Comparison Essay

I had a hard time trying to come up with topics to compare. I have decided that really the only things that I can write about, are the things that I know best. Right? So there I sat, trying to compare two things that I know about. Finally I realized that I can go on and on, to no end ,about the two things that I really know best. Being a sailor and being a firefighter. These things in reality are very different but by nature are quite similar. Both things require diligence, a high competency in skills, and progress is measured by goals or benchmarks.

The structure of working on a boat and working in the firehouse demand diligence in the daily schedule. In both aspects equipment is check daily and kept in tip-top working order. The reason for this is so that when the equipment is called on to work, the situation can be emergent and dangerous, such as bad weather for a sailor or a fire for the firefighter. An equipment failure can have disastrous consequences. Diligence in navigation is another important point. On a sailboat you must always know where you are geographically, so that you navigate away from dangers like rocks and shallow water. In the firehouse you must know where you are operationally, so you can navigate around dangers such as people being injured or unnecessary damaged to a victims possessions.

Skills are an essential part of both jobs. There are many skill levels to be achieved, from basic skills like tying knots for sailors and operating fire hoses for firefighters. Up to more advanced skill levels like spicing rope or wire for the sailor, and operating the fire engines and ladder trucks for the firefighter. Some skills can be specialized in nature like celestial navigation or emergency medicine, and require advanced levels of training. Naturally, one has to be competent to one skill level before they can advance to greater skills. If the players involved show to be incompetent, much like having defective equipment, the consequences can be disastrous.

Both use goals to measures progress. There are short term goals and long term goals. Some short term goals for a sailor would be to get underway on the next tide or making a certain distance by dark. For the firefighter a short term goal would be to make sure everyone is accounted for or to stop the progression of a fire. Long term goals may be arriving at the final destination on time or maintaining a certain average speed for the sailor. For the firefighter it may be to contain the fire to the building of origin or to preserve evidence knowing that it may be an arson fire. Often the goal that is set is also a benchmark, a certain point that is a known, Monhegan Island or the fire is under control. In both jobs once a goal is met there is a sense of achievement and accomplishment and can be very gratifying.

At face value one can see how different a sailor and a firefighter are. But in comparison they operate the same. I use my skills, to use this tool I know works, to meet this goal. Each one part is dependent on the others to work. I found it very interesting once I started to compare the aspects of these jobs. If one does not pay attention to the equipment, bad things can happen. If one does not know what they are doing, bad things can happen. Progress (or lack there of) can be measured if this is done by this time. I like that both sailing and firefighting both require tangible things to work, goals, tools, skills.