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Failure to wear proper PPE will kill you graveyard dead! — Captain Jeff Josselyn, Rescue 2, Elkhart, Indiana, Fire Department. (Words of wisdom by EPD Officer Frank Owens on Meth Labs)

* * * * *

There is never a traffic jam on the extra mile. (I have found that if you have to explain this to someone, they will never get it.) — Captain Larry Robeson, Toledo (Oregon) Fire Department

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"Faith" is believing when common sense tells you not to. — Author unknown (Submitted by Firefighter Chris Gouette, Submarine Base Fire Department)

* * * * *

Everyone has the will to win. Not everyone has the will to train to win. — Author unknown, submitted by Smiley, driver, Idaho Falls Fire Department

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* * * * *

Those who don’t make mistakes are those who don’t do anything at all. — Captain Ed, Warsaw Fire

* * * * *

The difficult we do right away; the impossible just takes us a little longer. — Bob Innanen,  Station 5, Kitchener Fire

* * * * *

Never forget to take your best tool with you on every fire and rescue — your brain. If you don’t, then somebody just might not be coming home tonight. — L.A. County Fire Rescue

* * * * *

Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, you can't put it back. Think before pushing meds. —   Dr. Ross Campensa, City of Green Fire Department

* * * * *

Just because you're certified doesn't mean you're qualified. — Lieutenant Danny Graham, New Hampton FD, New York; Firefighter Mikel Zoppie, Goshen (New York) Fire Department

* * * * *

Never commit a crew into a building that you believe is burning without first checking the overhead! — Lieutenant Bruce Clark, 33 Engine, Palm Beach County (Florida) Fire Rescue

* * * * *

IF you're going to be dumb, you'd better be tough! — Eli Voss, Engine 8, Davenport (Iowa) Fire Department

* * * * *

Advice to crew: "If everything seems to be going well, you obviously have overlooked something." — Captain Edward Moss, Rescue 3, Technical Rescue, Bowling Green, Kentucky

* * * * *

Don't confuse one's confidence for competence. — T.J. Welch, Alameda County Fire Department

* * * * *

Training — you only get out of it what you are prepared to put in. — Lieutenant David Thewlis, Sale Fire Brigade, Australia

* * * * *

If you're not gaining on the fire, the fire is gaining on you. — Lieutenant David DeStefano, Engine Co. 3, North Providence (R.I.) Fire Department

* * * * *

The only "active" is "proactive." — Firefighter/EMT Chris Keeler, ECFR

* * * * *

"Good enough" will get you killed on this job. Remember: The mediocre are always at their best. — Tom Spanne, South San Francisco Fire Department, Truck 61 (retired)

* * * * *

So, you passed your promotional exam with a 70%. So tell me what 30% of this job DON'T you know. — Richard A. Fritz, battalion chief, High Point (N.C.) Fire Department

* * * * *

Push, pull, or get out of the way. — Firefighter Brian, Warsaw Fire Department

* * * * *

You should always be the first to try and make your idea fail; only then may it stand up to become a great idea. — John Webb, Truck 4, Louisville (Ky.) Fire Department

* * * * *

We're a short time here and a long time gone, and the clock is ticking. — CC-Paramedic/Firefighter Thompson, TFD

* * * * *

Regarding apparatus and mutual aid, it's always better to have a truck you don't need on scene, than need a truck you don't have on scene. — Jeff Nepple, engineer, Crew 22, Evergreen Fire Rescue

Don't put the wet stuff on the red stuff! Put the wet stuff on the burning solid fuels! — Firefighter Scallan, ECFR

* * * * *

Sometimes it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission. —  Chris Bernardi, engineer, Burbank-Paradise Fire

* * * * *

Anyone who asks you what is in it for him is not a team player. — Chief J.J. Bichard, Devola Volunteer Fire Company, Marietta, Ohio.

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Learn your job
Educate your team
Appreciate their efforts
Double your own (efforts)
Earn their respect
Return it (to them)  — BFD

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It's not how long you have been doing it; it's how well you have been doing it. — Lieutenant Trapper Meadors, City of Eldon (Missouri) Fire Department

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When the experts panic, they call the fire department. — Leroy McKeever FDNY (Retired)

* * * * *

In the fire service, there are three types of individuals: Those who go out and make it happen, those who stand aside and watch it happen, and those who say, "What the hell just happened!" — Battalion Commander Bob Green, South San Francisco Fire Department

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It takes 30 seconds to do something, but it may take 30 years to live it down. — Berkeley (Calif.) Fire Department

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Firefighting: One of the last professions making house calls. — Firefighter Tina Case (tcase@firehousemail.com), Millington Volunteer Fire Company

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In the fire service, there are three types of individuals: Those who go out and make it happen, those who stand aside and watch it happen, and those who say, "What the hell just happened!" — Battalion Commander Bob Green, South San Francisco Fire Department, California

* * * * *

Better to have water trickling out the door than to have fire blowing out the windows! — Firefighter/EMT Brian Heuler, Castle Point Fire Department, Hudson Valley Health Care Systems, Castle Point, New York

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Always, always, always...train like you play. Let the grab-ass commence later! — Chris Bernardi, Burbank-Paradise Fire Department, Modesto, California.

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"Don't do dumb stuff." This is what I tell the companies (and my kids). — Deputy Chief Mike Garrahy, Rocky Hill (Connecticut) Fire Department

* * * * *

If you can't move forward, you are going backwards, no matter what your feet are doing. The fire is always getting bigger or smaller; it never stays the same. — Darrel Crane, San Bernardino County Fire (Calif.)

* * * * *

Being a chief is making sure all the firefighters go home with all their parts working. — Jim Bonner, battalion chief, Philadelphia Fire Department.

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You don't know what you don't know. — William Kraus, truck captain, Aurora (Colorado) Fire Department (based on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's "...there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns...the ones we don't know we don't know.")

* * * * *

The buildings God did not want to burn were sprinklered. — Battalion Chief John Stevenson, Fire-Rescue Division of Broward Sheriff's Office, Station 6, Port Everglades, Florida.

* * * * *

Complacency kills! — Assistant Fire Chief Darren Sluder, Jasonville (Indiana) Fire Department.

* * * * *

On the fireground, if you become involved in a crisis situation, you will not rise to the occasion but, rather, default to your level of training.

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The garbage man doesn't get excited when he turns the corner and sees trash, because he's expecting it. Likewise, you should be expecting fire on every run. — (The Late) Lieutenant Andy Fredericks

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"Practice doesn't make perfect. It makes permanent. Practice right to fight right." (Unknown) — Submitted by Dan Snyder, Arvada (Colorado) firefighter, Engine Co. 8.

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Remember the 7 P's: Proper Previous Practice Prevents Piss Poor Performance — Firefighter Chad Messersmith, Austin Fire Department

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Told to me by my baseball coach: "If you don't know where you're going, how do you know when you get there?" Have daily goals; without them, you're wasting your time — most importantly, your fellow firefighter's time. — K. Buschelman, training officer, Junction City, Oregon.

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When on an emergency, be the firefighter who sweats from doing the job, not the firefighter who sweats because he does not know his job. —  R. Hill, engineer, Eugene (Oregon) Fire Department.

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On the whole, no one calls us when they have done something smart. —  Lieutenant T. Van, City of Myrtle Beach Fire Department, South Carolina.

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Sometimes you save the buildings. Sometimes you make parking lots, and there is nothing you can do about it. — Leo Stapleton, from Thirty Years on the Line.

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Good or bad, don't forget what you learned yesterday!! — Captain Mark Crook, Modesto (California) Fire Department.

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Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect! — Captain Marc Bentovoja, Truck Six, Sacramento Fire Department

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You must always push the limits, because, if you never fail, you will never succeed! — Jered Eckle, engineer, Oakdale Fire District

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The man makes the uniform; the uniform does not make the man. — Jered Eckle, engineer, Oakdale Fire District

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Being in command is not such an arduous task.... It simply means being ready at any time, day or night, to tell someone who thinks that he is beaten, that he is not beaten. —  General George C. Patton, United States Army

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Courage doesn't put out fires. Training, motivation and leadership does. — Chris Werner, East Fishkill Fire District.

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The person doing the work is the person doing the learning. — From my wife a school teacher; submitted by Lieutenant Kris Cole, Marion County, Florida.

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You don't know what you don't know. — Lieutenant Dennis Longest, Orlando Fire Department, ret., submitted by Lieutenant Kris Cole, Marion County Fire Rescue, Florida.

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Murphy's law is always in effect in the fire service. What you don't want to happen will; what you want to happen won't. So be ready to adapt and overcome." — Matthew Quick, Newport Fire Department, North Carolina DOI Level 2 fire instructor

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Anyone can sail a boat in calm water. It takes a real leader to navigate in strong seas. —  District Chief Chuck Martini, Rockforld (Illinois) Fire Department

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Knowledge not shared is knowledge wasted. —  Captain Rick Salaices, Alameda County (California) Fire Department

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A good officer learns from his mistakes; the best officers learn from the mistakes of others. —  Lieutenant Mike Brickman, Denver Fire Department

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A company officer achieves excellence because he took responsibility. Remember your role: Lead from the front and learn from the mistakes! No one told you this was going to be easy! — Captain Franklin Wilson, Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue

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If you use a fog pattern, bring your own mustard . . . cuz you're the hot dog! — Lieutenant Russ Chapman, Milford Fire Department, Milford, Connecticut

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A fireman's desire to succeed in the job is never ending. Giving it your all, day in and day out, is expected from you. Watch over your brothers, and they will watch after you long after you've hung up your turnouts for the last time. A fireman's dedication to his brothers will stand the test of time. Live the dream!

* * * * *

If fire is an emergency for the fire department, who should the public call? — John N. Carnegis, retired, BC Training Safety Division, North Providence

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Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but firefighters don't have that problem. — Ed Bartley, engineer, Salida Fire Department

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No one in the fire service is born "equal." Rise up to the challenge, take those who hide in the shadows of the "doers," and force them to raise their level of performance to yours.  —  Lieutenant C.J. Haberkorn, Denver Fire Department

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Practice how you play; play how you practice. — Lieutenant Jeff Pacia, Engine Co. 1, North Providence Fire Department, Rhode Island

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Just because you've done it doesn't mean that you have done it well. — Cameron Day, captain, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

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The things that matter the most happen after the air brake is set.

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Our job is to protect the public from themselves. — Captain, Wichita Fire Department

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To be the best in the future, you have to train harder than the best in the present.

* * * * *

Never argue with an idiot. He will bring you down to his level and beat you with experience. — Matt Penar, Lake Forest (Ill.) Fire Department

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Your training should periodically show you your physical and mental limits, because reality will, at some point, try to lure you past them. — Firefighter Dan Snyder, AFPD

* * * * *

It only takes 30 seconds to do something that will stay with you for 30 years.

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Being in charge is a lot like being pretty; if you have to tell people that you are, you're not. — Scott Corrigan, Gig Harbor Fire

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Train to play, don't play to train. — MPOR Jorge, Palm Beach County Fire, Firehouse 33 "The Fire Factory"

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The more we sweat in training, the less we bleed in battle. — Jeff Busby, captain/training officer, Perry Township Fire Department, Stark County, Ohio

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When the stuff hits the fan, firefighters don't rise to the occasion; they default to their level of training. What's your level of training? — Lieutenant Bruce Clark, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, Firehouse 36 "The House of Pain"

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The typical firehouse is actually a group home equipped with an oversized garage. — Lt. John F. Walsh, Valley Falls Fire District, Cumberland, Rhode Island

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"Jake's doing it." I think that says it all.

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Can't means Couldn't Access Needed Teamwork — Adam Arkins, Greenwood Fire Department, Engine Company 93

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Don't knock stupid people. They keep us mediocre people up where we are. — Frank Brannigan

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"Passion equals purpose." What are you here for? — Mike Bryant, County of Los Angeles Fire Department

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Too much talk; put "Action behind the Words." — Mike Bryant, County of Los Angeles Fire Department

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Remember, your equipment is provided by the lowest bidder! — Jason Simmons, FF/PM, SFFD

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Don't waste time learning the tricks of the trade, learn the trade. — E-2 the rock

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If you don't out-think the fire, it will out-think you. — Chief Phil Whitson, ROP Fire Fighting / EMS, Mariposa County High School, Mariposa, California

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When the towers and ladders go up, the buildings come down. — Kyle Buschelman, training officer, Junction City Fire & Rescue

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There is nobody as smart as all of us. A strong and effective team involves everyone's talents, knowledge and experience. — Captain Dave Bursack, City of Stoughton Fire Department, Wisconsin

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Takin' the heat in the county seat. — 52 Engine, WCFD

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The only consistent thing is inconsistency. — Captain Jim Fox, City of Asheville (N.C.) Fire Rescue

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As this job gets more complicated, doing the basics becomes more important. — S. Andrews, L.F.D.

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Train as ya play. — 17 House, Enola, Pennsylvania

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Nobody does it better. — Baltimore City, Engine 33

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"Can't" lives on "Won't Street." — Scott Cunningham, Stockton Fire Department

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"A fast reponse may be your last response! Get the trucks to the scene." — District Chief Willcok, Corunna Station, St. Clair Township Fire Dept., stated every winter about safe driving; submitted by Chris Grieve, former St. Clair Township firefighter, now City of Burlington firefighter, Canada

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If it were easy, everyone would do it; hard is what makes it great.

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Whatever you say on the radio, you can never get back. — Guy Bates, Modesto Fire Department

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The day that you think you know it it is the day you will die. — Captain Ken (ret.)

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If you're scared, say you're scared.

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The more I teach the more I learn! — John C. Gibson, ret. division chief, California Department of Forestry and Fire, currently a Hancock College instructor

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Mediocrity is unacceptable, and the status quo is the same as failure! — Chief J. Mike Baker, San Marcos Fire Rescue, San Marcos, Texas

* * * * *

As we all spend our days preparing for the worst, the worst is yet to be exposed. It's only mind over matter and physical conditioning that can prepare us to face the worst. Look out for your fellow brother, as he is all you have to turn to when you are in a troubled situation. Don't be afraid to say no; you could be saving more than yourself. — Steve Bennett, Engine 6, City of Kingston, New York.

* * * * *

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans for tomorrow! — Chief 47A, Allentown Road, Co. 47

* * * * *

Get your head in the game; your first mistake could be your last. — Firefighter Joe Savelli, No. 125, Burlington Fire Department, Ontario, Canada

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It's not a sin to get knocked down. It's a sin to stay down. — Station 13 firefighter

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Volunteer firefighters, the unpaid professionals. — Steven Bennett, Engine 6, Kingston, New York, Fire Department

* * * * *

Stand up or step aside! — David Morrison, Riverside County Fire/CDF

* * * * *

Prior to training, never eat more than will fit in you face piece! — Steven Jackson, Union Township, Ohio

* * * * *

To the rookie: I know you can fight fire, but if you don't learn your streets, you can't get there to do it. — Lieutenant Jeff Benway, Eustis Fire Rescue, Florida

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"There are no great men, only ordinary men, who have met extraordinary challenges." (Admiral Halsey, June 6, 1942) — Submitted by Scott C. Benninghoff, Cary Fire and Rescue, Engine 4

* * * * *

A firefighter without a tool is only an informed citizen.

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For the new driver/operator: "Hey, Buddy! Slow this *!#$*!#$ thing down. You'll never catch the siren!! — Grant Graham

* * * * *

Use STOP while on the fireground:

S = Stop what you are doing
T = Think about what you are doing.
O = Observe everything.
P = Plan for the unexpected. — FF EMT-P, Denver Fire

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If you don't know what you are doing, get somebody who does. — FF EMT-P, Denver Fire

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A good hazmat tech is like a good firefighter! Know how to use all tools (all the different ways), and you'll always get the job done right. — Assistant Fire Chief, Jim Hill, Ketchikan (Alaska) Fire Department

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As told to my Dad: "Prepare for the worst and the best takes care of itself." — Lieutenant P.J. Johnson, Kittery Point Fire Department, Maine

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You never fail...until you stop trying. — Greg Norris, emergency services officer, Deanmac Emergency Services, Austraila

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When you have reached that point in your career where you know all there is to know, QUIT — before you or someone else becomes a statistic. — Lieutenant Matthew Thorpe, City of King Fire Department

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If you think respect automatically comes with the badge, think again. It MUST be earned! There simply is no other way. And while you're at it, check your ego at the firehouse door. You'll enjoy the results. — Captain Bob Green, South San Francisco Fire Department

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Hey rookie, you've got two eyes, two ears and one mouth. That means you should see and hear twice as much as you speak. — Tony, T-21, Baltimore City Fire Department

* * * * *

1. If smoke is coming from the eves, take a saw.
2. Have the ladders thrown while the stick is going up.
3. Take lights, 'cause the engine boys will get lost without the truck.
—Told by experienced truckman, Big D. Submitted by the 53 crew of Ship, Shipensburg, Pa.

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If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it. — Vince Lombardi

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This job's a hell of a lot more fun when you're good at it.— Mike Haberski, Petaluma (Calif.) Fire Department

* * * * *

A firefighter is a hero only once, which is the day he joins the department. Everything else is done in the line of duty. — Lt. Carl DeMarco, Morrow Fire Department

* * * * *

To the rookie: I know you can fight fire, but if you don't learn your streets, you can't get there to do it. — Lt. Jeff Benway, Eustis Fire Rescue, Florida

* * * * *

Nothing is less important than the score at half-time.

* * * * *

Sawdust on your hat is better than burns on your back.  Leave the fan on the truck and take the roof. — Erin M. Stopczynski

* * * * *

Experience is what you get, just after you needed it. — John D. Montgomery, assistant training officer, Clovis Fire Department, California

* * * * *

What is the difference between genius and stupidity? Genius has limits.

* * * * *

Accept the fact that none of us can do everything, and, for this reason, a TEAM is formed. Work together off each other's strengths! — Joseph C. Adams, Little Rock Fire Department

* * * * *

You only volunteered once, and that was when you handed in your application to become a member. The rest of it is a commitment." — Rich B., Northern New Jersey volunteer firefighter and proud to serve

* * * * *

Be careful what you wish for, New Guy. — Al

* * * * *

I shall never lead you into a situatino we cannot overcome. Our job is to train and be prepared for any situation. — Harry Wood, Prince William County, Department of Fire and Rescue

* * * * *

Fire prevention: Setting the standard for the future. — Lt. Rod Bovensiep, Troy Fire Department, Troy, Michigan

* * * * *

Remember, the toes you step on that get you to the top are connected to the butts you will have to kiss on your way down. — Ian Kazian, training officer, Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire

* * * * *

The "team" is only as strong as its weakest link.... Help a brother out! — Chris Cossman, firefigher (Quint 27), Norristown, Pennsylvania

* * * * *

The other day I accidentally dropped my training folder on the ground. I'm glad it took me more than 2 seconds to pick it all back up. ... Even after you've done it all, go back and do it again! — Bill Hoson, Beachwood (New Jersey) Fire Department

* * * * *

Either you are part of the solution or part of the problem. If you can't/won't/don't think you can/don't want to do the job, give it up; there are plenty of people who will.

* * * * *

Firefighting in not, nor has it ever been, a hillbilly Olympic sport. — Joe Stapp

* * * * *

I'm not here to be in a social club; I'm here to do a job. If I make a few friends along the way, great! If not, oh well. — T.J. Lynch, career firefighter/paramedic, Fayetteville (N.Y.) FD. (T.J. Lynch was killed in the line of duty, 2002. God bless you, Brother!

* * * * *

Tough times don't last; tough people do! Stay low, move fast. — Jon Cummings, FDNY, Manhattan

* * * * *

Hold it to the "truck"; recall the "chief"! — Edgely Fire Department, Levittown, Pennsylvania

* * * * *

We're not happy until you're not happy. — Lieutenant Allen Oswalt, Portland Fire Training

* * * * *

A good firefighter knows how. An educated firefighter knows why. — Gary Slusser, West Pittston Volunteer Fire Department

* * * * *

You don't want to be "careful" on this job. You want to be GOOD. — L31, FDNY

* * * * *

God watches out for fools and firefighters, because some days He can't tell us apart. — Jeff Smith, Galveston Fire Department

* * * * *

On digging one's own grave: "Everyone carries his own shovel; some are just bigger than others." — Bill MacGregor, Decatur Township Fire Department, Indianapolis, Indiana

* * * * *

As my first lieutenant was fond of saying, "Son, I got more time sitting on the end of a line and waiting for water than you got on this job." — Firefighter Sean P. Boyle, Boyonne (New Jersey) Fire Department

* * * * *

Just when you're ready to quit, your mind says, "Push harder." You listen, sensing an inner strength that wasn't there before; and suddenly you discover you no longer feel the pain. Now you're one of us. — FDNY, Engine 252

* * * * *

If you need a command board to run a first alarm assignment at a working incident with all the little reminders about what assignments need to be completed, then you should not be in command. — Captain Jim Kiser, ret., Arlington County Fire Department

* * * * *

Zero tolerance for zero production. Stay motivated. — Fire Chief  Sean Galipeau, Lisbon, Maine, FD

* * * * *

It's amazing what becomes important when nothing important is going on. (Said to a firefighter who was better with the floor buffer than he was with his tools.) — Steve Auton, Halifax Regional Fire, Nova Scotia, Canada

* * * * *

To make a mistake is human. To blame it on someone else shows your management potential.

* * * * *

If you don't bring your brain with the rest of your tools, someone may not be coming home. — DP, Los Angeles County Fire Rescue Team

* * * * *

It's amazing that the guys who have been in the fire service for two or three years have managed to figure out everything wrong we have done for the past thirty. — Captain Al Dutton, Washington, D.C., submitted by Captain Jim Kiser (ret.), Arlington County, Virginia

* * * * *

The fire service: 150 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress. — Michael Panzegraf, Chicago Fire Department

* * * * *

The seven P's of planning: Previous Proper Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance. — Mike Hole, Boissevain/Morton Volunteer Fire Department, Boissevain, Manitoba, Canada

* * * * *

The more "tools" in your "toolbox," the better.  Always have a back-up plan.

* * * * *

"Probies like you die in places like that." (Said to me by a senior firefighter after getting out of Fire School!) — Firefighter Leonard Antico, Cedar Knolls Fire Department

* * * * *

The brave might not live forever, but the cautious never live at all.

* * * * *

In the heat of battle, you will not rise to the occasion; you will default to your level of training. Improvise, adapt and overcome.

* * * * *

Sometimes it is better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. — Troy "Gonzo" Gonzales, Turlock (Calif.) Fire Department. (To all my brothers on Sac City Truck 6 (on the A), thanks for the training!)

* * * * *

We fight what you fear. — Wallace District Fire Department, Virden, Manitoba, Canada

* * * * *

Fear knocked at the door; faith answered, and no one was there. (Dedicated to those who perished on 9/11/01, from your brothers down under.) — Peter Weatherstone, New South Wales Fire Brigades, Goulburn, NSW, Australia

* * * * *

If you're gonna be a bear, be a GRIZZLY! — "Captain Kirk" Summers, Turlock City Fire, California

* * * * *

There is no "I" in team. It takes a team effort to accomplish our job and bring the team home safe every time. — In remembrance of Chief Ray Downey and also those who did their job on 9-11-01. — John Bergmann, safety officer, Kents Store, Virginia, FD

"Courage is not a lack of fear, but acting in spite of it." (Mark Twain) This is a true firefighter today. — John Bergmann

* * * * *

Once a firefighter, always a firefighter! Due to an injury, I bid farewell to the greatest job on earth. — Michele Pagliarulo-Shaw, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue FF/PM

* * * * *

The secret of extinguishing a stubborn fire is to call in another company. — Bill Lang, Harrison Fire Department, New Jersey

* * * * *

"Sorry, Chief. I lost my head; I don't know what I was thinking. It will never happen again": New company officer's creed. — Marty Walsh, Philadelphia Fire Department (Ret.)

* * * * *

Fire can be your friend or your enemy, and it has no preference. It is a living, breathing, moving thing; and if you don't get it, it will come get you.

* * * * *

Before you criticize some, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away, and you have their shoes.

* * * * *

A young boy walked up to an old salt of a firefigher. The young boy said to the firefighter, "When I grow up, I want to be a firefighter like you." The old firefighter said, "Sorry Kid. You can't do both." — John Clark, apparatus engineer, City of Madison Fire

* * * * *

If you take care of your tools, they will take care of you."

* * * * *

Hey, is this heaven?  No, it's the fire department.

* * * * *

If you can't handle the heat, step away from the nozzle.

* * * * *

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. (Fire fighters show no fear).

* * * * *

Chief: I have never seen a radio put a fire out yet, mind leaving it open for those of us crawling down the hallway that’s on fire? — Lt. Lance Langer, City of Madison Fire Department

* * * * *

When picking a hoseline, go big or go home.

* * * * *

If it's an emergency to the fire department, who are you going to call? — Richard Kasko, coordinator, Industrial Fire Training, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas

* * * * *

I'm not a female firefighter. I'm a firefighter who happens to be a female. — SFFC/EMT Debora R. Lewis USMC Ret., Burton Fire & Rescue, Beaufort, South Carolina

* * * * *

Never underestimate the value of vicarious experience."

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If you learn to do the little things well, the big things will take care of themselves. — An engine company captain

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The more you bleed in training, the less you bleed in battle!

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All women are created equal. Then a few became firefighters.

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All men were created equal. Then a few became firemen! — Brian Roth, Arendtsville Volunteer Fire Company.

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The only easy day was yesterday.

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Hit it, get it, and go home. — Baltimore City, Engine 52, C Shift

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The more you learn . . . the more you learn.

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If a fire is hot enough to be felt as you walk up to a structure, its hot enough to vaporize a fog stream before it ever hits the seat of the fire and does any good. — FF Brett Schooley, Columbia College Fire Department

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Firefighting isn't just what we do. It's what we are. — One of the team, Minot Fire Department, Minot, North Dakota

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When you joined this fire department, you gave up the right to be unfit. — Bruce Clark/ Palm Beach County Fire Rescue

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1. There are two types of firefighters: truckies and those who want to be truckies!
2. The engine company puts out the fire, but the truck company determines how they put it out! — Apparatus operator (truck driver), Los Angeles

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The older I get, the better I was. — Mac, Central Florida Fire Academy

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Be wary of a company with brand-new looking tools, unless they have a brand-new vehicle to go with it. Tools that get used look like it. — Ben Waller, rescue specialist, Greenville County Rescue 1

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When the others ran out, we rushed in....COURAGE. ~ In honor of all who rushed into the World Trade Centers on an otherwise ordinary day in September. — Michelle Vincent, FF/EMT, McKean Hose Co. (Engine 65, Engine 63, "Bush Truck 69," Squad 64, and Old Engine 62), McKean, Pennsylvania

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If you would close your mouth and open your eyes, you might get a little further in the world. — Fae Roy Garcia, California Department of Forestry, Station No. 68

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Self-discipline is doing the right thing at the right time when nobody is watching. — Robert Burwell, firefighter, Northport Fire and Rescue, Northpart, Alabama

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People call us crazy because there they are, trying to get as far away from the fire as they can, and there we are, trying to get as close to the fire as we can. — In Memory of all Departed Members of Squad 288, FDNY

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Arguing with an instructor is like wrestling with a pig in the mud. After a while, you realize that the pig enjoys it! — R. Moul, instructor II, Nebraska State Fire Marshal - Training Division

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MORE "ONE LINERS," PAGE 2

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