HARD, FAST, & DIRTY: Comparing Firefighting culture to Classic Punk rock

Misfits Fiend Logo

It starts off hard... Kicks in like a bare knuckle punch to the mouth. You feel the hair on your back stand up at attention. Your blood pumping like a well greased engine. You feel it in your gut.

Its visceral, painful, and delightful all in one. Then, in no less than two minutes, it's done. finished. End of song. Now all that's left is the desire to do it all over again. Only this time HARDER, FASTER, DIRTIER.

Sound about right?

What's that you say? How does this have anything to do with Firefighting OR Punk rock?!

Here's your answer: Attitude... Energy... Grit... Passion.

Punk Rock questions the staus quo- and so should you.

Punk Rock bands made use of the tools they had available to them at the time- You should do the same.

Punk Rock is unapologetic for being rough around the edges- Because professionalism doesn't mean never getting your hands dirty.

Punk Rock Uses energy and substance in place of aesthetics and glamour. So discard your hero complex.


I don't just listen to music, I experience it. When I was teenager, Rock music was central to me. As a kid growing up in the 90's, where grunge was a new thing, and Metal and Punk made huge revivals, I had my fair share of influences.

As a Firefighter, I like to think that this music embodies a youthful exuberance that serves me well in staying motivated to do this job. I'll often throw on Some Misfits and Ramones to get me started before training.

The Misfits

 Attitude is not insubordination. It's a mindset, a confidence in your beliefs. Nobody respects a two-face. Better to be wrong than phoney, seriously...

Energy is the force that propels us.We need it to be there for us to do this job. Its our own internal fire.

Grit is the intangible trait to be able to endure and succeed under bad circumstances. This, I believe, is the most important of all.

 

The Ramones

 But above all, There is one thing that both Punk rock and  Firefighting need to have to succeed... Passion. Without it, you  will falter at every difficult moment. With it, everything else like  technique, knowledge, discipline, will fall into place.

Without Passion most of the original Punk bands would have been  just shitty musicians. So they persevered through tough times  because they gave a shit about what they had to say.

So the next time you are looking for some inspiration to get up and force some doors or hump some hose, please by all means do it with conviction and a little grit. And if you have the impulse to give yourself a spiky Mohawk, please make sure it fits underneath your hood and helmet.




Yours in brotherhood,

R.B.

P.S. Here are a couple of great hits by the best to ever do it:

The Misfits- Astro Zombies

The Ramones- Blitzkrieg Bop