Attitudes

There is an informal group of firefighters that call themselves the "Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society" or FOOLS, for short. Leatherheads refers to the fact that traditional firefighting helmets were made from leather. It was founded in my area by some firefighters that I know in 1995. It began as an informal drinking club. It has morphed into something else.
The informal motto of the organization is:
FTM-PTB-EGH-RFB-KTF-DTRT

Which stands for: Fuck the mutts, protect the brothers, everyone goes home, remember fallen brothers, keep the faith, do the right thing.

Officially, they say that FTM means "for the men"  but that is just for public consumption. Here is how they define a "mutt."

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.

This is an alarming trend in public safety: the police and fire personnel are looking at everyone else as if they are the enemy. I have seen the initials for this motto being posted more and more among my firefighting friends, and it alarms me.