All About the Broom

Growing up in the fire service, we both learned the importance of keeping apparatus, equipment, and stations clean. Typically in the fire service that even means buying a lot of specialized cleaning products on your own. There is nothing like a clean fire truck with bright chrome and Armor All tires. While Les was volunteering with Darlington County Fire District, the members of Sidy Hill always claimed to have the cleanest trucks in the county. Fast forward twelve years to present day when Les works and lives in Charleston. Lee Hopkins reached out to him for an interview about his experience in the fire service. The obvious spot to conduct the interview was in Sidy Hill. As we walked into the station it was immediately apparent the effort that went into keeping everything clean. After posting on social media about the heartwarming experience, one follower summed it up best… “You don’t have to have the newest, the latest and greatest. You take care of what you have and you do the absolute best you can with what you have. The firefighter definitely gets it but it says some to for the ones before him. Solid job.”

We can’t take complete credit for our effort to maintain a clean and organized shop. When Ole Lamar worked at Duke Energy in the fleet maintenance division, they kept the floor and area spotless. It sounds cliché, but you could literally eat off the floor. Their crazy inventory of equipment was stored neatly and the workspace was setup with attention to every detail. It was partially the product of a safety program, but it also resulted in productivity and professionalism. Ole Lamar maintains one of the weirdest routines. Every time we work, the first and last thing he does is sweep out the shop. You would think it’s not necessary if it was cleaned the previous time, especially knowing you are about to get it dirty. Here’s the thing… Sweeping at the beginning of the day is not just about cleaning. It’s a mindset. It’s starting out the right way. It’s maintaining positive habits. It’s about being professional!

At Piece of Work, we don’t have the fanciest equipment or the coolest shop. To be completely honest there are times we feel a little embarrassed about it. HOWEVER, we make the “absolute best” of what we have. We treat it with respect and keep it clean and organized. It serves us well until the opportunity comes to expand the empire. We hope that professionalism and love translates into our work!