Firefighter's Creed:

When I'm called to duty god
wherever flames may rage
give me strength to save a life
whatever be its age

Help me to embrace a little child
before it is too late
or save an older person from
the horror of that fate

Enable me to be alert
to hear the weakest shout
and quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out

I want to fill my calling and
to give the best in me
to guard my neighbour and
protect his property
And if according to your will
I have to lose my life
bless with your protecting hand
my children and my wife





The Last Alarm:

My father was fireman.
He drove a big red truck
and when he'd go to work each day
he'd say, "Mother wish me luck."

Then Dad would not come home again
'til sometime the next day.
But the thing that bothered me the most
was the thing's some folks would say,

"A fireman's life is easy,
he eats and sleeps and plays,
and sometimes he wont fight a fire
for days and days."

When I first heard these words
I was young to understand
but I knew when people had trouble
Dad was there to lend a hand.
then my father went to work one day

and kissed us all goodbye
but little did we realizes
that night we all would cry.

My father lost his life that night
when the floor gave way below
and I'd wondered why he'd risk his life
for someone he did not know.

But not I truly realize
the greatest gift a man can give
is to lay his life upon the line
so that someone else might live.

So as we go from day to day
and we pray to God above
say a prayer for your local fireman.
He may save the one's you love.







The Littlest Firefighter:

The 26-year-old mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?" "Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true," Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! "And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him with a real fire hat - not a toy one - with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast." Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van and even the fire chief's car. He was also video taped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible. One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the fire chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition. The chief replied, " We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire?" It's just the fire department coming to see one of it's finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room? Thanks." About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window and 16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?" "Billy, you are," the chief said. With those words, Billy smiled and closed his eyes one last time.







The Firefighter:

Sirens sound! He awakes with a start and hastily grabs up his clothes, dressing on the run, as he has so many times before. Thumping of footsteps, motors churning, directions yelled, chaos! TOTAL CHAOS! Or so it seems...yet, within seconds, dispatch...they are on their way, racing down the street, sirens at ear-splitting pitch. Meanwhile, his mind dashes to other nights-days of grueling, heartbreaking tragedy-ridden, heat-searing work. And he cries to the depth of his soul, "WHY DO I CONTINUE ?" Loaded with nets, roof cutters, ladders, axes, etc. they don air masks as they arrive. It is another bad one. Flames are shooting everywhere, lighting the darkest of night with an eerie glow. Screaming, a man and woman clutch to each other in panic. Nothing but PURE Intuition, or so it seems, takes The Firefighter through collapsing beams, up the stair, past flaming bedrooms and into a tiny closet to the side of a smoke filled bedroom. He quickly gathers two squirming bundles in his arm, darts to the nearest window and throws them to the waiting nets below...He leaps. Restrained no longer, the man and woman bound for the nets. The Firefighter, weakened, hears sounds that are so far away, of a little dog's whimper, happy cries and excited voices. Then, an explosion rocks the very ground upon which he lay. Through the pain of a broken arm, he feels a little dog licking his face, and slowly opens his eyes, the depth of his soul is touched, he will never be the same, he needs no thank you's, because he now knows the very reason "WHY HE CONTINUES"; for within her happy parents' arms..... a child smiles. -unknown author







What is a Firefighter:

He's the guy next door - a man's man with the memory of a little boy. He has never gotten over the excitement of engines and sirens and danger. He's a guy like you and me with warts and worries and unfulfilled dreams. Yet he stands taller than most of us. He's a fireman. He puts it all on the line when the bell rings. A fireman is at once the most fortunate and the least fortunate of men. He's a man who saves lives because he has seen too much death. He's a gentle man because he has seen the awesome power of violence out of control. He's responsive to a child's laughter because his arms have held too many small bodies that will never laugh again. He's a man who appreciates the simple pleasures of life - hot coffee held in numb, unbending fingers - a warm bed for bone and muscle compelled beyond feeling - the camaraderie of brave men - the divine peace and selfless service of a job well done in the name of all men. He doesn't wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities. When he marches, it is to honor a fallen comrade. He doesn't preach the brotherhood of man. He lives it. -unknown author



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