NOT A MATTER OF IF, JUST WHEN...

IT'S NOT AT MATTER OF IF, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF WHEN...

OUR PRAYERS ARE NEEDED IN BRYAN, TEXAS RIGHT NOW. OUR PRAYERS ARE NEEDED FOR THE PEOPLE OF BRYAN THAT LOST TWO FIREFIGHTERS, FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT LOST TWO BROTHERS, AND TO THEIR FAMILIES THAT LOST A LOVED ONE WAY TOO SOON. THESE TWO FIREFIGHTERS PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE FOR THEIR BRAVERY AND COURAGE AND WERE LOST IN THE LINE OF DUTY.

WE MUST ALSO SEND OUR PRAYERS FOR THE TWO OTHER FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE STILL IN SERIOUS CONDITION CAUSED BY THE SAME FIRE...THESE TWO FIREFIGHTERS WERE PART OF THE RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM THAT WENT IN TO ASSIST THE DOWN FIREFIGHTER AND WERE INJURED IN THE PROCESS.

I AM NOT ALL THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE BRYAN FIRE DEPARTMENT. I HAVE VISITED THEIR WEBSITE AND READ A FEW ARTICLES WRITTEN BY MEMBERS OF THEIR DEPARTMENT. I HAVE FRIENDS THAT KNOW A FEW OF THE BRYAN FIREFIGHTERS AND THEY ALWAYS SPEAK VERY HIGHLY OF THEM.

THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENT OPERATES IN ALMOST THE SAME FASHION AS THE ONE THAT I WORK FOR HERE. THEY USE ACCOUNTABILITY AND INCIDENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, JUST LIKE WE DO. THEY HAVE THE MOST MODERN EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE AND HAVE VERY HIGH STANDARDS FOR THEIR PERSONNEL, JUST AS WE DO. WE TAKE A AGGRESSIVE YET SAFE APPROACH TO FIREFIGHTING. SAFETY OF OUR PERSONNEL AND THAT OF THE CITIZENS IS OF THE UP MOST IMPORTANCE TO US. WE PREACH SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND TRAIN DAILY SO THAT WE MAY REMAIN SAFE EVEN WHEN WE OPERATE IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THE BRYAN FIRE DEPARTMENT PRACTICED ALL THESE THINGS AS WELL...

WHILE WE ALL WOULD LOVE TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN BRYAN TEXAS COULD NEVER HAPPNEN HERE THE TRUTH IS THAT IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF WHEN...

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THINGS GOING WELL AND THINGS GOING HORRIBLY WRONG IS A VERY THING LINE SOMETIMES. YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING RIGHT AND IT JUST TAKES ONE SMALL THING TO MAKE THINGS SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN BRYAN TO CAUSE THIS TRAGEDY, BUT I DO KNOW THIS..WE MUST GIVE OURSELVES/OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS EVERYTHING THEY NEED IN ORDER TO HAVE THE CHANCE OF SURVIVAL. NO ONE SNOWFLAKE CAUSES A AVALANCHE, NO ONE RAINDROP CAUSES A FLOOD, AND WE WOULD NOT THINK THAT A SINGLE BIRD COULD BRING DOWN A JETLINER...BUT THE TRUTH IS SMALL THINGS HAPPEN THAT CAUSE REALLY BIG CONSEQUENCES. WE MUST LEARN FROM THESE SMALL THINGS SO THAT WE NEVER REPEAT ANY OF THESE TRAGEDIES...

IF WE ARE TO TRULY HONOR OUR FALLEN BROTHERS WE MUST EMBRACE CHANGES THAT GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO HOME TO OUR FAMILIES WHEN OUR SHIFT IS OVER. WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT WE ARE SENDING OUR BROTHERS/SISTERS IN TO DO A JOB WHERE THEY ARE OUTMATCHED FROM THE BEGINNING. SO WE MUST MAKE SURE WE DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD AND INCREASE OUR CHANCES OF STAYING ALIVE AND INJURY FREE. THIS MAY MEAN ADDING MORE PERSONNEL, THIS MAY MEAN ADDING MORE ENGINES, THIS MAY MEAN PURCHASING BETTER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR...

WHATEVER IT IS THAT OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE ALL GO HOME TO OUR FAMILIES, IS WHAT WE ALL NEED TO DO!!

BECAUSE IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF WHEN...WHEN WILL IT HAPPNEN HERE???