Honor & Commitment: Standard Life Operating Guidelines for Firefighters & Their Families

by Lori Mercer

Your firefighter family is unique, but you’re not alone.

Among the unexpected overtime calls, the washing machine full of fire T-shirts, and constantly answering “Will daddy be home tomorrow?...you need a little extra grace, a big sense of humor, and a special type of support in order to thrive.

Honor & Commitment: Standard Life Operating Guidelines for Firefighters and Their Families brings you a fresh look at the fire life, along with practical guidance and resources you can use right away to live a life of inspiration and courage, rooted in strong family ties.

In this book, you’ll find:
• Real-life stories from firefighter families, that only someone like you can relate to.
• Time-tested, realistic advice on everything from managing family schedules to what to do at home after a difficult call.
• Discussion questions to open up communication with your first family or your firefighter family.
• Support during the times when your marriage feels challenged by the fire life, and the encouragement and straightforward guidance you need to keep your connection strong.
• Carefully-chosen resources for everyone in the family.

Written by Lori Mercer, firefighter wife and founder of 24-7 COMMITMENT, this book is drawn from her work with thousands of firefighter families—and her own days and nights in the trenches of family life.

Whether you’re new to the firefighter life or you’ve been living it for years, Lori shares what it takes to bring honor and commitment not only to firefighting—but also to marriage, family, and every other area of life.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2016

Reviews

[Q Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book that all firefighter and firefighter spouses should read early in their career. Hard to believe it took me this long to read it as it has been around a number of years. The book was well thought out and gives good tips and advice. It also has some good stories from firefighters and their spouses on challenges they have faced. It is also good as a firefighter to see some issues and problems that creep up through their viewpoint instead of the firefighter side and viewpoint. At over twenty years in as a volunteer and eighteen plus career, I can see the need for the book and the issues it addresses. Would recommend for sure.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was over all a good book. If you are new to the fire service or newly married fire wife. It is chalked full of great information. I read the Kindle version of the book after hearing the author speak at fire show. It got a little confusing at times reading with who was talking~Lori or her husband at the end of each chapter. It was great hear from a male perspective. The book is based mostly from her experience as a Christian wife of a firefighter who works for a large midwestern fire department, she references the bible and her faith. My own personal experience married to a firefighter is very different. Her book while it did offer a lot of useful and interesting information did not always apply to my life and struggles married to a chief officer in the fire service.*

*After writing my review then going on a long run I realized what I wanted to read in the book was the contributing authors John Salka's (battalion chief retired 33 years in the fire service) and Frank Viscusco's (deputy chief ) wives experiences. What both chiefs wrote was informative but I'd love to hear their wives experiences. I'd be interested in hear their experiences of raising children in the fire service. How did they balance their own interests and careers while being married to a member of the fire service? I think it's beneficial to hear of other spouses who've been married 25, 30, 35 years to a firefighter/chief officer.