Engine 2' Firefighters: From a Small Act of Kindness From a Small Act of Kindness to a Greater Visio

On August 5, Golden Year 3 (2006) representatives of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association presented the Shining World Leadership Award to a team of firefighters known as 'Engine 2' from Austin, Texas, USA. The event took place at the Asian American Cultural Center in Austin. The team, consisting of Lieutenant Scott Walters, Fire Specialist James Rae, Firefighter Rip Esselstyn, Firefighter Derick Zwerneman, Firefighter Matt Moore and their newest member Steve Martinez, all lead a vegetarian lifestyle. Engine 2's story about how the firefighters switched to a vegetarian diet appeared in News #167.

The Award ceremony started with the short film "Walk the Way of Love". Then the firefighters were introduced on stage one by one. Each of them gave a small speech on how they started the vegetarian diet and how it has helped them physically and mentally. Rip Esselstyn's first words were about "Walk the Way of Love" and how he shared Master's beautiful dream about the world. He also highlighted that what started as a small act of kindness and desire to help a fellow team member change his unhealthy lifestyle had grown into something much bigger - it has turned into a mission to reach more and more people, raising their awareness about the health benefits of the vegetarian diet. They have now begun writing a book about their vegetarian lifestyle and experience. Another firefighter also mentioned when he was loaned to a different fire-station, he introduced the healthy vegetarian lifestyle to other firefighters.

After the ceremony, while eating lunch prepared by fellow initiates, an interview was conducted with Rip Esselstyn, Derick Zwerneman, Matt Moore and Steve Martinez. They revealed that the vegetarian diet had helped them increase their endurance while fighting fires. Rip said: "You never know what's around the corner, what's going to happen… fire is brutal and it's physically incredibly difficult to handle, you have to be able to think on your toes." And it's not only fire they have to deal with, they see a lot of violence, people suffering, car accidents, and 90% of their calls are medical.

They need to be able to recover from one minute to the next and be ready for any challenges that might follow. Matt Moore shared that the vegetarian diet has helped him get by with less sleep on the job, especially when taking one or more calls during the night. They all agreed that if they weren't eating a healthy vegetarian diet, they'd feel a lot worse. Derick said he wouldn't be able to have as much energy to give to his family if he weren't vegetarian.

They mentioned that the diet bonds them together and strengthens their team. They would like to educate people about the dangers of eating meat the same way they educate children about the dangers of handling matches.

Rip emphasized that their vision now was to raise people's awareness about the health benefits of the vegetarian diet, and to reach as many people as possible. They thanked us for the wonderful experience and said they felt very honored to have received the award from Master Ching Hai.