Emergency fire-rescue operations are often characterized by the need for immediate physically and technically demanding response to unforseen, life-threatening situations. In dealing with these incidents, firefighters are usually required to conduct coordinated, pro-active rescue and hazard control operations under difficult circumstances and in environments immediately dangerous to life and health. Firefighter safety is our number one priority.

     To paraphrase retired Philadelphia fire commissioner William Richmond, our community assumes their fire department knows its business and that their welfare is in experienced and dependable hands — in Richmond’s and my opinion, a reasonable expectation. Perhaps even more immediately relevant, our volunteer firefighters assume their officers and coworkers are experienced and dependable. In the face of a rapidly evolving and confusing environment on a fire scene, personal and victim safety is a function on interlacing and overlapping competencies.

     Our community depends upon the fire district, the fire district depends upon the volunteer fire department, and we depend upon each other. In the serious business of the volunteer fire-rescue service, good intentions must be the doorway to the mantel of duty — the responsibility of each of us to be prepared to safely and consistently perform our firefighting skills.