ANOTHER New Year? The Same Old Stuff?


ANOTHER New Year? The Same Old Stuff? ".....what about their lives without you in it....." by Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O. Firefighterclosecalls.com
ANOTHER New Year? The Same Old Stuff? ".....what about their lives without you in it....." Well, we are in the New Year...again. Personally we all either loudly or privately say that we are going to change. Maybe it's eating less deep fried double stuff twinkles in 2006? Maybe it will be more physical exertion such as getting UP to change the TV channel as opposed to using the remote. Maybe it's more time with your loved one ("Come on honey, I want to spend more time with you..so come hangout at the firehouse *with me!....) Who knows what you have planned but it's usually the same old stuff. For the past several years I have been given the space here to write something about changes we should make in the fire service for the new year. It's the same old stuff...stay off roofs that will probably fall....wear your SCBA if an infant couldn't breathe clearly in that environment....don't drive like a lunatic....don't budge the apparatus until everyone is seat-belted...eat a salad once in a while.....don't back up apparatus without a backer...send plenty of firefighters to a fire BEFORE you arrive and find out you need more.....block the highway so NOTHING can run us over....don't scream on the radio...participate in regular fire training.....stop at red lights and stop signs...have IC's that understand that THEY have a whole lot to do with determining if "everyone comes home" as much as we each do personally....don't respond or be on duty when high or drunk....have affordable radios that allow us to easily communicate on the fireground-no matter what FD is there with you. Nothing new - same old stuff. For a whole bunch of reasons, we still are having some serious trouble getting a lot of the above stuff under control. One theory I have is that we don't worry about ourselves "personally" as firefighters. Now-I don't mean that in some philosophical "deeply studied" and evaluated way-this is just a simple observation. Look at us...we worry about EVERYONE other than ourselves personally. We would go to Mrs. Smiths house and do her damn laundry if she needed it but what happens to OUR laundry? We'll tell someone who we are treating for a serious medical condition what we will do to help them-and then when we get to the hospital, we'll step outside to discuss the call-over a cigarette. We'll shake out heads when we see "that other" fire department do something stupid but then we'll do our own local brand of "dumb" at the next run-or while responding. See what I mean? We seem to always be "ok"...no matter what, we will survive-whatever it is. That's at least how I feel. Even if something bad happened to some other* FD - we will be ok...it probably won't happen to us-or me. Personally, I have had weight issues for years and although it *may* actually be under control now, I am not really worried about it-but yet something did happen to make me want to deal with it. I sometimes drive too fast to get to a run, but after all---what, me worry? But I *have* slowed down. And I hate wearing seatbelts-but yet I wear one now. And SCBA's just got in the way-especially because I wear glasses. But in recent times-I made some decisions to change. I thought for a while it was because I read and write about the bad stuff-and although that probably had something to do with it...that wasn't it. Because I still felt that "it" can't happen to me. My teenage son had a personal issue involving a girl (no, not that....) that was really upsetting him. He called me in near tears to tell me that he made a decision about their relationship and he, with his voice shaking, asked me..."Did I do the right thing, Dad" ? What we discussed isn't as relevant in this article as much as the issue of me *being there for him. But what if I wasn't there for him? My youngest daughter had some pretty serious issues-again-effecting her and some others in her life. This issue was tearing her up and causing a lot of pain. We have spent a lot of time working on the issue-and may be starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. It has been painful and has taken a lot of careful time for her to slowly move forward. This is tough stuff. But who would she be able to talk to if I wasn't there? Due to space, I am unable to give you more examples-but I can-with similar situations involving my 2 other sons, my wife, my sister, my mom and my closest friends. The common denominator is that I am here for them. THAT is what got me thinking about me. I am a psycho when it comes to the people I love and care about-especially my kids. Look at my daughters the wrong way and I would just assume run you over than ask you to quit looking. That's just how I feel. I ADORE my kids. And there is NOTHING I would not do for them. Their pictures are everywhere, their names are painted in my helmet and their lives and well-being, are always* on my mind. And there is where my thinking started to change one day. WHO will be there for them if something happens to me? If I care that damn much about my kids, then maybe I oughta wear my seat belt....my SCBA...and slow down. If I would nearly hurt someone for thinking about hurting my kids, then why wouldn't I do some basic stuff for me to NOT hurt my kids? See, I still don't always worry about "me" having something happen to "me" on a run. I do a little more than I did 30 years ago-but not that much. Sure-like you-I read about it and study it-but for whatever psychological reason-it just doesn't always seem to click. But-when I start to think about how me getting hurt or worse might really hurt and screw up the people who are counting on me-especially my kids-I start to think differently. At one point, after writing about another firefighters death-I even pictured my own funeral and my kids being there-it was bad....because I had done what that dead firefighter had done many times. Rarely is a firefighters death caused by something new. So maybe, for this years NEW YEAR RESOLUTION, we start thinking about those that our INJURY OR DEATH will effect and after that, consider our on the job actions. Forget about that screaming fire officer in training yelling to be careful or you will get yourself hurt or killed-we have ignored them for years. We often DO NOT think it will really happen to us. Don't believe that? Just look at some of the stuff we do. Forget you-think about those who are in your life everyday. If you don't have kids-what about your spouse or partner? Or your boyfriend or girlfriend? Your Mom or Dad? An Aunt or an Uncle or the ones at your firehouse--whoever "they" are that care about you. What will their lives be without you in it? Think about them then next time you get in the apparatus and you look at that seatbelt...when you drive the unit...when you enter the structure....when you do the stuff we do. Maybe that might be part of the solution to our mission of "*everyone coming home*" in 2006. We wish you a happy, safe, wonderful New Year!
About the author: Chief Billy Goldfeder has been a firefighter since 1973, serves as Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD in S.W. Ohio. A Chief Officer since 1982, he has served as a Fire Chief in Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Chief Goldfeder also served as a Public Protection representative covering southern New York, for I.S.O. as well as a Company Officer with the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D., in Long Island, N.Y. both in the mid-70’s. A 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program, he is the former Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS Section. In 2001, Chief Goldfeder was honored with an appointment of Hon. Battalion Chief of F.D.N.Y. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as well as the Board of Directors of the 9/11 Widows, Victims and Families Association. Additionally, he is the recipient of numerous operational and administrative awards and recognitions and received the Loveland-Symmes FD Departmental Award of Excellence in 2003, the Dana Hannon Training Award for 2004, the I.S.F.S.I. Fire Instructor of The Year Award for 2004 and an I.A.F.C. Presidential Award for 2005.Chief Goldfeder recently completed his 6th year as a Commissioner on the Commission of Fire Accreditation International. He serves as an Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING, FIREHOUSE, FIRE RESCUE and several State and regional fire magazines as well as WithTheCommand.Com, Firehouse.Com and is a member of the F.E.T.N. (Fire and Emergency Television Network) Advisory Board. He has spoken on, as well as published, numerous articles on subjects such as combination FD's, fire command and tactics, firefighter/fireground safety, apparatus design and deployment and fireground staffing. His monthly column "Close Calls" appears in FIREHOUSE Magazine and his bi-weekly radio show “Through the Smoke” is hosted on Firehouse.com. Chief Goldfeder has served on several N.F.P.A. and I.A.F.C. Committees. He is the Vice Chairman of the I.A.F.C. Safety, Health and Survival Section, is a member of the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting Task Force (I.A.F.C.) and has been an Instructor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (F.D.I.C.) for the past 24 years as well as a member of the FDIC Advisory Board for the past 14 years. He has and does provide consulting services for municipal and private corporations with a clear focus on firefighter safety and survival. Chief Goldfeder, along with Captain Gordon Graham, police/fire service risk management expert, attorney and California Highway Patrol Captain, hosts and sponsors the website, Firefighterclosecalls.com, a 100% non-commercial, independent and free site with only 1 focus: Firefighter Safety, Survival and Getting Everyone Home! He can be contacted at BillyG@FirefighterCloseCalls.com

ANOTHER New Year? The Same Old Stuff?
".....what about their lives without you in it....."
by Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O.
Firefighterclosecalls.com

ANOTHER New Year? The Same Old Stuff?
".....what about their lives without you in it....."

Well, we are in the New Year...again. Personally we all either loudly or privately say that we are going to change. Maybe it's eating less deep fried double stuff twinkles in 2006? Maybe it will be more physical exertion such as getting UP to change the TV channel as opposed to using the remote. Maybe it's more time with your loved one ("Come on honey, I want to spend more time with you..so come hangout at the firehouse with me!....)

Who knows what you have planned but it's usually the same old stuff. For the past several years I have been given the space here to write something about changes we should make in the fire service for the new year. It's the same old stuff...stay off roofs that will probably fall....wear your SCBA if an infant couldn't breathe clearly in that environment....don't drive like a lunatic....don't budge the apparatus until everyone is seat-belted...eat a salad once in a while.....don't back up apparatus without a backer...send plenty of firefighters to a fire BEFORE you arrive and find out you need more.....block the highway so NOTHING can run us over....don't scream on the radio...participate in regular fire training.....stop at red lights and stop signs...have IC's that understand that THEY have a whole lot to do with determining if "everyone comes home" as much as we each do personally....don't respond or be on duty when high or drunk....have affordable radios that allow us to easily communicate on the fireground-no matter what FD is there with you. Nothing new - same old stuff.

For a whole bunch of reasons, we still are having some serious trouble getting a lot of the above stuff under control. One theory I have is that we don't worry about ourselves "personally" as firefighters. Now-I don't mean that in some philosophical "deeply studied" and evaluated way-this is just a simple observation. Look at us...we worry about EVERYONE other than ourselves personally. We would go to Mrs. Smiths house and do her damn laundry if she needed it but what happens to OUR laundry? We'll tell someone who we are treating for a serious medical condition what we will do to help them-and then when we get to the hospital, we'll step outside to discuss the call-over a cigarette. We'll shake out heads when we see "that other" fire department do something stupid but then we'll do our own local brand of "dumb" at the next run-or while responding. See what I mean?

We seem to always be "ok"...no matter what, we will survive-whatever it is. That's at least how I feel. Even if something bad happened to some other FD - we will be ok...it probably won't happen to us-or me. Personally, I have had weight issues for years and although it may actually be under control now, I am not really worried about it-but yet something did happen to make me want to deal with it. I sometimes drive too fast to get to a run, but after all---what, me worry? But I have slowed down. And I hate wearing seatbelts-but yet I wear one now. And SCBA's just got in the way-especially because I wear glasses. But in recent times-I made some decisions to change. I thought for a while it was because I read and write about the bad stuff-and although that probably had something to do with it...that wasn't it. Because I still felt that "it" can't happen to me.

My teenage son had a personal issue involving a girl (no, not that....) that was really upsetting him. He called me in near tears to tell me that he made a decision about their relationship and he, with his voice shaking, asked me..."Did I do the right thing, Dad" ? What we discussed isn't as relevant in this article as much as the issue of me being there for him. But what if I wasn't there for him?

My youngest daughter had some pretty serious issues-again-effecting her and some others in her life. This issue was tearing her up and causing a lot of pain. We have spent a lot of time working on the issue-and may be starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. It has been painful and has taken a lot of careful time for her to slowly move forward. This is tough stuff. But who would she be able to talk to if I wasn't there?

Due to space, I am unable to give you more examples-but I can-with similar situations involving my 2 other sons, my wife, my sister, my mom and my closest friends. The common denominator is that I am here for them. THAT is what got me thinking about me.

I am a psycho when it comes to the people I love and care about-especially my kids. Look at my daughters the wrong way and I would just assume run you over than ask you to quit looking. That's just how I feel. I ADORE my kids. And there is NOTHING I would not do for them. Their pictures are everywhere, their names are painted in my helmet and their lives and well-being, are always on my mind. And there is where my thinking started to change one day.

WHO will be there for them if something happens to me? If I care that damn much about my kids, then maybe I oughta wear my seat belt....my SCBA...and slow down. If I would nearly hurt someone for thinking about hurting my kids, then why wouldn't I do some basic stuff for me to NOT hurt my kids?

See, I still don't always worry about "me" having something happen to "me" on a run. I do a little more than I did 30 years ago-but not that much. Sure-like you-I read about it and study it-but for whatever psychological reason-it just doesn't always seem to click. But-when I start to think about how me getting hurt or worse might really hurt and screw up the people who are counting on me-especially my kids-I start to think differently. At one point, after writing about another firefighters death-I even pictured my own funeral and my kids being there-it was bad....because I had done what that dead firefighter had done many times. Rarely is a firefighters death caused by something new.

So maybe, for this years NEW YEAR RESOLUTION, we start thinking about those that our INJURY OR DEATH will effect and after that, consider our on the job actions. Forget about that screaming fire officer in training yelling to be careful or you will get yourself hurt or killed-we have ignored them for years. We often DO NOT think it will really happen to us. Don't believe that? Just look at some of the stuff we do. Forget you-think about those who are in your life everyday. If you don't have kids-what about your spouse or partner? Or your boyfriend or girlfriend? Your Mom or Dad? An Aunt or an Uncle or the ones at your firehouse--whoever "they" are that care about you. What will their lives be without you in it? Think about them then next time you get in the apparatus and you look at that seatbelt...when you drive the unit...when you enter the structure....when you do the stuff we do.

Maybe that might be part of the solution to our mission of "everyone coming home" in 2006.

We wish you a happy, safe, wonderful New Year!

About the author:

Chief Billy Goldfeder has been a firefighter since 1973, serves as Deputy Fire Chief of the Loveland-Symmes FD in S.W. Ohio. A Chief Officer since 1982, he has served as a Fire Chief in Ohio, Virginia and Florida. Chief Goldfeder also served as a Public Protection representative covering southern New York, for I.S.O. as well as a Company Officer with the Manhasset-Lakeville F.D., in Long Island, N.Y. both in the mid-70’s.

A 1993 graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program, he is the former Chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS Section. In 2001, Chief Goldfeder was honored with an appointment of Hon. Battalion Chief of F.D.N.Y. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as well as the Board of Directors of the 9/11 Widows, Victims and Families Association. Additionally, he is the recipient of numerous operational and administrative awards and recognitions and received the Loveland-Symmes FD Departmental Award of Excellence in 2003, the Dana Hannon Training Award for 2004, the I.S.F.S.I. Fire Instructor of The Year Award for 2004 and an I.A.F.C. Presidential Award for 2005.Chief Goldfeder recently completed his 6th year as a Commissioner on the Commission of Fire Accreditation International. He serves as an Associate/Contributing Editor for FIRE ENGINEERING, FIREHOUSE, FIRE RESCUE and several State and regional fire magazines as well as WithTheCommand.Com, Firehouse.Com and is a member of the F.E.T.N. (Fire and Emergency Television Network) Advisory Board. He has spoken on, as well as published, numerous articles on subjects such as combination FD's, fire command and tactics, firefighter/fireground safety, apparatus design and deployment and fireground staffing. His monthly column "Close Calls" appears in FIREHOUSE Magazine and his bi-weekly radio show “Through the Smoke” is hosted on Firehouse.com.

Chief Goldfeder has served on several N.F.P.A. and I.A.F.C. Committees. He is the Vice Chairman of the I.A.F.C. Safety, Health and Survival Section, is a member of the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting Task Force (I.A.F.C.) and has been an Instructor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (F.D.I.C.) for the past 24 years as well as a member of the FDIC Advisory Board for the past 14 years. He has and does provide consulting services for municipal and private corporations with a clear focus on firefighter safety and survival. Chief Goldfeder, along with Captain Gordon Graham, police/fire service risk management expert, attorney and California Highway Patrol Captain, hosts and sponsors the website, Firefighterclosecalls.com, a 100% non-commercial, independent and free site with only 1 focus: Firefighter Safety, Survival and Getting Everyone Home!

He can be contacted at BillyG@FirefighterCloseCalls.com