Are You?

I had a phone conversation with a Brother a few weeks back and he asked me, "Do you consider yourself a Warrior?"  I paused and considered it for a second and said that I did.  He said he didn't feel like he was because there were still holes in his game: he didn't know EVERY sprinkler hook up in his first due, things like that.  That conversation and a follow-up email got me thinking and I feel like I need to define more clearly just what it is to be a Fire Service Warrior.

I think being a Fire Service Warrior is a state of mind, a sense of purpose, rather than a piece of paper that hangs on the wall that says you have learned some defined set of technical skills.  Being a Fire Service Warrior is a living thing, you have to feed it an nurture it for it to continue.  Maybe you have reached an elite level of fitness and wear you SCBA all the time, but if you start to slack off you are not embracing the dedication that it take to be a Fire Service Warrior.

So, I think if you take an honest look at yourself and say, "I am doing my best everyday," then you are on that Warrior path.  We all falter at times.  We all have days were our get up and go has got up and went.  One of the challenges is when you are trying to follow a warrior lifestyle alone.  We are communal creatures.  We perform better when we are encouraged and validated by our peers, and ultimately we work harder when we don't want to let down another member of the team.  This is why its motivating to have a partner that you workout with or study with.  You push each other.

So, that brings me to the new project that we are undertaking through Spartan Concepts, Inc. The Fire Service Warrior Apprenticeship. 

The Fire Service Warrior Apprenticeship is an educational path that promotes and develops critical knowledge, skills, and abilities which improve the individual firefighter’s ability to thrive on the fireground.  The Apprenticeship program includes formal courses in fire service topics, development of elite levels of functional fitness, development of intuitive decision making and mindfulness skills, and development of resiliency and endurance for the physical, mental, and emotional challenges faced by the Fire Service Warrior.

Apprentices are guided in their training by the Ethos of the Fire Service Warrior.

·         Fire Service Warriors accept the duty to stand between their neighbors and unrestrained fire.

·         Fire Service Warriors acknowledge the dangers of their vocation and do everything possible to minimize those dangers except shirk our duty.

·         Fire Service Warriors believe that all human life has value and will do everything possible to save a human life.

·         Fire Service Warriors know that buildings do not spontaneously combust; if we aren't 100% sure the building is vacant WE SEARCH.

·         Fire Service Warriors acknowledge that to reduce the risk of Cardiac Compromise they will maintain an elite level of fitness.

·         Fire Service Warriors wear seat belts, helmet straps, SCBA, and all PPE.

·         Fire Service Warriors train EVERYDAY.

·         Fire Service Warriors own their responsibility to their Brothers and Sisters.

·         Fire Service Warriors honor our fallen by learning everything possible from their deaths and from the injuries and near misses of our compatriots.

·         Fire Service Warriors acknowledge the reputation of the fire service was earned by those who came before us, often at the cost of their lives, and strive to never tarnish that reputation.

The Apprenticeship includes daily fitness and self-study training, weekly group sessions for the presentation of topics and group physical training, open communication with Instructors and fellow students, and the Agoge.  The Agoge is a 52 hour workshop presented over a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday where Apprentices receive mentoring and are tested for the skills of physical, mental, and emotional resiliency and endurance.  The objective of the Agoge is to have each apprentice demonstrate the capacity to perform under simulated emergency response conditions for a 48-hour period.  Each Apprentice MUST successfully complete the Agoge to be eligible for graduation from the Apprenticeship and elevation to the Journeyman level.

Individuals interested in participating in the Apprenticeship:

1.     Must be an active member of a Fire Department

2.     Must be certified to the Firefighter II/Basic Operations Firefighter Level or equivalent

3.     Submit a written letter of interest to info@spartan-concepts.com including a current resume, list of all education and certifications held, and an essay describing your goals as a firefighter and your reason for wanting to attend the apprenticeship.

More information is available for those interested in participating in the Apprenticeship program.  The first Apprentice class will commence in the Fall of 2011.  Those interested should submit a resume and essay as required through Spartan Concepts.

See you at FDIC.