In the latest episode of The Fire Inside Her, host Diane Schroeder we delve into the fascinating history of the fire service and the evolution of fire safety equipment. From the invention of the life safety net to the transition to modern firefighting tools, you'll be captivated by the stories of innovation and the challenges faced during the Gilded Age. Discover the ingenuity and resilience of early firefighters and the impact of technological advancements on fire rescue operations. But it's not just a history lesson—Diane draws powerful parallels between the metaphorical "life safety nets" we all hold onto in our lives. As she shares her personal journey of letting go of old beliefs and behaviors that no longer serve her, she offers insightful ways for listeners to do the same. With wisdom and authenticity, this episode invites you to explore how to release what no longer serves you and embrace your true authenticity. Tune in to discover the valuable tools for letting go and reclaiming your worth.
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Diane Schroeder [:
Welcome to The Fire Inside Her, the podcast where we explore the incredible stories of individuals who have discovered their inner fire on their journey to authenticity. I'm your host, Diane Schroeder, and I am so grateful that you are here.
Diane Schroeder [:
Hi, friend. Before we dive into this week's solo episode on trampolines, I want to offer a couple of invitations. 1st, if you have a burning question for me regarding leadership, community, navigating life's transitions, or really anything else, send them my way. I will choose a couple of questions to answer in upcoming episodes. Go to thefireinsideher.com for questions, or check out the show notes for other options to get in touch with me. And if you would like to receive mostly regular emails that offer additional wisdom and tools, head on over to thefireinsideher.com/list to sign up. Okay. That's all for the housekeeping items today. Let's dive in.
Diane Schroeder [:
Collecting fire service relics and memorabilia is a hobby for some people. I'm not one of those people, but I do appreciate the care and attention that these collectors apply to preserving the history of the fire service. A large piece of fire service history found in some fire stations, museums, and even basements in personal homes is the Browder Life Safety Net. This life safety net or trampoline was invented in 1887 by a civil war veteran, Thomas F. Browder. But before we jump into why he was inspired to invent the life safety net, let's nerd out for just a minute. Here's a few quick facts on this era of history.
Diane Schroeder [:
It was a period of time called the Gilded Age between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. There was tremendous economic growth for the wealthy and extreme poverty for the working class. The United States was going through a massive transformation from agricultural to industrialization. People were moving to cities or out west. Millions of people were immigrating. Factory working conditions were dangerous and deadly. The railroad started to connect the country, and natural gas was becoming the common source of energy. However, women still couldn't vote. Racial tensions were high as this period of time wasn't long after the abolition of slavery, and there was massive inequity between the rich and those in poverty.
Diane Schroeder [:
Needless to say, a lot of shit was happening. Big cities weren't prepared to handle this sudden growth and density of people in such a small area. A solution to this challenge was to start building up, thus, the invention of the high-rise building, which started around 1884 in Chicago and New York City. High rises were used for factories and living quarters called tenements, and fire safety wasn't a thing back then. These were not fire safe. They weren't really safe, and from what I've read, they were pretty gross. Unfortunately, fires were common.
Diane Schroeder [:
The fire trucks you see today with the big ladder on top didn't exist until the 1960s. The Browder Life Safety Net was the solution to help rescue people from these buildings in the early 1900s, late 1800s when fires occurred. So, fire departments started to carry it. If there was a fire, several firefighters would have to hold the trampoline while encouraging people to jump on it. Let's think about that for a second. A building is on fire. There's a good chance that English is a second language for most of the immigrants living in these tenements, and you have a bunch of people yelling at you, telling you to jump from the building and aim for the red dot in the middle of the trampoline. They thought the trampoline was good for up to about 6 stories high. However, buildings were usually taller than the 6 stories, and the save rate was maybe 50%.
Diane Schroeder [:
There wasn't a lot of information, and collecting data was not a priority during that area. But I'll link a couple of articles that I used to gather this information in the show notes. The trampoline safety net was used in states, and then it went to Europe for almost 100 years. Fire service books stopped referring to the Life Safety Net back in the 1980s. The area ladder that I mentioned earlier was in service in the ‘60s. Fire departments now had a piece of equipment that could reach much higher, and it didn't require the amount of people that the trampoline required to use. Plus, it was a little easier to get people out of burning buildings by helping them down a ladder than encouraging to jump onto a trampoline. It took almost 20 years after the aerial ladder was established for some fire departments to stop carrying the life safety net, and I don't know how often they used it during that period. It's not a small piece of equipment, and I can imagine how much space was left in the trucks after the life safety nets were removed and turned into memorabilia status.
Diane Schroeder [:
So, why am I sharing all of this with you? Because I realized recently that I was carrying around a life safety net when I no longer needed to. Not a real one, of course, but metaphorically speaking, I was holding on to tools and beliefs that once served me. But as I have evolved and done the work and healed my past traumas, these tools and beliefs were no longer serving me. I grew up feeling unseen and not good enough, so I became a people pleasing, overachieving rock star. I got straight A’s in school. I played the sports. I was involved in student government, and a lot of this was driven because I wanted to be loved and accepted. Of course, I did not realize this at the time. Thankfully, hindsight is a gift. I continued chasing acceptance and love for most of my life until I burned out.
Diane Schroeder [:
When my world fell apart personally and professionally, almost 10 years ago, I had to rebuild and acquire some new tools, self-care, self-love, acceptance, healing, yoga, grace, and courage have helped me find my authenticity and navigate life's transitions a little easier. But what I didn't realize is that I was still holding on to my people pleasing and overachieving ways, even when they no longer served me. They were like this old comfortable sweatshirt in the bottom of a drawer, and I couldn't get rid of it even though I didn't want to wear it. I knew it was time to let them go. The reality is I could use all the new tools and acknowledge the old ones even though they no longer served me, but I still had to figure out where to put them.
Diane Schroeder [:
I needed to remove them from the new version of me so I could create space, just like taking the old safety net off of the ladder trucks. Your life safety net may look different. Maybe you're holding on to biases, limiting beliefs, religious ideologies, or behaviors that were all necessary at a time in your life. Still, you don't use them anymore. And if you do use them, they aren't really helpful or current. Perhaps you need to change it up. Whatever you no longer need to use or no longer use ultimately holds you back, weighs you down, and it takes up valuable space. I'm always reminded of what my friend, Gretchen, told me. It's not the change that gets people, it's the in between. Since we don't have physical trampolines that we can pull out of our brains, how do you release the tools that no longer serve you? Well, here are 3 ways that I invite you to try.
Diane Schroeder [:
The first is acknowledge that you might be carrying things around that no longer serve you. Working with a therapist or a coach can be really beneficial, and figuring out why those tools are still there, if they're necessary, and if they're essential is a really important first step. 2nd, I would encourage you to write a letter directly to the tools or whatever it is you're carrying around. This is my favorite way to let go of things, feelings, and people I no longer have in my life. I write them a letter, I speak from my heart, and then I rip it up, I burn it, or I soak it in water and release it. And finally, I invite you to send loving kindness to the younger versions of yourself that needed these tools to survive.
Diane Schroeder [:
You can do this through meditation, write more letters, and talking it out in nature. However, you connect with your past selves and offer them an energetic hug and some grace and send them love. You may decide that you're not ready to let go of these things, and that's okay. I'm not here to judge you. Just recognizing that they exist can help in your decision-making process as to which tools are best for what situations moving forward. Thank you for sharing your time with me as always, and I need to remind you what an incredible, beautiful human you are and that you are worthy and loved. Until next time.
Diane Schroeder [:
Thank you for giving the valuable gift of your time and listening to The Fire Inside Her podcast. Speaking of value, one of the most common potholes we fall into on the journey to authenticity is not recognizing our value. So, I created a workbook. It's all about value. Head on over to thefireinsideher.com/value to get your free workbook that will help you remember your value. Until next time, my friend.
