FRIDAY FORUM: Satisfaction

Exhaustion never felt so good. Filthy never felt so clean. I’m sure there’s brain science involved related to endorphins and adrenaline etc, but the post-job feeling is unlike any other. Wasted, wet, and dirty, you carry yourself and your tools back to the rig, flopping equipment on the back step as your forearms scream. Helmet down, soaked gloves next. Plaster covered tools thrown down like blood soaked medieval weapons of war, reeking of victory. Drop your coat and relish the satisfaction.

The physical, mental, and emotional consequences of a successful fire fight are unique. It is hard physical work on sturdy moral high ground, coupled with high stress decision making with lethal consequences. Surviving such encounters unscathed is a pinnacle of human experience. I’ve only found similar satisfaction in Alpinism, though that experience is more selfish, lacking the moral context.

Equip yourself to achieve victory on the fireground. The satisfaction runs deeper than extinguishment.