For The Men, Protect The Brothers*

"FOR THE MEN... PROTECT THE BROTHERS"

A "Mutt" is someone or thing that will abuse and mistreat a Firefighter. This can be the City, the Mayor, the Chief in Charge, the habitual caller, or the homeless Person who starts a fire and leaves.

These are people that have never crawled down a hall or made the last room in an effort to do their job. If they can't get the job done today well maybe next week will do.

If we don't get the job done people might die and our brother and sister might also die. So we always lay it on the line and leave a little behind at every fire. I say that in a dark smoky hallway I can't tell the race, creed or sex of my fellow firefighter, I just know that they are with me. I don't care who or what you are as long as you are a firefighter and want to protect your brothers and sisters.

Leather forever. Stay low and let it blow!
FTM-PTB
Captain Mike Dugan, Ladder Co. 123, FDNY

*Like Barry Bonds and home run #61*, FTM-PTB is marked with controversy. Its original meaning, prior to a poitically correct conversion, was "F--k The Mutts, Protect The Brothers". To many FOOLS, this was a fundamental symbol of the FOOLS and continue to keep it as the meaning of FTM-PTB, regardless of its current official meaning.

Remember Fallen Brothers

Lieutenant Michael Ciampo, FDNY

"The Fire service, as a whole, is collectively still trying to recover from the effects of Sept. 11. The 343 members of the FDNY who made the supreme sacrifice that day will always be in our hearts and forever on our minds. As part of our FOOL's "signature", R-F-B, "Remember Fallen Brothers", these heroes should never and will never be forgotten. This should also include ALL of our fallen Brothers, no matter where they were from, or the matter in which they died. Their names have been added to long list of those that have laid down their lives so that others may live."
(Pressler, 2002)

Keep The Faith

Captain James L. Jester, Ocean City, MD

"Keep the Faith. With all that has happened we must believe. We must have faith in ourselves and in the others that think like us. They can transfer us, they can make you cut your mustache, the can tell you what you can't wear on your helmet, but never let them break your spirit!" (Pressler, 2002)

Do The Right Thing

Lieutenant Bob Pressler, FDNY, Retired

"With everything going on in our lives, both personnel and professional, this may be sometimes hard to do. We are always pulled in several directions when there are tough decisions to be made. Even after weighting all the possibilities or options, decisions are sometimes still very hard to make. But, under closer examination, there usually is a "right thing". It may take personnel sacrifice, it may not be what you really would want to do, but it is the correct thing to do."