Jumpline MAG_Spring 2026 - Flipbook - Page 8
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Michael Vallone, Ret.
Jumpline Editor
Fire Service Tradition
answer when asked who they are, say an accountant, a CEO, a construction worker, not that
there is anything wrong with those careers. For
most it is simply what they do, not who they are.
Fire昀椀ghting is different.
Fire昀椀ghters often spend long hours at the
昀椀re station, twenty-four hours a day, then add in
overtime and swap time and there can be long
stretches at the 昀椀re house. It’s a very important place, the 昀椀re house. Aside from the kitchen table, the building that houses 昀椀re昀椀ghters is
extremely important. Staying under the same
roof gives the connotation of family. Often 昀椀re昀椀ghters call themselves brother or sister. Again,
the overtone is family. They work, eat, recreate,
train, run calls, clean, and maintain together.
Fire昀椀ghting has a strong history,
heritage, nostalgia, and culture, often manifested in antiques, plaques,
mementos, artwork, memorabilia;
the things that give history and personality to the 昀椀re house. These are of-
Another strong
tradition is the
challenge coin.
With its birth in the
military, the challenge
coin has grown in
the fire service and
other services. The
coin represents
membership,
achievement, or
meritorious service. It
is a symbol of honor.
ten displayed at 昀椀re houses, or 昀椀re headquarters, and even in
personal homes of 昀椀re 昀椀ghters. Its not uncommon to see at a 昀椀re昀椀ghter’s home; a spanner wrench from the 1980s, a melted front
helmet shield, bunker gear name taps, often showing the wearand-tear of 昀椀res and smoke, also awards and plaques, discarded
昀椀re hydrants often refurbished to magni昀椀cence, or books such as
Report From Engine Company 82, amongst others. This is 昀椀re
service culture and history. It is embedded in who these people
are as an individual or organization.
Culture is also verbal; transmitted through the
war-stories of old and new; particular 昀椀re calls or medical calls, crashes or water rescues, humorous, or
the calls that can damage a person’s
spirit. The names may change, the stories may
change, but the service goes on. And it leaves
pieces of the experiences and people that were
there and may have moved on.
Why does a person get into this? For the love
of it. Many have grown up near the 昀椀re service
and want to be a part of it. Others have heard
the war stories, or seen 昀椀re昀椀ghters in action
and want to be a part of it. It’s a career rich in
brotHERhood, a strong comradery, that mostly
no other career 昀椀eld holds, which draws a sense
of family, bringing civilians into it.
Once in and on the apparatus, there is a sense
of the unknown; complacency can be fatal. The
ride to the emergency scene, 昀椀re, smoke, collapse, the possibility violence and disease while
on scene; all are unknown; the next second can
change everything. It’s an adrenaline 昀椀lled shift.
Even in slow stations, one never knows what comes next. Fire昀椀ghters accept the risks they know and what they don’t know.
The 昀椀rehouse is a second home, and often fellow 昀椀re昀椀ghters
treat each other as family. And 昀椀re昀椀ghters are known to have a
quirky sense of humor, manifesting in pranks.
Tradition and culture manifest in many ways in
the 昀椀re service. Most common are personalized 昀椀re station
T-shirts. It shows an identity a 昀椀re昀椀ghter associates with and is
proud to display in public, and are the result of some major creativity.
Spring 2026 | JUMPLINE Magazine
