Junkyard Dogs

So there you are with a fresh bottle after sucking the first one dry, and you hear command make the call.

“I need someone to do this thing over there, who do I have?!”

Boom. Here’s your chance. It’s up to you. Do you fight for that chance, or do you let another firefighter take it from you? Are you the first to stand and take the assignment or do you take a couple extra yard breaths and sip a Gatorade?

As a personal point, I take a lot of pride in being the guy that  jumps at the chance to gain experience, even if it’s a task I’ve accomplished 100 times before. Not only that, but it’s about getting the job done and pulling your weight in work. If you have brother’s busting their stones while you’re standing around, good to go; not only are you skirting your responsibility to your brothers but there is no pride in your actions.

It’s amazing how many guys will give up their tool at a simple request. Why though?

There are firefighters out there that I call, “show me” guys, they don’t give the tool up. Those guys trust their training and take pride in their ability to accomplish the task and simply say, “show me where you need me to use this tool”. Are you that kind of firefighter?

Likewise, you have the firefighters that have spotless gear. You know, the guys that would rather stand on the porch and hand their tools to the guys, they consider to be, below them and allow them break their backs.

Granted, some of these guys are the senior men, taking the younger firefighters experience into consideration and allowing for that moment to be a teaching moment. On the other hand, there are the guys that just want to show up and be yard breathers. It’s too cold, too hot or too early in the morning for them. They’ve been there, done that, and got the t-shirt, so let someone else do it.

So what kind of firefighter are you? Have you taken pride in yourself and your work ethic. Do you leap at the opportunity to complete a task, performing that task to best of your ability; or do you hide behind tenor, lack of knowledge and/or laziness?

Training builds confidence and both of these compound over time. Your attitude and your work ethic is the foundation of the respect you get from your co-workers.  Don’t be the guy standing around. Be a Junkyard Dog.  Step up. Do the job. Roll that hose instead of waiting for someone else to do it. Mask up when it’s time to mask up and take the roof with the ax when the saw breaks. Junkyard Dogs are always Johnny-on-the-spot, they’re always present and they never shy away from their jobs. Junkyard Dogs own their space, protect their guys, and they react with fierce determination when it’s time to Do WORK!