The National Interagency Fire Center published a photo of a chain saw operator on their Facebook page. After about 28 hours it had collected over two dozen comments, with many of them being critical of what they saw in the photo.
2 thoughts on “NIFC distributes controversial photo of a sawyer”
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General comment not specifically directed to this particular post…
Funny how the power of traditions (trads) and fads fight to remain in force or succumb to change.
I’m old enough to remember the orange colored “treated” cotton fire shirts and green cotton Frisco jeans era. In those days we literally “broke starch” (military style) with our thoroughly laundered fire shirts and custom embroidered cotton Filson vest en route to fire assignments. (As a recently discharged US Army paratrooper this trad suited me just fine).
Then when yellow Nomex shirts were first issued the goons from Dupont said (paraphrased), “starch will defeat the performance of Nomex”. So that was the end of the fabric starch trad for us. I remember our supervisors wisely supporting this cultural shift but we still laundered our Nomex and Filson vest after every fire assignment.
Then the “research” came down (paraphrased)… “Those cotton vest gotta’ go. They are making your body temperatures too high”. Again our supervisors (wisdom far beyond the moment) agreed. Obediently we all retired our beloved, retardant stained, yet thoroughly laundered, Filson vests to our personal memory closets. Those of us really well off had a cedar chest to lay the cherished garment in.
Fast forward to the last decade of the previous century. Now in a late career phase and able and eager to give back and then some to the beloved Agency and the equally beloved WFF community I was puzzled by the growing fad of FFs wearing filthy and tattered fire shirts. As a US Army paratrooper and an semi-old school Hot Shot, Helishot and Engine slug I was baffled to say the least.
Frankly the “multi-fire assignment filth” wasn’t my biggest concern. It was the tears, holes and ripped seams that concerned me whether I was a STL, DIV SUP, Branch DIR, OPS, FOB, SO or IC (we are all Safety Officers, right? I ask again, RIGHT?)
Anyway, this dirty and tattered fire shirt trad and fad has obviously become well entrenched throughout.
This ridicules and safety compromising fad will only be broken by true leaders at all levels of the WFF community.
Time will tell…
That’s good that fire fighters are recognized, they should all the time, because it’s a dangerous job. Thanks
james valdez 28 year veteran for fire service.