When I am called to duty, God
whenever flames may rage,
Give me the strength to save some life
Whatever be its age.
Help me to embrace a little child
Before it’s too late,
Or some older person
from the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert
And hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling
and give the best in me,
To guard my neighbor
And protect his property.
And if according to Your will
I have to lose my life,
Please bless with Your protecting hand
My children and my wife
The Fireman’s Prayer is known by every firefighter, every retired firefighter, and every firefighter's spouse. It is more than just a saying. It is truly something we all live by. Whenever the tones drop, night or day, we pray that we can have the strength and the courage to save every life possible. Every person deserves a second chance, and we are the lifeline to give them that second chance. Whether it be a 78 year old man, or a 7 year old child, it is our duty, which we accept with the title, to save them. It is our duty to try our damndest to save someone, no matter the danger to ourselves. We pray to be as focused, attentive, and as observant as possible. It is extremely hard to hear inside a burning house, and when the victims don't have an SCBA, they can not yell for help loudly. We have to listen so closely it is unreal. We pray we can put a fire out as quickly as possible, and to save as much as we can. We want to be the best firefighters we can be. We want to live up to past firefighters and fill the title with honor and integrity. We want to protect everybody and everybody's possessions. We pray that we will make it home to our families, but there is no promises, and death is just right around the corner every time. We trust in God every second, and if it is his will for us to not return to our families, we pray he will protect them like we did when we were around. This is the whole life of a firefighter in one prayer. It is us. It is our lives.
