A Firefighter's Prayer
-
When I am called to duty, God
- Wherever flames may rage,
- Give me the strength to save some life,
- Whatever be the age;
- Help me embrace a little child,
- Before it is to late,
- Or save an older person from the horror of the
fate;
- Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest
shout;
- quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.
- I want to fill my calling and to give the best
in me,
- to guide my every neighbor and protect his
property,
- and if, according to Your will,
- I have to lose my life,
- Please bless with your protective hand,
- my children, and my spouse.
The
Firefighter's Creed:
I have no ambition in this world but one,
and that is to be a FIREFIGHTER.
The position may, in the eyes of some,
appear to be a lowly one,
but we know the work
which a firefighter has to do is to
believe that his is a noble calling.
There is an adage which says that:
"Nothing is destroyed, except by fire"
We strive to preserve from destruction,
the wealth of the world,
which is the product of the industry of men,
necessary for the comfort of both the rich & poor.
We are the defenders from fire,
of the art which has beautified the world,
the product of the genius of men
and the means of refinement of mankind.
But above all, our proudest endeavor is...
to save lives of men -
the work of God Himself.
Under the impulse of such thoughts,
the nobility of the occupation
thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring,
even at the supreme sacrifice.
Such consideration may not strike the average mind,
but they are sufficient to fill to the limit
our ambition in life and to make us
serve the general purpose of human society.
Die Brandbestryder se
Gebed
Wanneer ek vir diens geroep
word, Heer
Hoe hoog die vlamme ook al
brand
Gee my die krag om 'n lewe te
red
Ongeag die ouderdom van my
pasient.
Help my om 'n klein kindjie te
omarm
voordat dit te laar is,
en om 'n bejaarde, van 'n
vlamme dood te red.
Maak my waaksaam,
om die swakste noodkreet te
hoor,
en om die vlamme gou-gou te
blus.
Ek will my roeping vervul tot
U eer,
en net die beste in my gee,
om my naaste en sy eiendom te
beskerm.
As volgens U will,
ek my lewe in 'n brand
of enige ander situasie
verloor,
Bewaar dan ASB my
gesin
met U seenende hand, o Heer.
Amen
What is a Fireman ?
He's the guy next door.
He's a man with the sharp memory of a little boy who never
got over the excitement of engines, sirens, smoke & danger.
He's a guy like you & me with warts & 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 & least fortunate of men.
He savors life because he has seen to much death.
He's a gentleman.
He has seen to much of the awesome power of violent forces
out of control.
He's a man receptive to a child's cry,
because he has seen a child's pain and held a limp little
body,
that will never cry or laugh in his arms.
He's a man who appreciates the simple pleasures of life
.....
hot coffee held in numbed, unbending fingers .....
the flush of fresh air pumping through fire & smoke
convulsed lungs .....
A warm bed for bone & muscle compelled beyond feeling
......
The camaraderie of brave men, the divine peace of selfless
service and a job well done in the name of all man.
He doesn't wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities
and when he marches, it is to honour a fallen comrade.
He doesn't preach the brotherhood of man,
HE LIVES IT
A Firefighter's Life
We've found our calling,
where the flames rage,
we know that we'll drop everything,
when we hear the page.
As we search each room,
for the one we might have missed,
the smoke above us looms,
the fire continues to crackle & hiss.
Finally we find her,
a girl of two or three,
hiding beneath the bed,
I know she's scared of me.
I reach out my hand,
and tell her I can help,
I tell her I'm a Firefighter,
and I've come to put the fire out.
I realize that soon,
it might be to late,
to save this little girl,
from a horrible fate.
But, as I pass,
that little girl,
out the window,
out of that fiery world.
I look down to the ground below,
and see her family smile,
and I know what I faced in there,
compared to the warmth of love is mild.
That little girl's family thanked me,
for saving their daughter's life.
I simply told them it was part of the job,
IT IS A FIREFIGHTER'S LIFE
Written by Amanda Stewart
Rawdon District Volunteer Fire Department
Rawdon, Nova Scotia
Courage
One day my son asked me, Dad, what does courage mean ?
At first I simply answered, no fear of certain things.
Then in that same instant, I looked across the street,
I saw my neighbours running and jumped up from my seat.
As I ran out the front door, I saw what had torn their
lives,
The house that they had built and loved, was burning before
my eyes.
We quickly called the firemen, and the minutes seemed like
years,
Then they came from everywhere to battle our biggest fears.
They swiftly set their weapons and clad their armour in a
flash,
then they faced the dragon, a monster of fire and ash.
They boldly rushed into the flames, to face the devil &
pick a fight.
Risking the very life they held, for another on that night.
No one was trapped inside the house, but a life was still
at stake.
For they have seen, many homes at lost, and have seen many
hearts break.
So once again they fight their enemy, a war they can never
win,
for if they win the battle, the devil runs and burns again.
But while the devil was in that house, they walked into his
lair
Facing his evil Talons, with water & a stare.
They saved my neighbour's home, and the houses all around.
They then cleaned their weapons, letting their armour fall
to the ground.
It wasn't until the morning, that I realized what all had
taken place.
When I went into the house, I saw the scar of the devil's
face.
That is when I turned to my son, and answered his question
again
Now a wiser man I said:
"When you think of courage, Son,
ALWAYS THINK OF THE FIREMEN"
The
Creation of the Firefighter
When
the Lord was creating Firefighters, he was into his sixth day of overtime when
an angel
appeared and said, "Your doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."
And the Lord said "Have you read the specification of this person?
Firefighters have to be able to go for hours fighting fires or tending to a
person that the usual every day person would never touch, while putting in the
back of their mind the circumstances. They have to be able to move at a second's
notice and not think twice of what they are about to do, no matter what danger.
They have to be in top physical condition at all times, running on half-eaten
meals, and they must have six pairs of hands."
The
angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands....no way."
"It's
not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, "it's the
three pairs of eyes a Firefighter has to have."
That's
on the standard model?" asked the angel.
The
Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through the fire and where they and their
fellow Firefighters should fight the fire next. Another pair here in the side of
the head to see their fellow Firefighters and keep them safe. And another pair
of eyes in the front so that they can look for the victims caught in the fire
that need their help."
"Lord"
said the angel, touching his sleeve, "Rest and work on this tomorrow."
"I
can't, said the Lord, "I already have a model that can carry a 250 pound
man down a flight of stairs and to safety from a burning building, and can feed
a family of five on a civil service paycheck."
The
angel circled the model of the Firefighter very slowly, "Can it
think?"
"You
bet," said the Lord. It can tell you the elements of a hundred fires; and
can recite procedures in their sleep that are needed to care for a person until
they reach the hospital. And all the while they have to keep their wits about
themselves. This Firefighter also has phenomenal personal control. They can deal
with a scene full of pain and hurt, coaxing a child's mother into letting go of
the child so that they can care for the child in need. And still they rarely get
the recognition for a job well done from anybody, other that from fellow
Firefighters."
Finally,
the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Firefighter.
"There's a leak", she pronounced. "Lord, it's a tear."
"What's
the tear for?" asked the angel.
"It's
a tear from bottled-up emotions for fallen comrades. A tear for commitment to
that funny piece of cloth called the American Flag. It's a tear for all the pain
and suffering they have encountered. And it's a tear for their commitment to
caring for and saving lives of their fellow man!"
"What a wonderful feature Lord, you're a genius" said the
angel.
THE
LAST ALARM
volunteer
fire fighter
My father was a fireman;
He drove a big red truck.
And when he went to work each night,
He'd say "Mother, wish me luck."
Then dad would not come home again,
Till sometime the next day.
But the thing that bothers me most,
Was the things some folks would say.
A
fireman's life is easy,
He eats, sleeps and plays.
And sometimes he doesn't fight a fire
For days and days and days.
When I first heard these comments
I was too young to understand.
Cause I knew, when people had trouble,
Dad was there to lend a helping hand.
Then my father went to work one day,
And he kissed us all goodbye.
But little did we realize,
That night we all would cry.
My father gave his life one night,
When the floor gave way below.
And I wondered why he'd risk his life
For someone he didn't know.
But now I realize, the greatest gift
A man can ever give
Is to lay his life upon the line,
So that someone else may 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 ones you love.
Dedicated to the children of the firefighters who died in the line of duty.
