# Any Firefighter Brothers?



## JamesMichael (Jan 14, 2017)

Just wondering if there are any brother Firefighters in this forum? 

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## rpbrown (Jan 15, 2017)

Retired from Ponderosa Volunteer in 1990


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## Thomas Stright (Jan 15, 2017)

20yr volunteer FF/Medic and was part time paid for a while back in Maryland.


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## JamesMichael (Jan 15, 2017)

I and my Chief are masons. Though we found that out after the fact. He was an EA and I was able to participate in his FC and MM degrees. 

I have wanted to communicate to him OTL about what firefighters are saying about his leadership (lack of) but I haven't had the courage to do it. Ideally as a brother I think it would be acceptable to talk to him. But jumping rank is not a good thing to do and I don't really think that if I were to try and communicate it up thru command it would go so well. I am not sure if the hesitation is because my motives are not right or if it's because I am fearful of retribution from command. The fireservice is not filled with dispassionate men. 

Have any of you Firefighters ever been in a similar situation? 

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## Tyler Atkinson (Jan 29, 2017)

Paid and Volunteer!


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## Tyler Atkinson (Jan 29, 2017)

JamesMichael said:


> I and my Chief are masons. Though we found that out after the fact. He was an EA and I was able to participate in his FC and MM degrees.
> 
> I have wanted to communicate to him OTL about what firefighters are saying about his leadership (lack of) but I haven't had the courage to do it. Ideally as a brother I think it would be acceptable to talk to him. But jumping rank is not a good thing to do and I don't really think that if I were to try and communicate it up thru command it would go so well. I am not sure if the hesitation is because my motives are not right or if it's because I am fearful of retribution from command. The fireservice is not filled with dispassionate men.
> 
> ...


I work in a small fire dept of 9 full time employees including myself and 7 of us are Masons, EA's and MM'S. Complacency is a big problem as far as training and the job itself. All the firefighters have seen unsafe scenes and have brought up situations that really needed to be addressed and ideas that should be considered but for some reason they get swept under the rug and not focused on. Not everyone likes change but some change is better, especially if the old way is out dated and not applicable to today's scenarios. Not sure what the exact reason for the questioning of your chief's leadership skills are, but from my experience, this isn't a occupation where you should let ideas come unheard and safety fly out the window. As a station, do you guys have meetings? To bring problems to the table and ideas to be considered? That's one thing we do. Mind you it really doesn't help us but it could help a department filled with idealistic, passionate, and dedicated people. Outside of Freemasonry we are a family, public safety wise, so we should help each other and strengthen each other. Mason or Non-Mason, we have each other's lifes in our hands. At some point in our career we have to take a step back and question if our leadership and knowledge is bringing positive or negative effects to the department. I hope this little rant of mine helps some.


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## Andymac40330 (Feb 9, 2017)

I work full time at a mid size department. I've been here a little over a year and I love it.


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## Brian Lewis (Jun 8, 2019)

Driver/Engineer at the Norman, OK fire department.  Norman is the 3rd largest city in Oklahoma and home of the Oklahoma University Sooners.  I've been at Norman for 16 years and have 21 years in the pension system.


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## Todd M. Stewart (Oct 17, 2020)

View media item 434Joined King County FD 39 - Federal Way, WA at 18 in 1982. Became a career FF several years later.  Sadly, A fall through a staircase during a house fire ended my career far too early.  Now I advocate for 1st Responders that suffer from PTSD as I do.  Over 30 years later I still miss it something awful. Image is Engine 1 a 1968 Mack cf-125, my first assigned engine.


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