Title: It Ain’t Broke
General Information:
- Place of collection: Hanover Fire Department – Hanover, NH
- Date of Collection: November 6, 2019
- Informant: Captain Gilbert
- Genre: Verbal Folklore – Saying
Informant Information:
Michael Gilbert is a firefighter for the Hanover, New Hampshire fire department. He is currently 50 years old and lives in Hanover. However, Michael was born and raised in Franconia, New Hampshire. He is currently a captain at the Hanover Fire Department. Captain Gilbert is not particularly religious.
Context:
The Hanover Fire Department (and fire departments in general) have been doing the same thing in the same way very successfully for hundreds of years. Therefore, when someone introduces a new idea or a new piece of equipment to use they will typically use this saying: “One hundred years of tradition not impeded by progress.” The saying is very similar to the idea of: “Don’t fix what isn’t broken.” Since they have a system that works, they do not see the need for changing the very things that have brought them success.
Item:
“One hundred years of tradition not impeded by progress”
Meaning and Interpretation:
In a profession that is as dangerous and unpredictable as firefighting, the firefighters want to make sure that they have the best chance to successfully perform their duties. Since their methods and tools have worked over the past decades, they do not want to risk changing them. For example, Joe Amato discussed with us the process through which it took them to finally get a new ambulance. He said that it took them years to finally decide to switch to a newer version of their ambulance because they were stuck in their old ways and methods.
Associated Image:
Informant’s Comments:
Our informants, especially Captain Gilbert, thought that this saying was somewhat out of date given their improvements, finally, in their equipment. They did note that it does make sense for them to keep doing what they are doing if it works but that they are slowly becoming more aware that they may need to make more changes in technology in particular.
Collector’s Comments:
As collector’s and college seniors, we understand the notion of continuing with a working pattern be we are also aware that technology is improving at such a drastic rate that it would be foolish to not change with it. And with that comes a change in strategies and tactics, which are both for the better.
Collector’s Name: Sam Wilson, Albie Austin and Ben Martin
Tags:
- Saying, Change, Technology, Hanover