The Desire To Serve

The Ability To Perform

And

The Courage To Act

HISTORY OF THE

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE FIRE PROTECTION MOTTO

This document records the history of the U.S. Air Force Fire Protection Motto. The Motto was developed by popular vote and was announced in the July – September 1980 edition of The Air Force Fire Fighter, an informal Fire Protection Newsletter published by the Air Force Engineering and Services Center (known today as the Air Force Engineer Support Agency (AFESA). In late 1979 or early 1980, then SMSgt Donald W. Warner, the managing editor of The Air Force Fire Fighter, originated the idea to develop a motto for Air Force Fire Protection. A call went out for fire protection organizations to submit their nominations. Each nomination was required to have been selected by popular vote of the members. Sadly, documents that announced the contest cannot be located. I believe it was by letter or message since I cannot find it in my archive of The Air Force Fire Fighter publications. The nominated mottos were published in the April – June 1980 edition of The Air Force Fire Fighter, along with a ballot. The cover of the publication along with the original article containing all the nominated mottos are included in included this document. Votes were tallied and “The Desire to Serve, The Ability to Perform, and the Courage to Act” was selected. The selection was announced in the July – September 1980 edition of The Air Force Fire Fighter. The cover of the publication along with the original article containing the number of votes for the ten nominees receiving the most votes are included in this document. The United States Air Force fire protection motto was submitted by the 435th Civil Engineering Squadron’s fire department, Rhein Main AB, Germany. SSgt William J. Sawyers originated it.

motto competition

When we s t a r t e d t h e mot to compet i t ion, we sa id wetd send o u t o n l y t h e top 10% o f t h e s u b m i t t a l s t o se- l e c t from. We've changed our minds. a l l the mottoes t h a t were submitted,

We ask t h a t you submit your s e l e c t i o n s as a f i r e p r o t e c t i o n branch or o f f i c e instead of from each i n d i v i d u a l . t h e b a l l o t . o f rank o r p o s i t i o n . f i r e p r o t e c t i o n o r d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d f i e l d s .

Here 's how t h e F i r e P r o t e c t i o n Mot to w i l l be determined: w i l l be assigned a second choice; e tc .7. most p o i n t s wins.

Take p a r t i n t h e v o t e whether you submit ted an e n t r y o r no t .

Please complete t h e b a l l o t below and send i t t o us p r i o r t o 1 Sep 80. The m o t t o w i l l be announced i n t h e next F i r e F i g h t e r . Be sure t o en te r t h e t o t a l number o f persons v o t i n g . Send t h e b a l l o t t o : HQ Af!ESC/DEF, Tyndal l AFB FL 32403.

We've decided t o a l l o w you f o l k s t o do e t h e s e l e c t i n g so h e r e ' s

I f you a r e n o t i n a f i r e p r o t e c t l o n branch o r o f f i c e , but work a lone, then you may c a s t I n any case we want as much p a r t i c i p a t i o n a s p o s s i b l e f rom a l l f i r e f i g h t e r s r e g a r d l e s s

For purposes of t h i s compet i t i on , f i r e f i g h t e r i s d e f i n e d as a person work ing i n

Each s e l e c t f o n r e c e i v i n g a v o t e ( b a l l o t below? o i n t va lue accord ing t o rank order ( i . e . S p o i n t s f o r f i r s t choice; 4 p o i n t s f o r

These p o i n t s w i l l be m u l t i p l i e d by t h e t o t a l number v o t i n g . The mot to w i t h t h e

Reinember THIS I S YOUR MOTTO,

Select from the f o l l o w i n g proposed mottoes:

1. Le t us know t o l e t you know we care. 2. Wherever f lames may rage, we a r e the re . 3. The d e s i r e t o serve, the a b i l i t y t o perform, and t h e courage t o a c t . 4. A danger endured, a l i f e secured. 5. No t a s k t o o severe, t o save a l i f e t h a t ' s so dear. 6 . Our one d e s i r e , t o keep you f rom f i r e . 7. Duty bound. 8. To serve and preserve. 9. To i n t e r c e e d i n t i m e o f need.

10. When no one e l s e can do. 11. Duty bound when t h e c h i p s a r e down. 12. For those s p e c i a l t imes. 13. To c a r e t o be there . 14. Prepared f o r t h e chal lenge. 15 Readiness i s our p ro fess ion .

16. To even t h e odds f o r l i f e . 17, L i f e and p roper ty i s such a p rec ious t h i n g , remember o n l y you can make our b e l l s r i n g . 18. Guardians of l i f e and p roper ty . 19. F i r e p r e v e n t i o n - our j o b i s everyone's business, 20. Support your f i r e f i g h t e r s , we c a n ' t do t h e j o b a lone. 2 ? . To serve and p r o t e c t . 2 2 . To p r o t e c t - t o serve, 23. Wi thout f e a r and w i t h o u t reproach. 24 . 25, We serve t o save. 26. F i g h t e r s f o r l i f e . 27. P r o t e c t i o n i s our p ro fess ion . 28. To p r o t e c t l i f e . 29. F i r e p reven t ion - l i f e ' s ex tens ion 3a, Forever v i g i l a n t ,

Honor through compassion and bravery.

F'ROM: [ o f f i c i a l m a i l i n g address) TOTAL NUMBER VOTING.: (must be completed)

----. . . .-.- . . . . . . . . 1 s t Choice

_y 2nd Choice

3 r d Choice

4 t h Choice

5 t h Choice

-- . (s igna tu re of c e r t i f y i n g o f f i c i a l )

3

h 1/47 P

the Motto The Mot to f o r A i r Force F i r e P r o t e c t i o n has been se lected! t h e a b i l i t y t o perform, and the courage t o a c t" was chosen. Here's how the v o t i n g went:

By a wide margin, "The d e s i r e to serve,

1 . 2. 3 . 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

10.

The d e s i r e t o serve, the a b i l i t y t o perform, and the courage t o ac t . (4142) Guardians o f l i f e and o roper ty . (3260) P r o t e c t i o n i s o u r p ro fess ion . (3188) Prepared f o r the chal lenge. F i r e Prevent ion - 1 i f e ' s extens ion. (1332) ge serve t o save. (1149) To serve and p r o t e c t . (1056) F i g h t e r s f o r l i f e . (975) Support your f i r e f i g h t e r s , we c a n ' t do the j o b alone. Readiness i s our p ro fess ion . (794)

(1634)

(798)

We o n l y l i s t e d the top 10. Near ly a l l nominated mottoes received some votes, The wlnning e n t r y was submit ted by the 435th C i v i l Engineering Squadron, F i r e Department, APO NY 09057 (Rhcin-tlatn), The o r i g i n a t o r o f the mot to i s SSgt W i l l i a m J. Sawyers.

The mot to s i g n i f i e s t h a t the f i r s t p re reques i te o f a f i r e f i g h t e r i s " the d e s i r e t o serve," The f i r e f i g h t e r must understand t h a t he i s " serving" the p u b l i c and there i s no compensation which i s adequate ,to reward the f i r e f i g h t e r f o r what they may u l t i m a t e l y g i v e - t h e i r l i f e .

The second p a r t o f the mot to i s a b s o l u t e l y necessary i f the f i r e f i g h t e r i s t o do the j o b and do i t s a f e l y . "The a b i l i t y t o perform" s i g n i f i e s not o n l y a phys ica l and mental a b i l i t y but a l s o t h a t know- ledge i s possessed which enables the f i r e f i g h t e r t o accomplish the task .

The f i n a l segment o f the mot to i n d i c a t e s t h a t f i r e f i g h t e r s must have an under l y ing "courage t o ac t" even when they know what ' s a t stake. To en te r a smoke f i l l e d b u i l d i n g n o t knowing what 's i n i t or where t h e f i r e i s , o r whether the b u i l d i n g i s about t o c o l l a p s e requ i res "courage." To f i g h t an a i r c r a f t f i r e i n v o l v i n g muni t ions, pressure c y l i n d e r s , v o l i t i l e f u e l s , f u e l tanks, and j u s t about a n y t h i n g e l s e i m a g i n a b l e requ i res "courage."