I remember as a kid listening to war stories told in fire house kitchens, softball games and picnics by "old timers" who talked about the good old days of the 1940s and 1950s. These were well-respected veterans who talked about jobs, operating without masks, being able to take "good feeds". They spoke of raising heavy wooden ladders, stretching into unsprinkled loft buildings, putting out fires without sprinklers, poor fire codes, using scaling ladders, riding on the back step in winter, training with safety nets, double companies, squads for manpower, and using fire alarm boxes to communicate with the dispatcher. They considered their era difficult, dangerous, busy. And it was. Busy companies did 600 or 700 runs to make the FDNY top 25 list for Runs and Workers. Most were World War II or Korean veterans and they considered their fire duty similar to their combat war years - maybe more dangerous.
The "War Years" of the 60s/70s/80s, into the 90s in some areas, cannot be understated. Countless fires, false alarms, voice alarm, adaptive response, TCUs, ADVs, covered rigs, radioes, safety ropes, masks, companies responding 9000 runs a year. There were intense physical demands. Injuries - lots of injuries. Too few members trying to do too much. 2 engines and a truck doing the work of a full first alarm assignment. I remember seeing my dad come home from working a night tour with three soot-stained shirts, blisters on his neck, puffy eyes. That was normal. These were "War Years" and you have to admire the firefighters (in NYC and other cities) who served during this era.
Things have changed significantly. I got to thinking my last night shift just how different things are today from tours worked during the "War Years". A 2 AM medical run (one of many that night). Within 5 minutes, members go from their bunks to a high rise with AED, O2, stretcher, aide bag, etc. Within 10 minutes, vitals checked, patient assessment made, patient on O2, etc. Within 20-25 minutes, EKG, line started, dexi, etc. Paramedics/EMTs/firefighters are routinely performing life saving skills that emergency room doctors used to do in the not too distant past. Patient stabilization, pain management, transport. There is no room for error. Every patient presents an opportunity to contract disease. There is the treat of liability claims, even if proper protocols are followed. There are privacy issues. Medical treatment records. All that - betweeen 2 AM and 3 AM. There are also HazMat runs. There is not enough money to fund all the units required. Firefighters are getting laid off in cities. Training has been reduced. And there are still fires. Maybe not as many as the 1980s - but still, a lot of fires. Units are doing 2000/3000/4000 runs a year. Emergency medical care/terrorism deterrence/environment protection/response to disasters/cyber attack protection requirements/and fighting fires? I do not want to diminish in any way the challenges and contributions of the past but I thought - are we in a "New War Years" era, of sorts?
