Krebs Fire Department

This was published two years ago at Fire Engineering, I think it is my most popular post ever... When is a Firefighter No Longer? Michael Morse... Is it the day he puts in his papers? The last night in the station? Driving away from the station after the final shift? When he says, I’m home, and stays there? Or is it when the fire in his heart diminishes and the thrill of responding to emergencies in the dead of winter is no longer there, but he does his job and leads by example and never lets the kids know that he knows the end is near? Is it when the thought of working a holiday is no longer acceptable, and unused sick or vacation time begins getting used? Or when the tones at 3:00 a.m. sound like the bells of hell rather than a subtle way to say get up, get dressed, and get on the truck? Is a firefighter through when he makes rank? Or if he chooses a different career path, like EMS or Fire Prevention? Or arson investigator? Is a firefighter no longer a firefighter when the years of injury finally make it impossible for him to do his job without putting himself, his crew, and the people he is sworn to protect in danger? Does he become less of a firefighter if he retires on a disability? It’s none of those things. A firefighter is no longer a firefighter when he stops breathing. Then he is a dead firefighter. Three days later, he will be a dead and buried firefighter. Then, he will live forever with the rest of the firefighters who came before him and lived the life and loved the job even when it became more and more difficult to feel it the way they once did. A firefighter is no longer a firefighter only when he chooses to no longer be a firefighter. Nobody can make that choice but the firefighter. What makes a firefighter a firefighter resides deep inside, and nobody can change that unless the firefighter chooses it. Simply hanging up the turnout gear for the last time does not strip a firefighter of his status. Nobody can take away the things that make us firefighters. Nobody can strip us of our memories, our heart and soul, or our willingness to put it all on the line when needed. Nobody can take the friends we make during our journey away. Nobody can make us forget those friends we have lost. Being a firefighter is for life. There is no such thing as a retired firefighter. We can’t even die without being remembered as a firefighter. And after living the life, and feeling the heat, and knowing exactly how good it feels to do the job, who would want to? Originally published in Fire Engineering

Firefighter career opportunity.

On behalf of OK-TF1, it is with a heavy heart to inform you of the passing of RB Ellis. He was a Chief at Tulsa Fire Department and a TFL with OK-TF1. We will miss you greatly RB. Please keep his family in your prayers during during this time and the days to come. God speed RB.

APPLY NOW FOR OUR VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM!! Click the link below for the application: https://www.osfa.info//docum/VOLT_App_Fillable_2_18_21.pdf

Attention to anyone traveling on Highway 270 bache Highway is currently closed due to slick roads and Hazardous roadwaysAttention to anyone traveling on Highway 270 bache Highway is currently closed due to slick roads and Hazardous roadways

serious matters at KFD meeting

WHAT IS A "COMMUNITY SERVICE LIAISON" (CSL's)? These are the firefighters who work directly with the occupants of a fire or major incident. While the other fir...e crews are working to put out the fire or improve the overall incident, CSL's are comforting the residents. They are there to reassure them that the Oklahoma City Fire Department is here to help after the damage has occurred. Our CSL's provide information on how to secure their homes after a damaging fire, having firefighters install smoke alarms if needed, as well as a guide to assist them with filing a claim. Most importantly, the CSL's can get the family members in touch with Red Cross. Red Cross has numerous resources to assist them in finding food, sleeping accommodations and clothing immediately after a fire. These individuals may not get the lime-light, but their jobs of compassion are never overlooked. Our six CSL's are: Lt. Carr and Sgt. Snell (Green Shift), Lt. Yager and Sgt. Stuck (Red Shift), Lt. Meier and Cpl. Biedermann (Blue Shift). Pictured is Sgt. Stuck. American Red Cross of Oklahoma #meettheneed

Come apply! 3 positions available!

Yes, Mr. Citizen, I’m that Volunteer Fireman. I have one of those silly red lights on my car. I even blow my horn at you when I’m going on a call. Sometimes my ...siren wakes you up at night and, at times, you may have to wait at a light a little longer to let me by. But I’m not going to apologize. You complain about me wasting your tax money, but don’t understand when I say I can’t tie equipment up pumping out your pool. You say I don’t know my job, but when you smell smoke at night and call me, suddenly I’m an expert. You complain because my boss lets me leave work for a fire and doesn’t let you leave for your social club meeting, but you forget the night the plant caught fire and I saved your job. You say I’m only in it for fun, but you fail to see my sickness and exhaustion following a fire. You say I like seeing injuries and that death doesn’t bother me, but how could you understand my sleepless nights because of the life I couldn’t save. I pray that you and others in the community never need my services, and all I ask in return is that you pray for me while I do my job. I’m not a perfect person and I’ll never say I am, but, yes Mr. Citizen, I’m a Volunteer Fireman, and pretty proud of it. ~ borrowed from another firefighter. See more

By the time you are finished with your career in the fire service, everything about you will have changed. You will be old. You will be experienced. You will be... confident, patient, and wise. Or, you will be old, disillusioned, angry, and bitter. The people with whom you started your career won’t be the same, either. The friends you made along the way will be retired, on a different group, or in a different position. The ones who knew the idealistic kid who was just starting his life will be replaced by idealistic kids just starting theirs. They will know only what you project. They do not share your experiences or your passions that may or may not still be there. They did not know who you were; they only know who you are. What you are is a culmination of the experiences that shaped you. The things you did, the things you saw, and the lives saved and lost all had an impact. Yours is not a normal life with a predictable trajectory. The ups and downs of a life in the fire service has ruined many good people and created its fair share of monsters. Fortunately, the firefighting life instills a sense of camaraderie, purpose, competence, and resilience in most of us. So, who will they remember when your time is through? The fearless firefighter with his entire career ahead of him, or the tired, old officer who is putting in his time so he can collect his pension?The kid in the academy, fascinated with every new bit of knowledge obtained, eager to put it to use, or the guy who knows it all, done it all, and isn’t impressed?The first one on the truck, or the old man who makes those eager kids fresh out of the academy wait?The one who starts housework, or the guy who waits for someone else to pick up a mop?The one who trained hard, or the one who goes through the motions?The one who responded to every emergency with the desire to mitigate whatever waited, or the one who looked at the call as more of a problem than an opportunity to create a solution?The one who wore the uniform, indicative of the person wearing it?The one who looks back on his career with fondness or contempt? The answer to these questions is completely up to you. In an unpredictable line of work, one thing is always under your control: how you handle it. There are no perfect firefighters. Each and every one of us has survived moments we regret. During a long career, there will be times that you question your commitment. Excitement fades, routine sets in, and friends come and go. Politics wear you down, and time away from home becomes unbearable. To successfully navigate it all, it is imperative to hold on to the person you were before you became a firefighter. Keep that person locked away in a place inside you. Talk to him when things get difficult. You weren’t always burdened with the knowledge that life is cruel; good people die for no reason; and, sometimes, the best you have to offer isn’t good enough. The old you is actually the real you, just without the baggage. If you can stay connected to him, you will be remembered as the firefighter who showed up, did the job, did it well, and left the job far better than it was before you came along. By Michael Morse Photo by Tim Olk Originally published in Fire Engineering

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Thank you, Krebs Fire Department for Filling the Boot for MDA! We appreciate you!