Bring Pride Back

I am unapologetically proud of my crew and the culture that we are creating together. In a time that it seems totally acceptable to just be present at the firehouse and check all the boxes when they are required; it feels good to be apart of a crew that wants to do more, be more, and give more.

Crew pride does not just magically manifest itself when you show up at the firehouse, it requires effort. Most of all it requires something to actually be proud of. It may be elementary but if you’re on a crew that doesn’t have crew pride then maybe it’s time to do something as a crew to be proud of.

Create a crew/company/rig logo, find an area of the firehouse that needs some attention or lacks character and give it a firehouse makeover (a junky bunker gear closet for example 😆), get out and train together, or leave the tv off and hang out together telling stories and talking about how great it is to be a firefighter.

The Red 3 on my crew’s helmets means a lot to me and hopefully to us. You don’t receive it when you join the crew, you earn it. You earn it by showing us that you’re proud to be here and are going to contribute to keep making it something to be proud of.

Pride is not a bad thing in the way we’re talking about here, it’s ok to actively seek ways to create pride. My crew will continue to find ways to build a tighter team, to grow together, and to show off the pride we have in who we are; I don’t care if anyone else chooses to do the same or not.

Bring Pride back to the job, be proud to be a firefighter and of your crew. If your pride needs a shot in the arm then do something that you can be proud of!