As a firefighter, you have probably developed some strong opinions on at least a few topics.

Some people call them “the hill you’re willing to die on.”

But no matter what you call them, you need to pick your battles when it comes to spouting off about these points of view.

My guest today wrote an article about his experiences fighting the smooth bore vs. fog nozzle debate. He finally realized, years later, that he wasn’t going to change peoples’ minds, and, more importantly, he didn’t need to. Water will get on the fire either way.

That’s when he decided to start thinking about issues that do have an impact, things that should maybe be changed for a good reason.

Philip Clark works as a full-time firefighter with the Lincolnton, North Carolina Fire Department. Phil joined the fire service in 2002 as a volunteer and has worked for several volunteer and combination departments since then. He lives in Dallas, North Carolina, and is a captain for the Town of Dallas Fire Department.