Monthly Archives: May 2017

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International Firefighters Day & St Florian

May 4 is now known as International Firefighters Day. It is also the feast day of Saint Florian. I have always known about the feast day but I am not sure when International Firefighters Day started, but it really doesn’t matter.

I think it would be a great time for one day to all come together as firefighters with all of our training differences, all of our urban, suburban, or rural depaftments and focus on our common areas.

We are all members of the greatest professions in the world. I say profession even if you are not paid. This is one of a handful of careers that is really as much of a vocation as it is a job.

I am proud that I have served in lots of capacities for 40 years. I cannot thank the many hundreds if not thousands of firefighters I have met, and those meetings helped shaped me or my career in some way.

My podcast has served to shrink the world in many ways, as I now have listeners in Sweden, many places in Europe, Australia, Canada, Asia etc. My spoken word is able to have something in common with fellow firefighters all over the world.I am thankful for each and everyone of those listeners.

On this day, I am going to be thankful I have had the chance to serve others and be part of the brotherhood and sisterhood. I am thankful that I have had the ability to train and help mentor some young firefighters who want to get into the service.

Just sit back a little today and marvel at how lucky you are for the gift of the fire service in your life.

You are something special, you are a firefighter!

I also have included a piece about Saint Florian for those that are interested. This piece was written for my blog by Retired Fire Chief Jim Blanchard of Saugus Massachusetts. (Jim wrote a number of pieces for me and they can be found at the petelamb.com page with. A tab across the top that says history.)

Here is the piece:

Saint Florian Patron Saint of Firefighters

All firefighters are aware that Saint Florian is the patron Saint of firefighters. Many have purchased and are very proud to wear the Saint Florian medallion around their neck. These medallions are usually gold and many are shaped in the form of a Maltese cross with the image of Florian stamped in the center of it. If you ask who Florian was or why he is our Patron Saint, most firefighters don’t know. They assume it is because he made some heroic fire rescue or maybe he was a priest who was involved in the fire service. These answers are the typical response but neither is accurate.

Florian was a Captain in the Roman army. He was a brave soldier and a tenacious fighter. Rome recognized the danger of fire and was the first to employ a fire department. This first fire department was made up of slaves. They had no real desire to risk their lives battling the flames of their captors. Rome desperately needed fire protection. They called on Captain Florian to organize and train an elite group of soldiers whose sole duty was to fight fires. Captain Florian indeed organized such a group. They were highly trained and very successful at protecting Rome from fires. A brigade of firefighters followed the army and provided fire protection at their encampments. These firefighters were highly respected and easily recognized. They wore the traditional Roman soldier uniform except the skirt was green. The most famous picture of Saint Florian depicts him with a young boy pouring water from a pitcher onto a fire. This picture if seen in color reveals this green skirt.
Rome was very impressed by this young Captain and all that he had accomplished. They decided to reward him by making him a general. Generals were often given large tracks of conquered land to govern. The only rules were that they had to enforce the laws of Rome and collect the taxes. Florian’s area included almost all of Poland.
Rome began to hear some rumors about the way Florian was governing his land. It was reported that he was not enforcing Rome’s law forbidding Christianity. Rome did not believe this, but they did sent investigators to check. They reported back that it was true. Rome sent a group of soldiers to confront Florian. They warned and threatened him that he must enforce the laws of Rome and abolish Christianity. Florian not only refused he confessed that he had embraced the faith and become a Christian himself. Rome was furious. They tortured him and demanded he renounce his faith. Florian steadfastly refused. Rome ordered his execution.
Florian was to be burned at the stake. Soldiers marched him out and secured him to the post. Villagers gathered around to witness the execution. Florian begged his executioners to build the fire higher. He implored them to light the fire so his soul would rise up to heaven on the smoke from the blaze. The soldiers had never seen this kind of reaction from a person about to be burned alive. They were frightened. What if his soul did rise up, right in from of all the villagers? They could not afford a martyr. The fire was not lit. Florian was taken away by the soldiers who decided to drown him. He was placed in a boat and rowed out into the river. A millstone was tied around his neck and he was pushed over board and drowned.
After his death, people who were trapped by fire reported that they invoked Florians name and his spirit delivered them from the flames. These occurrences were reported and documented many times. Florian was confirmed a saint for his commitment to his faith and the documentation of his spirit delivering trapped persons from the flames.
It is only fitting, that firefighters, committed to their duty, and instilled with the spirit to dedicate themselves to the protection of life and property, should choose such a man as their patron saint.