Humility is a Characteristic of Effective Firefighters

Author: Michael Morales

Firefighters boldly put their lives on the line when no one else will. In this line of work, there is no more important quality than being humble in the face of dangerous and unpredictable situations. Humility is vital in establishing trust in a dangerous situation, so no matter how menacing it gets out there, its important never to put yourself above anyone else.

It is humility more than authority than inspires cooperation, so it is a fundamental characteristic of an effective firefighter. A person's humility sometimes means the difference between going it alone and waiting for help, which could also mean the difference between life and death in an unpredictable situation. Feelings of superiority over the people that you serve or the other people that you work with can lead to rash decisions, unsafe actions and thus extreme danger. In firefighting there is no place for feelings of superiority, everyone is equal when lives are on the line and arrogance or stubbornness can lead to injury or death in the blink of an eye.

While firefighters are rightly respected as heroes, they are also just doing their job. It is an everyday thing for a firefighter to do things that someone in another line of work would respect as heroic, and so one's responsibilities as a firefighter must be kept in perspective. Personal as well as professional humility is a hallmark of the effective firefighter. A good firefighter is nice to his neighbors, but a great firefighter is a welcome and well-known person in the community. A great firefighter is understanding of people's fears and kind in case of misunderstandings or false alarms. As a professional, a great firefighter understands that not everyone is an expert and that your calmness and deliberation are very much appreciated by those you serve. When faced with applause, the effective firefighter does not bask in a quick fifteen minutes of fame, but nods politely and gives thanks to the people who show so much respect. After all, its not just a cliche that, for firefighters, life-threatening danger really is just all in a days work.

 

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