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Last Updated: Nov 14, 2008 - 12:49:26 PM |
I have the unique opportunity to visit many different homes, some as a firefighter, and others as a preacher. My being welcome or not depends on whether I come as pastor or firefighter. I have had the door slammed in my face as a pastor; however, I have been welcomed into every house that I have ever gone to as a firefighter. I do not have enough computer space to attempt to explain why the same person would be received so differently. I do believe that people place a trust in firefighters, believing that whatever is going wrong will be a little better when firefighters and medics arrive.
I just passed my twenty-three-year anniversary as a salaried firefighter with Chesterfield Fire & EMS. The culture of our organization has always been one of honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness. When any of these have ever come into question about an individual, they usually do not last long. Firefighters must be able to depend on one another. Accordingly, the public must also be able to depend on firefighters.
Firefighters are entrusted with the care and use of millions of dollars worth of apparatus and equipment that you, the taxpayer, have purchased. I can tell you that from my small corner of the fire service world at Station 14 that the firefighters do an excellent job of taking care of, as well as knowing how to use, the equipment in our house. Not only are we entrusted with great resources, but you, our customers, trust that each firefighter will be ready and able to handle whatever emergency situation that we are dispatched to. This requires that we are physically fit and well-trained. Our organization puts great emphasis on both of these areas, and the firefighters see both as an important part of being able to do our job well.
I do believe that many people place their trust in the wrong places or people. You don’t realize it until you have been taken advantage of, whatever that means. A broken trust is something that is very difficult to ever repair. It is for this reason that our organization attempts to hire people who possess high moral and ethical character. Firefighters deserve no less, and you, our customers/neighbors, deserve the very best. We need you to trust us. God bless.
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