“Don’t give up. It will get better.”

Lieutenant Bassel Ibrahim

Why did you become a firefighter?

Bassel Ibrahim’s entrance into the fire service is more of a hero’s journey than a mere story. A journey that shows someone who initially fought the battle for his own survival as a refugee and is now dedicated to helping others.

Bassel moved to Florida from the Ivory Coast as a refugee of war. His high school was burned down in the First Ivorian Civil War and he needed to finish education in the United States. He came to the United States with only $75 in his pocket.

Ibrahim didn’t speak any English when he arrived in Deltona, FL. He rented a room in a family friend’s house while he finished high school and pumped concrete at night so that he could pay rent.

Soon thereafter, he became a dishwasher at a local pizza restaurant, saved enough money to buy a car, and began delivering pizzas.

The Deltona firefighters would often dine at the pizza restaurant. One day, a firefighter said, “Hey Bassel, you should try fire school.” That’s where it all began. He began volunteering at Orange City Fire Department.

Immediately, Ibrahim was hooked. “People get paid to do this?” he thought to himself. “Firefighting is awesome!”

Ibrahim earned his first job with Volusia County Fire Rescue in 2005. Today, he serves as the Company Officer of Tower 1 for the City of Orlando Fire Department in his 17th year in the fire service.

What advice do you have for other firefighters?

Lt. Ibrahim offered advice for new recruits and company officers:

New Recruits

Lt. Ibrahim believes that new recruits must find a mentor to help them get through new challenges and cultivate emotional stability as a firefighter. He stated, “I don’t know anyone who would deny your request for mentorship.” They may not come to you, but if you initiate it – I guarantee that they will help you.”

Additionally, Lt. Ibrahim encouraged rookies to be able to overcome the fear of failure. “My definition of training is ‘controlled failure.’ The only reason one guy knows something better than someone else is because he’s failed more times and learned more times as a result.”

Company Officers

Lt. Ibrahim advised company officers to always be open-minded. He suggested that the officers must take their blinders off and try different things. “For me, everything is based on time,” Lt. Ibrahim noted. “I’m always open to implementing new procedures if they help us do our job more efficiently.”

He further pointed out that the fire service doesn’t need managers, it needs leaders. “None of us are at our best all the time. Take care of your people. Nothing works if your people aren’t taken care of,” Lt. Ibrahim stated.

Lt. Ibrahim closed out his advice with an equation for high morale: “Treat people well and pay people well. Everything else falls into place.”

What changes do you foresee in the fire service?

Lt. Ibrahim expressed the possibility of both negative and positive changes he foresees in the fire service.

As a negative change, he is concerned about lowering national standards in order to increase recruitment. He stated, “It’s not about any surface level biases (race, sex, background). It’s purely professional. Can you do the job? Or can you not do the job?”

Lt. Ibrahim suggested that people should be hired based on effort, attitude, and performance. One must embody the desire to serve and the ability to perform.

To Lt. Ibrahim, a positive change for the future of the fire service is based on the data from the Firefighter Rescue Survey. He reveals that the data from the Firefighter Rescue Survey is proving that aggressive firefighting is actually making a difference.

“This data will help us make decisions to maximize the chance of survival for victims,” Lt. Ibrahim optimistically highlighted the importance of this data.

Lt. Ibrahim also anticipates more realistic training in the fire service. Unrealistic training in unrealistic conditions can cause ‘training scars’ which build a false sense of security. He pointed out, “In a true rescue situation, you’re not rescuing a mannequin; you’re rescuing a person.”

Lt. Ibrahim is the epitome of strength and fitness. In addition to being in charge of Physical Training for the new recruits, Ibrahim stretches, works out, and competes on his own.

Unfortunately, a freak injury on Christmas day 2020 marked the beginning of the worst time in Lt. Ibrahim’s life. After responding to  fire alarm, he stepped off the truck and landed on an uneven paver. This broke his back.

For 2 weeks, he had no feeling from his hip down to his left toe. The pain was off the charts, and nothing would even remotely help.

Thanks to his grit and support from his colleagues, Ibrahim was back on full duty just three months later.

This recovery time taught allowed him to train the most important organ – his brain. Lt. Ibrahim learned so much from this challenging experience. Two of his greatest takeaways were:

1. “You have to be there for each other – on the job and off the job.”

2. “Don’t give up. It will get better.”

Today, he is feeling healthy and strong after making a full recovery since that fateful Christmas day in 2020. He’s finally getting back to himself and doing “Bassel-ish” workouts.

While Lt. Ibrahim was recovering from his back injury, he focused on working out his mind. Since then, he has had multiple papers published nationally and he now teaches a course across the country. Check out One Bad Day RIT Ops for more information.