Hippocrates Was Right

I have expounded upon the “Officer Quote” I sent in to this web site a couple of weeks ago. While I’m certain one could apply the significance of this quote to all of life’s issues, please bear with me as I relate its meaning to the fire service.

"Life is short, Art long, Occasion sudden and dangerous, Experience deceitful, and Judgment difficult."
Hippocrates

Life is short: When my Grandmother passed away many years ago at age 91 it was only proper that we contact her longest and dear friend. The friend was 95 years of age at the time and was quoted as saying “God love her, she was too young to die”. That certainly puts life and the time we have to enjoy it into perspective. Life is precious. We as firefighters know all too well how suddenly a life can be ended. Yet, as we witness loss of life we seem to accept it as something over which we have no control. While that is true to some extent, there are actions we, individually, can take to reduce the excessive numbers of line of duty deaths encountered each year in this country. We are not invincible. It doesn’t always happen to the other guy. Take time to exercise, see your doctor, eat well, stop smoking, drive cautiously; don’t take unnecessary risks on the fireground. Life is short. Why would we want to help speed it along? Are you up to the challenge?

Art long: The 1854 Currier and Ives lithograph entitled “Life of a Fireman/Night Alarm” is one example of the ageless nature of art. The Vendome Memorial, displayed at the intersection of Dartmouth Street and Commonwealth Avenue in Boston is another form of art that will remain long after we are all gone. The photo of the three firefighters raising the flag over the ruins of the World Trade Center is emblazoned in our minds forever. It too, a piece of art. As we are able to enjoy the beauty of these and countless other forms of art, which dignify and memorialize the fire service, let us never forget the supreme sacrifices made by those whose death was the motivation for the art.

Occasion sudden and dangerous: Webster’s Dictionary defines occasion as a: “a happening, an incident b: a time at which something happens: an instance.” The words sudden and dangerous require no definition. Back in the fourth century BC did Hippocrates know that he was describing firefighting in the 21st century? A burst hose, a rear porch collapse, a falling power line; are all examples of the dynamic nature of firefighting. While dangerous events occur suddenly they need not be without warning. As professionals we must always expect the unexpected. How often we read in the newspaper that several firefighters were injured when a collapse occurred while in the mopping-up phase at a fire. Recognize the hazardous nature of firefighting. Take nothing for granted. Keep up your guard. We can reduce the numbers of sudden and dangerous occasions in the fire service.

Experience deceitful: I am the first person to tout the benefits of experience. There is no greater lesson to be learned than to learn from one’s own experience. How then can experience be deceitful? I often think of the veteran firefighter who has the respect and admiration of the entire department simply because he tells a good story. This person is an “it was better before” type firefighter. He speaks fondly of the days before SCBA and bunker gear, open pieces of apparatus and when a haz-mat incident was simply washed down the nearest catch basin. To him, the death of a fellow firefighter to lung disease is never tied-in to a lack of proper respiratory protection. The burns on his legs are worn like a badge of courage. The friend who fell from a moving fire truck simply wasn't holding on tightly enough. And, he can’t understand why the harbor got to be in such a filthy state. Experience, the great teacher, can be deceitful if we allowed it to be. Don’t fall into the trap. Look upon this person not as a wise old sage. Rather, recognize that he has allowed his years of experience to deceive him. Stay current, be progressive and don’t let experience deceive you.

Judgment difficult: Every day of our lives we must make decisions, judgments. The life or death decisions made everyday by firefighters are the judgments to which I refer. Although these judgments are always difficult they are not impossible. We’ve all heard the expression “Knowledge is Power”. It is through knowledge that we are able to make judgments with less difficulty. Knowledge is more readily available today than at any other time in history. Available to us are college courses, Fire Training Academies, periodicals and the Internet. Only we as individuals have the ability, yes, the duty to learn and therefore to make judgments with less difficulty.

Hippocrates was a great man. And, he associated with other great people. Did you know that Plato was his personal friend? Although I certainly don’t expect to be quoted 2500 years from now, I do feel that I have something in common with Hippocrates.