Thursday, August 20, 2015

Stay Sharp, Remembering the Words of Nancy Orr

Stay Sharp, said Nancy Orr, Oregon's State Fire Marshall, when she addressed Oregon's Incident Management Team at our annual meeting many years ago.  Stay Sharp.

I think she talked about looking crisp and having your engine clean, something that you could be proud of.  That is important, but it has come to mean more to me, and that is always doing the best job you can do.  It's the edge, not of risk, but that little slice of satisfaction of a job well done. Stay Sharp.

I can't help think about the recent wildfire fatalities in California and Washington, and know many of my fellow employees are somehow effected.  That silent prayer, a "Thank You Firefighter" on a cardboard box that means just a little bit more now.  With seven more weeks of fire ahead, how to push on and get up at O' dark thirty for the briefing and the assignment ahead.  For me it will be taking a moment to remember those who I care about and care about me, think about LCES and to Stay Sharp.