Article and photos by Lance Peeples
Those who defend our freedom are similar to those who defend our local communities from the ravages of fire. For this reason, fire officers would be well served to take a page from the United States Navy and adopt the principle of “Ship, Shipmate, Self.” This principle asserts that we must first ensure the success of the mission, then the safety of our buddies, and finally attend to our own needs.
Ship
Many in today’s fire service seem to have abandoned the idea that the mission comes first. Unfortunately, a safety-first mantra has arisen that abandons the notion that firefighting is a noble calling, namely the protection of human life. However, if we take the safety-first mantra to its logical extreme, we would not even bother to leave the firehouse. After all, we might get into an accident on the way to the fire. Better to just stay put in quartersit’s safer there! But, if we adopt the idea that we must put the mission first, we quickly realize that we must be as safe as possible while still completing the task at hand. We do not abandon the mission to attain absolute safetywe work safely to attain the success of the mission. Hence, firefighters must often be willing to stand in harm’s way to discharge their oath of protecting life. In short, reckless, unsafe acts (e.g., not wearing your seatbelt) endanger the mission and should not be tolerated, whereas calculated, dangerous actions (e.g., vent, enter, search operations above the fire) undertaken to advance our cause are the signature of heroes.
Let’s take a chapter from U.S. Navy history to illustrate this principle. The following is the Medal of Honor citation of Corpsman Robert Eugene Bush for his actions on Okinawa on May 2, 1945:
. . .Fearlessly braving the fury of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire from strongly entrenched hostile positions, Bush constantly and unhesitatingly moved from 1 casualty to another to attend the wounded falling under the enemy’s murderous barrages. As the attack passed over a ridge top, Bush was advancing to administer blood plasma to a marine officer lying wounded on the skyline when the Japanese launched a savage counterattack. In this perilously exposed position, he resolutely maintained the flow of lifegiving plasma. With the bottle held high in 1 hand, Bush drew his pistol with the other and fired into the enemy’s ranks until his ammunition was expended. Quickly seizing a discarded carbine, he trained his fire on the Japanese charging pointblank over the hill, accounting for 6 of the enemy despite his own serious wounds and the loss of 1 eye suffered during his desperate battle in defense of the helpless man. With the hostile force finally routed, he calmly disregarded his own critical condition to complete his mission, valiantly refusing medical treatment for himself until his officer patient had been evacuated, and collapsing only after attempting to walk to the battle aid station. His daring initiative, great personal valor, and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice in service of others reflect great credit upon Bush and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Certainly, no one can doubt that Corpsman Bush understood his missionsaw his duty and he did it!
(1) The Mission: Make sure no civilians are trapped in that house!
Shipmate
Many in the fire service question whether there has been an erosion of the “Brotherhood.” I hope not! It is this sense of brotherhood that forms us into tight, coherent teams. When the going gets tough, you depend on me and I depend on you. Fire officers (and firefighters) should seek to foster the Brotherhood at every opportunity. If you don’t understand what real “Brotherhood” means, consider the life of Medal of Honor recipient Michael A. Monsoor. Navy SEAL Monsoor was only 25 years old on September 29, 2006, when he threw himself on a grenade, thus saving the lives of six of his brothers in Ramadi, Iraq. He could have escaped…but he didn’t. He knew what “Brotherhood” meant. Do you?
(2) Shipmate: Are you ready to do whatever it takes to save your Brother?
Self
Ship, Shipmate, Self. That’s the order. Once you have ensured the safety of the ship and your shipmates, then (and only then) can you consider your own welfare. By welfare, I don’t mean hitting the couch, I mean hitting the gym. If we are to serve our ship, shipmates, and self, we must be prepared! We must be warriors. Just as those who defend our nation cannot fail, we cannot fail either. We must be prepared both mentally and physically for whatever challenges we may face during the tour. Consider the U.S. Navy SEAL creed for insight into the dedication our profession requires:
In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation’s call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America’s finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life. I am that man.
My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the heroes that have gone before, it embodies the trust of those I have sworn to protect. By wearing the Trident I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day.
I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, set me apart from other men. Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.
We expect to lead and be led. In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. I lead by example in all situations.
I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.
We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of my teammates and the success of our mission depend on me–my technical skill, tactical proficiency, and attention to detail. My training is never complete.
We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required yet guided by the very principles that I serve to defend.
Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail.
One can easily see how this oath could be extrapolated to those who protect our communities from fire and other disasters. Could you honestly take such an oath? How about it, Brother? Is it Ship, Shipmate, Self?
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This priority of ideals developed by the United States Navy contains principles that the American fire service should embrace as well. As an illustration of how these concepts can be applied to the fire service, let’s look at an incident that occurred in Times Square, New York on May 14, 1991. Firefighters arrived to find a serious smoke and fire condition on the 12th floor of a 12-story building, with two occupants preparing to jump from opposite sides of the building. Led by Lieutenant Patrick Brown, members of Rescue 1 arrived on the roof and realized there was no suitable anchor to tie off to. Not to be deterred from their mission, Firefighters Kevin Shea, Bruce Newbury, and Patrick O’Keefe served as human anchors as they lowered Firefighter Patrick Barr from the roof to successfully rescue the first victim. As soon as they completed the first rescue, the members reassembled on the opposite side of the building and repeated the operation, this time lowering Kevin Shea while Newbury, O’Keefe, and Firefighter Ray McCormack served as the anchor.
Clearly, these men accepted the tenets of Ship, Shipmate, Self. They did not let fear deter them from their mission. They stood with their Brothers at great personal risk to save two human lives. Finally, they prepared Self long before the challenge they faced that day in 1991. Ship, Shipmate, Self….words to live by.
This article is dedicated to those who stand in defense of this nation and to Captain Patrick Brown and Firefighter Patrick O’Keefe, who adhered to the principles of Ship, Shipmate, Self, not only May 14, 1991, but also on September 11, 2001. We will never forget their sacrifice.
(3) Self: Have you prepared your Self? Are you ready for whatever lies ahead? Are you trained? Physically prepared? Emotionally ready?
Lance C. Peeples is a veteran firefighter in St. Louis County, Missouri. He is a fire officer II and fire service instructor III. He holds associate degrees in fire protection technology and paramedic technology, a bachelor’s in public administration and master’s in fire and emergency management administration from Oklahoma State University.
