Guest guest Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 In a message dated 4/8/2007 7:42:57 P.M. Central Daylight Time, emsleneveu@... writes: You know , I am inclined to agree with you....... However, when I accepted the Job as a firefighter they were paying me to lay down my life. Does that make me a hero? Or does that make me a good servant? If I were to die in the line of duty why am I all of the sudden a hero? I knew the risks the day I signed up for my job. I accepted the idea of giving my life for my fellow firefighters, and those civilians that I serve. But I do not believe that makes me or my friends heroes. Just men and women who are willing to do a job we believe in. My single favorite Fire Service Quote is “Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed. Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires.†I' e applied that from the day I first heard it 20+ years ago. Today we die for some pretty stupid reasons like not wearing a seatbelt in a fire engine and or so many other stupid things it's almost a shame in ways as we in my view tend to use the H word as I call it way too much in day-to-day life. Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI Freelance Consultant/Trainer/Author/Journalist/Fire Protection Consultant LNMolino@... (Cell Phone) (IFW/TFW/FSS Office) (IFW/TFW/FSS Fax) " A Texan with a Jersey Attitude " " Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people " Eleanor Roosevelt - US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962) The comments contained in this E-mail are the opinions of the author and the author alone. I in no way ever intend to speak for any person or organization that I am in any way whatsoever involved or associated with unless I specifically state that I am doing so. Further this E-mail is intended only for its stated recipient and may contain private and or confidential materials retransmission is strictly prohibited unless placed in the public domain by the original author. ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 You know , I am inclined to agree with you....... However, when I accepted the Job as a firefighter they were paying me to lay down my life. Does that make me a hero? Or does that make me a good servant? If I were to die in the line of duty why am I all of the sudden a hero? I knew the risks the day I signed up for my job. I accepted the idea of giving my life for my fellow firefighters, and those civilians that I serve. But I do not believe that makes me or my friends heroes. Just men and women who are willing to do a job we believe in. Please understand I am not trying to diminish the idea. I hold those who lay their lives down for others in the highest esteem. They are honored and respected in my mind and heart. I just struggle with the idea of calling myself or others that I call my friends heroes when it is what we do. (I have lost friends in the line of duty as well.) We hold the line, we help those who need help because we are called to do it. Not because we are heroes. A teacher teaches because that is what they are called to do. They tutor someone after class dosen't make them a hero. makes them a dedicated servant. One other thought about soldiers. If every soldier that died in the line of duty was a hero, then why do they not give all of them the Congressional Medal of Honor? Hero - A person who goes above or beyond the normal, steps outside the bounds of what they are familiar with to make a difference. (My own personal definition.) This is the definition according to an online dictionary....... 1.a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. 2.a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child. 3.the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc. 4.Classical Mythology. a.a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity. b.(in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability. c.(in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod. According to Number 1. Almost anybody can be a Hero. However, I think a Hero is someone who is set aside as some how above and beyond what is the normal. Just some thoughts and musings on a hero. Please do not take offense, for I do not wish to upset your apple carts. Tom LeNeveu Paramedic Fort Worth Texas Tom LeNeveu Paramedic Fort Worth Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 I agree with you Tom... when we accept our turnouts and other gear and join our VFD's or get hired on.. thats the day to say we are heros... the rest is just doing whats expected/called for. Seems like everyday some one else is being hailed a hero for something that was in the normal calls of the job. Granted I have seen some guys do some heroic things... but all were way beyond what they were called on to do... We seem to keep going to funerals for FF's that drove too fast, didnt wear a seat belt, didnt check up at an inner section, just werent paying attention etc... and everyone is a hero. Getting yourself dead does NOT make you a hero... just dead. And I have seen DPS have a full honors funeral for a Trooper who caused a wreck when he wasnt on a call...its not just the fire service or ems... The reason I get on this soap box is we have too many people in emergency services with the big ego, wear a shirt with a big ol " S " on the front and think they are the big hero... They may be heroic... but until they lose that mentality... they are often more of a liability. But hey thats just my two cents.... ez FF / EMT B Tom LeNeveu wrote: You know , I am inclined to agree with you....... However, when I accepted the Job as a firefighter they were paying me to lay down my life. Does that make me a hero? Or does that make me a good servant? If I were to die in the line of duty why am I all of the sudden a hero? I knew the risks the day I signed up for my job. I accepted the idea of giving my life for my fellow firefighters, and those civilians that I serve. But I do not believe that makes me or my friends heroes. Just men and women who are willing to do a job we believe in. Please understand I am not trying to diminish the idea. I hold those who lay their lives down for others in the highest esteem. They are honored and respected in my mind and heart. I just struggle with the idea of calling myself or others that I call my friends heroes when it is what we do. (I have lost friends in the line of duty as well.) We hold the line, we help those who need help because we are called to do it. Not because we are heroes. A teacher teaches because that is what they are called to do. They tutor someone after class dosen't make them a hero. makes them a dedicated servant. One other thought about soldiers. If every soldier that died in the line of duty was a hero, then why do they not give all of them the Congressional Medal of Honor? Hero - A person who goes above or beyond the normal, steps outside the bounds of what they are familiar with to make a difference. (My own personal definition.) This is the definition according to an online dictionary....... 1.a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. 2.a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child. 3.the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc. 4.Classical Mythology. a.a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity. b.(in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability. c.(in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod. According to Number 1. Almost anybody can be a Hero. However, I think a Hero is someone who is set aside as some how above and beyond what is the normal. Just some thoughts and musings on a hero. Please do not take offense, for I do not wish to upset your apple carts. Tom LeNeveu Paramedic Fort Worth Texas Tom LeNeveu Paramedic Fort Worth Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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