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Innocent until proven guilty. It is a right we all have, a privilege of living in a democratic society. We all have the right to due process and a fair trial. I am sure we can all agree to these facts, but how does this relate to the fire service?
Now there are a million articles out there about fire service leadership so I had to decide what angle I was going to cover. Is it about “Necessary Qualities of a Good Officer”, is it the “Seven Deadly Sins of Fire Service Leadership”, maybe “Characteristics of Future Fire Service Leaders” or perhaps “How to Lead and Motivate Your Crew”. Then it struck me, a lot of these articles all surround the same theme and I have to wonder why we are continuing to try and shove a round peg into a square hole?
This paper was written to reflect the transition of Apparatus Colors, a decision one of my departments made in the mid 90’s and the other is just beginning to address. This is not based solely on my personal views, but based on extensive research and data as sited below.
After nearly 22 years in the Fire Service, the last 6 as Deputy Chief in my Volunteer department I made a major change about 9 months ago… I traded in my White helmet for a yellow one. Going into this transition I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, working under a new leadership, watching someone else implement their ideas, their opinions, and their style.
A badge of honor, a sign of courage, experienced…. Call it what you want, it’s all fictitious. Your firefighting helmet is designed and constructed to protect you, hence why is comprises part of your PPE (Personal PROTECTIVE Equipment). A Fire Service helmet that is charred, blackened, warped or otherwise “seasoned” do not protect you.