Fire Fighter of the Year

By: Clarke T. Cayton

“You gotta be different, without being weird.” - Michael coined this phrase one afternoon in his living room as we were sharing with a young Fire Fighter the essence of being an “Insider” to the First Responder culture.  As I have taken this statement to heart and routinely use it when I am teaching, I am reminded of just how true this has been for Michael in his life at the Redings Mill Fire Protection District. 

Michael joined the Fire Service in his late 40’s after spending the previous 25 years as a Church Pastor.  When sharing about his decision to become a volunteer Fire Fighter, he confesses, “I reached a point in my life where I increasingly grew frustrated that the only people I knew were church people!”  In an attempt to get himself around the lives of young men, just getting their wits and families together - and likely asking questions about God, tragedy, trauma and how the real world works… Michael went to Fire School.

Lo and behold, after a few years of learning an entirely new trade, he was offered a full-time professional position at the Department.  What a social shift this was going to be!  With the same integrity, passion, and compassion that had offered his Church family, Michael now began to serve along-side his bunker gear brethren.  As with all new experiences there was adjustment, learning and growing.  Michael would routinely confess that in Seminary they never taught him how to do diesel engine repair or drive big red trucks…  But as he committed himself to the vertical learning curve, he increasingly became one of them; one of the family.

Affectionately called “Pappy”, he is old enough to be the father of the Captain on his shift.  A reality that to this day makes him tilt his head a little.  Needless to say, there are a number of things that make Michael different from his peers.  But that which sets him apart the most, has nothing to do with age or history.  Michael is different because he is a disciple of Jesus.  His daily prayer to die to himself and let Christ live in him, ultimately means that every third day, Jesus shows up at “the mill”. And when Jesus is around, everything is just different…

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Humbleness, & Self-Control

The impact Michael Banes has made in his Department as an “Insider”, has changed the culture.  His peers are healthier physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually and everyone there knows it.  This is why, this year – 2011, the entire Department all voted together, naming Michael Banes “Fire Fighter of the Year” and all of heaven agreed.

When it Goes ALL Wrong

By: L.A. Doyle

The Word reminds us...’ALL things work together for good to them that love God, who are called according to His purpose’.  Romans 8:28.  He also tells us what Satan intends for evil, He will turn to good.  Do you consider these verses as promises?

When times are difficult do you really hold fast to the truth that God has a grand plan regardless of how it may appear at the moment?  After all you may ask yourself, does God even understand human emotion, especially when a terrible injustice has occurred and all you are left with are questions, burning anger, despair and at times hopelessness?  Thankfully God does get you and even during the darkest moments He offers unmeasurable grace through these very promises.  God pulls back the circumstance to a wide angle view when you only have a microscope focused on the smallest of details.  God does produce goodness even in  the worst of circumstances.  

A case in point - This past May, police officers, their families, friends and the public were horrified by the senseless death of Garrett Styles, of the York Regional Police Service.  Constable Styles had a minivan pulled over in a routine traffic stop, panicked, the 15 year old driver accelerated suddenly dragging the officer 300 meters before the van weaved out of control, rolling on top of P.C. Styles. While pinned and laying in a ditch mortally wounded, 32yr. Garrett Styles, father of 2 young children used his last breaths to request immediate assistance not just once but three times... not for himself but instead for the boys in the van who were also seriously hurt.  Under extraordinary distress, P.C. Styles demonstrated extreme compassion and selflessness, a true hero!  He personified what we would all aspire to become.

During this very same dark period, sentencing came down for yet another officer’s senseless murder. While arresting a suspect Detective Constable Rob Plunkett was dragged backwards by the suspect’s vehicle pinning the officer against a tree.  The country was dumbfounded by the insignificant reduced sentence received by the accused.  This while several weeks prior a third officer, Toronto Police Services, Sgt. Ryan Russell tragically succumbed to his injuries while attempting to stop a stolen snow plow also leaving a young wife and child behind. The police community was barely on its feet as only 9 months earlier Vu Pham, on OPP officer was killed in a random shootout also leaving a young wife and 3 children.

These events created a devastating loss to each of these families, as well as every one who knew these brave men will be forever robbed of lasting friendships and policing excellence.  The common factor between each of these incidents was twofold, first was the class and dignity demonstrated foremost by the widows and families at the time of their greatest loss, followed by the seamless unity of police, fire, ems and 911 dispatchers.  Each funeral connected thousands  in dress uniform marching in precision through city streets clearly emphasizing when one falls we all feel it profoundly.  For the grace of God it could be anyone one of us, either by a suspect, accident, alcohol, fire scene carcinogens or suicide.  Somehow at that moment we each realize the intensity of our professions, the fragility of life and the importance of truly living during the unspecified time we are each given.

God’s antidote to suffering is to trust His grand design. This faith will not replace the lives lost but these men certainly did not die in vain.  As humans we cannot speculate on how God will turn such loss into something He considers good. However, these three individual officers fatally injured, alone in the middle of the night demonstrated to an entire nation the raw sacrifice made unquestioningly, as this is an emergency responder’s call of duty.  Perhaps to some degree light was cast on the emotional toll of these professions.  Plunkett, Pham, Russell, Styles, names and faces on the nightly news to some, buddies, husbands, sons and father to others. These names beckon we broaden our scope of reflection past the obvious tactical take down procedures and rantings of the criminal justice shortcomings to perhaps consider the state of our own personal belief system. How do we attempt to reconcile the chaos we are a part of shift after shift? What would it look life  to see Him as a trustworthy God even in the face of mind bending adversity? Do we allow God to complete the task within the bigger picture even when we can’t make sense of it?  Each of us have our own questions about God and how we are to include Him at work but the most serious question is what does it look like when we don’t include Him at work both for ourselves and others???

All things work together for good for those who love Him.  Lets look for His plan in our lives, when we see it, share the good news.  Point out there is a purpose to all that chaos, there is hope!

Letters from LZ - I am Afraid

I pray the words that follow will encourage you to perform your duties according to our LORDS will.

 Deut. 31:6a

Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified or afraid of them…

I’m writing this letter with some hesitation, because it reveals a truth about me that I don’t share.      

I am afraid.

I wear the badge of a lawman and have received awards for courage and valor, yet I am afraid.

I’m afraid I will fail when dispatch calls and sends me into harm’s way.

I’m afraid that I will arrive on a scene to see that the chaos and destruction is too big for me to handle.

I’m afraid that the evil of this world will knock me down. 

I am afraid.

I’m afraid to identify myself as a Christ follower, because my department is influenced by what is politically correct and being a professing Christian is not. 

I’m afraid to share my faith with my co-workers, because I might be labeled as weak and unfit to do the hard things this job requires.            

I’m afraid to share my faith while on a call, because I might be misunderstood as meek and unable to enforce the law.      

I am afraid.

But...

In me is the Spirit of the Lord.  The Spirit wakes me to God’s might and hope fills my heart.  The Spirit commands – “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified or afraid of them… ” and I obey, and I am NOT AFRAID. 

Friends, Satan will oppose your commitment to our Lord.  He will oppose you with thoughts of weakness and doubt, worry and shame to prevent you from performing the duties you are called to fulfill in our Lord’s name.  However, in you is the Spirit of the Lord, so don’t fall prey to fear as I have done and as some of you are doing.  You are God’s anointed servant.  Therefore, identify yourself as a Christ follower and share the faith, hope, and love that rescues man from sin and blesses with the promise of heaven.   Share with your co-workers, with those you go to help, and with those you take to jail.  Share without fear and fear not what others might say or think; or that you are too small to fulfill your duties; or of the death and destruction you might encounter, “ …for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6b).”

In Christ you are able. 

Your brother,

LZ.  

Life Support - Our Faith: Relational, Authentic, Intentional

By: Seth Andrews

It was my first day on shift and I quickly realized my new career wasn’t going to be easy. I walked into the station, having just given my resignation to my church – I was leaving the “ministry”, for a job as an EMT. There I stood in the station, surrounded by a totally new world.  No longer was I sheltered by the walls of my church office. I was now in a world, where my faith would be challenged daily.

And so from my first shift until today, I find myself in a station or should I say a world, surrounded by profanity, immorality, skepticism, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, divorce, suicides, and burnout. After five years, I’ve come to the realization that the Christian life is often counter to the very culture of our profession as First Responders. I don’t mean that you cannot be a Christian in this environment; what I mean is that it is difficult to maintain a deep and growing faith in the face of the dysfunctional world we see and are submersed within.

It is not a culture where you can easily survive on your own. I discovered this after spending four years drowning in a sea of loneliness, cynicism, and a faith that grew more timid each day - call by call. It wasn’t until I shared my feelings with other Christians on my shift that I realized it was time to challenge the culture and to seek to change the culture around me. But this isn’t the sort of thing one person can acomplish alone.

Christianity is relational. God created us to be relational from the very beginning.  In Genesis 2:18 God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Mankind exists for community and relationship. Since this is true, I find that we as believers cannot thrive in a secular culture without being in relationship with other followers of Christ.

You may be having regular devotions and prayer time, even reading the Scripture between calls… This is a good spiritual discipline we all must have. But what I have found is that it is simply not enough. I need to be engaged with co-workers who keep me accountable and who encourage me to work toward Christ-likeness. I currently am developing a group of co-workers that plan to spend time together off shift. We want to spend time sharing our faith, studying Scripture and encouraging one another in ways that help us live out our faith in the First Responder culture.

Christianity is also relational in that we are called to win others to Christ. If we want to see a cultural transformation in the First Responder community, then we must introduce Christ to our community. I think it is easier for us to do the old “invite your partner to church” than it is to seriously engage them in a spiritual discussion.

Often we find ourselves spending at least 1/3 of our lives with our co-workers, yet never engaging them in a relationship or conversation that goes beyond the job, sports, or hobbies. We rarely, if ever, get to the spiritual and emotional level. However, God calls us to build bridges and relationships. These relationships should be intentional and authentic.  We must open ourselves up spiritually and emotionally to reach our First Responder community. Don’t look to your peers as projects for evangelism. Love them. Invest in them. Build lasting relationships that are genuine and purposeful.

I think God is challenging us as First Responders to not only deepen our faith, but be engaged in our culture. As afore mentioned, Christianity is relational! It is not a faith we live out in solitude. I am challenged each shift to seek out co-workers for the purpose of building Christian community; a network of disciples. I am also challenged to build authentic and intentional relationships with my hurting and lost peers. My faith is no longer a static belief system. My faith is a relational movement of God through my First Responder culture. Is yours? Oh and about me leaving the “ministry” five years ago? I have discovered - I didn’t leave the ministry. I simply found a new one!

Responder Wife - Safety Blitz

By: Cindy Sigler Dagnan

     It was an innocent enough request. Could our Kindergarten daughter go out of town with a classmate and her family to spend the night and go to the indoor water park the next day for a birthday treat?

     “Great family!” The teacher enthused. They had ringing endorsements from everyone, and our daughter really wanted to go. Naturally, the quick answer was no.

     In the more complicated answer, our entire family got up early the next morning, drove the hour and a half to meet them at the indoor water park. Satisfied with the surroundings, we let her splash and play with her friend, her friend’s sister and the parents. We hung around town exploring and came back for her at dinner.

     Our two families shared that meal and have been wonderful friends ever since. So, what gives?

     I hadn’t thought of this question until Responder Life’s Clarke Cayton posed a question to me at a workshop, while pointing out the overly cautious lives of First Responders: Were our children allowed to attend sleepovers? Well, yes…and no.

     Often, people who are not well-acquainted with First Responder culture, particularly those in law enforcement, do not understand the reticence with close friendships; the scrutiny that those who are in consideration for the Most Trusted list must undergo.

     But there are facts that all First Responders know: 1 in 4 girls are victims of child molestation; 1 in 6 boys are victims of the same. Homes can be scary, unknown places in which all manner of crimes are committed.

     While I am thankful for my husband’s vigilance in this area [I tend to be so hopelessly naïve and optimistic that he often introduces me to people in this way: “This is my wife, Cindy. She lives in her own world, population one.”], as well as his protection, shielding me from all the awful details of his work, he needs me for something too.

      What is that? A different perspective. As Responder Wives, we can bring balance to the equation of caution. We can and should gently remind our spouses that while there is inarguably a host of evil in this world, there are also good things. Compromise here can be vital. For example sleepovers don’t have to be an automatic no, but solo sleepovers should be reserved for family or close friends. Research shows that age 9 is the ideal age to begin attending sleepovers, as children more consistently stand up for themselves and report inappropriate behavior.

Other great cautions to balance the very real fear:

• Offer to have the friend have a slumber party at your home.
• Don’t be afraid to ask what adult supervision will be like – are guns locked up; will they limit movies to PG or G ratings; are there older siblings in the home.
• Make sure your child knows that you will come and get them no matter what time it is, should they feel uncomfortable.
• Make sure they realize that they can tell adults ‘No.” Swimsuit areas are private and no one other than a doctor (with mom or dad’s permission) needs to see or touch them.
• If you’re concerned, host a play date at your home and get to know more about the family. 
• Our girls know there are “weekday” friends for play dates at our house  and then there are “weekend” friends, those whose values and morals reflect what is being taught at our house; whose homes are places where we feel comfortable allowing our children to spend the night.
• First Responder bias or not, all of us have responsibility to be the parent. There will be plenty of time for friendship with our children. For now, we need to make the tough calls, enforce boundaries and keep them safe.

     Sometimes, compromise just isn’t possible, and we need to know when to give in to our spouse’s judgment, instincts or evidence. For example, in our house, the rule is that no one can go to camp without a parent. I had wonderful experiences growing up in church camp, but then, my daddy was a minister and often present with me. Greg worked too many cases where camps served as a Mecca for pedophiles. So during the elementary years, I am always at camp with our girls.

     Instead of digging in and arguing my case, I’ve learned that showing my husband that I am prepared with reasonable caution and willing to listen to his side, can allow my girls a safe childhood without missing out on the fun.