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EASTERN IDAHO FOOLS
October 29, 2006

Brothers, it is an honor and great pleasure to belong to the greatest profession there is. Being a fireman is something I take seriously. This is a job like no other. No matter if you are career or volunteer, or somewhere in between, the public you serve expects you to be your best as a fireman.
A wise fireman once told me "there are three types of firefighters in the fire service; there are leaders, followers, and dinosaurs." Be a leader or a follower, but don't be a dinosaur. The dinosaurs drag us all down and make it more difficult to become the best we can be. I believe we have a sacred duty to never get complacent. Complacency kills. We should continually evaluate ourselves as firemen, and see where we can improve. There is always room for improvement, and we should be constantly looking for ways to be safer and better at what we do. There are many great resources within our reach to help us improve.
I'm grateful to be a Fool. I read a book recently about the history of the FDNY. I am humbled by the number of firefighters that have died performing this work. This profession of firefighting is bigger than us all, and the Fools are at the forefront in helping us never forget that. We should not be content to be "good enough." We should strive to become the kind of firemen that the communities we serve expect us to be. To do anything else disgraces the sacrifice made by so many.
Allow me to give a list of some of the things that I believe in as a fireman:
I believe the primary mission of the fire service is to save lives and protect
property.
I believe that fire apparatus should be red.
I believe there is engine work and truck work, and engine work is best
performed by engines, and truck work is best performed by trucks.
I believe in training, EVERY DAY.
I believe in high intensity cardiovascular exercise, weight lifting, and good
diet.
I believe in being passionate about this profession.
I believe in honesty, integrity, hard work, and ambition.
I believe that a Company Officer's job is to PROTECT HIS MEN.
I believe we need to continually reinforce the basics.
I believe that we should all be firemen at heart, no matter what other
assignments or duties we have such as Paramedic, EMT, Driver, Company
Officer, or Chief.
I believe in family values in the fire service.
I believe we all have a duty to avoid the "white shirt syndrome" and never
stop studying and learning the profession of firefighting.
I believe that the communities we serve owe us nothing. We owe them for
giving us the honor of serving them as firemen, and we owe them our best.

I just want to be a fireman and everything that entails. The Eastern Idaho Fools are going to continue to try hard to increase the level of professionalism and training among firefighters in Eastern Idaho. We continue to encourage our individual members to work within their sphere of influence to help improve morale, camaraderie, and training among firefighters in Eastern Idaho. The mission of the Fools speaks for itself. If it speaks to you, we'd love to have you join.

FTM, PTB, KTF, DTRT, RFB, EGH, DPT.

Cody S. Anderson
President
Eastern Idaho Fools