am the assigned Shift
Commander/Battalion 101 on C Shift. For almost five years, we
have voluntarily (well, I volunteered them at first) conducted
SCBA air management drills. For their efforts each month, they
now own the incredible and valuable knowledge of how their aerobic
consumption alters during certain work cycles and how certain
muscle groups are affected. Most importantly, they are learning
when it is time to "work their way out"! I get so frustrated
listening to company officers at various fire service functions
talk about the value of training and life safety, yet when pressed
for details on their efforts, they are only scratching the surface
for what could be for their firefighters.
The memorial park has been a great re-focusing tool for many
of us, and a very visual reminder each day of what is most important.
We spend a portion of each month independently studying from the
new courses or archives of FETN, and I appreciate its presence
and value. I hope this new year meets all of our prayers and expectations
and that no name be added next to Steve Webb's. Please take care
and should you be in the area on C Shift, feel free to stop by.
We always have the best sweet tea and can find some ice cream
in either A or B Shift's freezer.
Some time in the future, I want to share with you the impact
on our lives regarding the struggle of one of our Brothers daily
fight with cancer. His story and daily life puts the beauty back
in every day, as does your work at FETN. It sharpens the focus
on what is most important. EGH!
