Fire & EMS Leader Pro The job of old firefighters is to teach young firefighters how to become old firefighters!
By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer
Many times there’s so much talk about the brotHERhood of the fire service, and many times it appears to be just 
that, talk. Then someone shares a story like this one and it adds to the strength of the fabric that clothes and protects those of us who engage in this noble calling.
After 9/11, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) learned some things about counseling emergency responders. An enormous debt of gratitude is owed to the FDNY Counseling Service Unit members (all retired FDNY) who came to Kansas City to share our grief, laugh with us and then visited with every single Kansas City Fire Department [fire] company on every shift, our dispatchers, our EMS folks and the chiefs. Their honest perspective, along with the commonality we all share as firefighters has helped. They have been generous to a fault, working 12+ hours days and sharing their experiences. We’re honored to have had them here. Matthew Mauer, Battalion Chief, KCFD Aircraft Rescue
Battalion Chief Matthew Mauer, Kansas City Fire Department
After reading and absorbing Chief Mauer’s words, I felt compelled to share them as best I could because I felt that such prose deserved as wide an audience as possible. So do me a favor, if you will, and give the Chief’s words a “lift” today.
You got this?
