A FIREMAN'S PRAYER

When I am called to duty, God
Wherever Flames may rage
Give me the strength to save some life
Whatever Be its age
Help me embrace a little child
Before it is too late
Or save an older person from
The horror of that fate
Enable me to be alert and
Hear the weakest shout
And quickly and efficiently
To put the fire out
I want to fill my calling and
To give the best in me
To guard my every neighbor
And protect their property
And if according to your will
I have to lose my life
Please bless with your protecting hand
My children and my wife.

COURAGE

One day my son asked me, Dad?
What does courage mean?
At first I simply answered,
No fear of certain things.
Then in that same instant,
I looked across the street,
I saw my neighbors running,
And jumped up from my seat.

As I ran out the front door,
I saw what had torn their lives,
The house that they had built and loved,
Was burning before my eyes.

We quickly called the firemen,
And the minutes seemed liked years,
Then they came from everywhere,
To battle our biggest fears.


They swiftly set up their weapons,
And clad their armor in a flash,
Then they faced the dragon,
A monster of fire and ash.

They boldly rushed into the flames,
To face the devil and pick a fight,
Risking the very life they held,
For another on that night.

No one was trapped inside that home,
But a life was still at stake,
For they have seen many homes lost,
And have seen many hearts break.

So once again they fight their enemy,
A war they can never win,
For if they win the battle,
The devil runs to burn again.

But while the devil was in that house,
They walked into his lare,
Facing his evil talons,
With water and stare.

They saved my neighbor's home,
And the houses all around,
They cleaned their weapons,
Letting their armor fall to the ground.

It wasn't until morning,
That I realized what all had taken place,
When I went into the house,
I saw the scar of the devil's face.

That is when I turned to my son,
And answered the question again,
Now a wiser man I said,
When you think of courage, son,
Think always of the firemen.


What is a Firefighter?

He's the guy next door - a man's man with the memory of a little boy. He has never gotten over the excitement of
engines and sirens and danger. He's a guy like you and me with warts and worries and unfulfilled dreams. Yet he
stands taller than most of us. He's a fireman. He puts it all on the line when the bell rings. A fireman is at once the
most fortunate and the least fortunate of men. He's a man who saves lives because he has seen too much death.
He's a gentle man because he has seen the awesome power of violence out of control. He's responsive to a child's
laughter because his arms have held too many small bodies that will never laugh again. He's a man who appreciates
the simple pleasures of life - hot coffee held in numb, unbending fingers - a warm bed for bone and muscle
compelled beyond feeling - the camaraderie of brave men - the divine peace and selfless service of a job well done
in the name of all men. He doesn't wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities. When he marches, it is to honor
a fallen comrade. He doesn't preach the brotherhood of man. He lives it.

FIREFIGHTER HEAVEN

THE FIREFIGHTER STOOD AND FACED HIS GOD,
WHICH MUST ALWAYS COME TO PASS.
HE HOPED HIS SHOES WERE SHINING,
JUST AS BRIGHTLY AS HIS BRASS.
"STEP FORWARD NOW, YOU FIREFIGHTER, HOW SHALL I DEAL WITH YOU?
HAVE YOU ALWAYS TURNED THE OTHER CHEEK?
TO MY CHURCH HAVE YOU BEEN TRUE?"

THE FIREFIGHTER SQUARED HIS SHOULDERS AND SAID,
"NO, LORD, I GUESS I AIN'T
BECAUSE THOSE OF US WHO FIGHT FIRE, CAN'T ALWAYS BE A SAINT.
I'VE HAD TO WORK MOST SUNDAYS, AND AT TIMES MY TALK WAS ROUGH, AND SOMETIMES I'VE BEEN VIOLENT, BECAUSE THE STREETS ARE AWFULLY TOUGH.
BUT, I NEVER TOOK A PENNY, THAT WASN'T MINE TO KEEP.
THOUGH I WORKED A LOT OF OVERTIME
WHEN THE BILLS GOT JUST TOO STEEP,
AND I NEVER PASSED A CRY FOR HELP,
THOUGH AT TIMES I SHOOK WITH FEAR, AND SOMETIMES, GOD FORGIVE ME, I'VE WEPT UNMANLY TEARS.

I KNOW I DON'T DESERVE A PLACE AMONG THE PEOPLE HERE
THEY NEVER WANTED ME AROUND EXCEPT TO CALM THEIR FEARS.
IF YOU'VE A PLACE FOR ME HERE, LORD, IT NEED NOT BE SO GRAND,
I NEVER EXPECTED OR HAD TOO MUCH, BUT IF YOU DON'T, I'LL UNDERSTAND."

THERE WAS A SILENCE ALL AROUND THE THRONE
WHERE THE SAINTS HAD OFTEN TROD
AS THE FIREFIGHTER WAITED QUIETLY, FOR THE JUDGMENT OF HIS GOD,
"STEP FORWARD NOW YOU FIREFIGHTER, YOU'VE BORNE YOUR BURDENS WELL,
WALK PEACEFULLY ON HEAVEN'S STREETS, YOU'VE DONE YOUR TIME IN HELL."
Firefighter's Creed

When I'm called to duty god
wherever flames may rage
give me strength to save a life
whatever be its age

Help me to embrace a little child
before it is too late
or save an older person from
the horror of that fate

Enable me to be alert
to hear the weakest shout
and quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out

I want to fill my calling and
to give the best in me
to guard my neighbour and
protect his property

And if according to your will
I have to lose my life
bless with your protecting hand
my children and my wife

THE ENEMY

I am more powerful than the combined armies of the world. I have destroyed more men ,women and children than all the wars of all nations. I massacre thousands of people every year. I am more deadly than bullets ,and I have wrecked more homes than the mightiest guns.

In the United States alone, I steal over 500 million dollars each year. I spare no one and I find my victims among the rich and the poor alike, the young and the old, and the strong and the weak. Windows know me to their everlasting sorrow. I loom up in such proportions that I cast my shadow over every field of labor.

I lurk in unseen places and do most of my work silently. You are warned against me, yet you heed me not. I am relentless, merciless and cruel. I am everywhere, in the home, in the schools, in the factory, on land, in the air, and on the sea.

I bring sickness, degradation and death, yet few seek me out to destroy me. I crush, I maim, I devastate. I will give you nothing and rob you of all you have.

I AM YOUR WORST ENEMY
I AM RAMPANT FIRE

WE DEDICATE THIS TO THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO BATTLE
THE ENEMY
THE ARKANSAS FIREFIGHTERS


Firefighter's Life

We've found our calling,
Where the flames rage,
We know that we'll drop everything,
When we hear the page.

As we search each room,
For the one we might have missed,
The smoke above us looms,
The fire continues to crackle and hiss.

Finally we find her,
A girl of two or three,
Hiding beneath a bed,
I know she's scared of me.

I reach out my hand,
And tell her I can help,
I tell her I'm a firefighter,
And I've come to put the fire out.

I realize that soon,
It might be too late,
To save this little girl,
From a horrible fate.

But, as I pass,
that little girl,
Out the window,
Out of that fiery world,

I look down to the ground below,
And see her family smile,
And I know what I faced in there,
Compared to the warmth of love is mild.

That little girl's family thanked me,
For saving their daughter's life.
I simply told them it was part of the job,
It was a firefighter's life.

I'LL SHOW YOU A VOLUNTEER

Show me a person who spends endless hours in training without pay,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person where a cry for help brings split-second dispatch,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person who is devastated when lives are lost or maimed,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person who is graciously welcomed as a next-door neighbor,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person who takes ridicule more than compliments,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person whose car is garaged with the grille facing out,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person who sacrifices home life, TV... even tender moments,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person visibly moved at the strains of our National Anthem,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person who may be asked to give more than just dedication,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.
Show me a person who is asked to give more... and more... and more,
And, I'll show you a volunteer.