HARRY R. CARTER, Ph.D., MIFireE

Ladies and gentlemen, let me share some serious thoughts with you during this time of anger, chaos, and confusion. Why do I say that all is not well? These words leave my mouth, mind, and computer owing to the condescending and patronizing manner in which we of the fire service are treated. I say this because the world of politics has once again shunned the contribution that my fellow travelers and I have made to the United States of America.

Who are these people that so willingly accept our sacrifices, yet so quickly dismiss us from their agenda of importance? As one who has worked diligently and passionately in pursuit of the FIRE Bill, I am shocked at the Bush Administration’s recent proposal to cut the $100,000,000 of Fire Bill funding from his proposed budget. As one who has made his own plans subservient to the needs of the battle to get the money to the people who need it, I am heartily saddened that the efforts of my friends and I have been trampled upon.

Don’t these politicians who so glibly shower the law enforcement world with streams of never-ending funding understand that without us there would be no United States of America for the law enforcement community to protect? Perhaps it is time for me to explain to the "powers-that-be" just exactly who we are and what we do.

To the members of each and every level of political activity within each of the 50 states and commonwealths of these great United States of America and every subdivision thereof I offer greetings on behalf of a special person. Who am I you might ask?

I am an American Firefighter. I stand guard over all that is good and decent about us as a country of interrelated peoples. I place my self, my safety, and my life between you and all the forces of man and nature that might seek to destroy you.

Many times I have given my life that others might live. Many times my children have stepped up to take my place in that long blue line of people who have stepped forward to render dedicated service to their communities. I have braved heat and flame to preserve the cities and towns that form America. I have braved storm and flood to insure that my fellow citizens did not die a horrible death at the hands of an environment gone mad when the fury of nature’s forces unleashed upon us.

I am an American Firefighter.

 But who am I?

I am your neighbor. I am the coach of your local Little League team. I am the Master of your Masonic Lodge. I am the teacher of your children. I am the guy on the other side of the church who accepts your greetings.

I am the gal who is going to college to become a better citizen. I drive a tow truck. I work on an assembly line. I am a lawyer, and I am a doctor. I am the veteran who proudly carries the American Flag at the head of the annual Memorial Day parade.

I am the person who has chosen the fire service as their career. I am the person who serves their community as a volunteer. At the moment of truth, we are the same person. Humanity lies at the center of our hearts. Service is the engine that powers our soul. Despite the naysayers who would divide us into warring camps and pit us one against the other, we are a fraternity of brave people dedicated to serving humanity.

I was there with the Jamestown settlers who battled the blaze that destroyed their warehouse that first year in this great new land. I was at the side of Benjamin Franklin when he formed and fashioned the fire protective service in Philadelphia. I was with the Zouves who saved parts of Washington, DC with their spectacular acrobatic firefighting during the Civil War.

I choked on the smoke in Chicago as flames ravaged that great city, while at the same time a few hundred miles to the north I battled to save Peshtigo, Wisconsin. I was with the boys in Newark when their brothers were crushed under the walls of a falling factory building. I was on the line with my fellow firefighters when we battled to save the downtown business district of our small hometown community. I was in Boston at the Coconut Grove tragedy, and I cried with Emmett Kelly, the famous circus clown, when the tent burned in Hartford.

I am an American Firefighter.

There were those times when I marched off to war in order to defend our way of life against foreign enemies threatening our nation. It was not hard for me to grasp the concept of defending my country against an enemy. That is exactly what my fellow travelers and I did every day of our lives. Some of us did not return. Those of us who did return stepped forward to take up the slack in the line left by our departed brothers.

I was the one who worked 168-hour shifts, with just a few hours off for meals. I was the one who jumped up from the Christmas meal, raced off to the station and sped to the rescue of my neighbor. I was the one who spent my birthday searching for the small child who had wandered away from the home of his panic-stricken family.

I am the one who flipped pancakes to raise money for our new hose. I am the one who peeled potatoes, sliced roast beef, and served a nourishing meal to their neighbors, all to raise money for that new brush truck. I am the one who called out the number just before you called out, "bingo."

I was the one who trudged through the slush and snow carrying a picket sign. I am a friend and brother of the brave firefighter who, after flying through the air on the cable of an industrial crane to save a worker, chided the mayor of his city for ignoring the economic needs of my fellow firefighters.

I was there with the men and women who saved the little girl from an underground hell in Texas. I was there when terrorists attacked the building in my city. I have brought life, and I have seen death.

I am an American Firefighter.

For those of you who would ignore me, I would remind you that your life is still in my hands. To those of you who would take me for granted, I issue a grave warning. My ranks are thinning. My replacement has yet to be found.

Like my brothers and sisters, I am growing tired. It is tough taking care of our fellow citizens. The demand grows, and the support dwindles.

It is tough to keep stepping up to bat, when you know that politicians, administrators, citizens, and even our own fire chiefs are battling to bean us with the hardball of battered budgets. I am not asking you to understand me. I am just asking you not to keep whipping me like I was yet another government mule.

To the President of the United States I say quite simply, remember the words of support you gave to the firefighters who protect your ranch in Texas. To the members of Congress I say quite simply, every one of you has received at least one vote from me. I say this because I am everywhere. Like the Biblical imperative, I am slow to anger and quick to forgive.

But, Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States Congress, remember this. Were I not there to defend your district, and were it to be destroyed by fire, who would be left to vote for you? What would be left for you to represent? What would be left for the law enforcement community to protect? I, kind ladies and gentlemen of the United States Congress, am the cornerstone of American civilization.

I am an American Firefighter.

As you gather to debate the merits of President Bush’s proposal to cut the $100,000,000 Fire Bill funding from the budget, I urge you to pause and ponder the following. Listen to the sirens and air horns that sound off in the distance as the debate ensues. That sound indicates that I am on duty. That sound indicates that I am about to place my life on the line for you and MY fellow Americans. That sound indicates that I am needed.

As you meet with your constituents back in your home district, listen for the wailing of the siren on top of the town hall. As the mournful wailing of the siren trails off into the distance, pause and ponder this. That sound indicates that I am needed. That sound indicates that I am on the way. That sound indicates that I am about to place my life on the line. And for at least one of you in the Congress, that sound was for your family. Next time it may be for YOU. And as an American Firefighter, I will be there for you. 

I paint this portrait for all of you, because as you ponder the future of the Fire Bill, I want you to know just who your decision will affect. I want you to know that each moment of your life, I am there for you. Yes, I will be there for you as long as I have the strength. I will do what I have to do to insure that our American way of life survives. Because:

I am an American Firefighter.