TED2011
Mark Bezos: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter
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Volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos tells a story of an act of heroism that didn't go quite as expected -- but that taught him a big lesson: Don't wait to be a hero.
Mark Bezos - Activist, volunteer firefighter
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York. Full bio
Mark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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Back in New York, I am the head of development
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for a non-profit called Robin Hood.
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When I'm not fighting poverty, I'm fighting fires
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as the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company.
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Now in our town,
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where the volunteers supplement a highly skilled career staff,
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you have to get to the fire scene pretty early
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to get in on any action.
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I remember my first fire.
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I was the second volunteer on the scene,
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so there was a pretty good chance I was going to get in.
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But still it was a real footrace against the other volunteers
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to get to the captain in charge
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to find out what our assignments would be.
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When I found the captain,
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he was having a very engaging conversation
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with the homeowner,
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who was surely having one of the worst days of her life.
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Here it was, the middle of the night,
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she was standing outside in the pouring rain,
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under an umbrella, in her pajamas, barefoot,
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while her house was in flames.
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The other volunteer who had arrived just before me --
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let's call him Lex Luther --
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(Laughter)
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got to the captain first
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and was asked to go inside
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and save the homeowner's dog.
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The dog! I was stunned with jealousy.
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Here was some lawyer or money manager
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who, for the rest of his life, gets to tell people
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that he went into a burning building
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to save a living creature,
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just because he beat me by five seconds.
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Well, I was next.
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The captain waved me over.
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He said, "Bezos, I need you to go into the house.
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I need you to go upstairs, past the fire,
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and I need you to get this woman a pair of shoes."
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(Laughter)
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I swear.
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So, not exactly what I was hoping for,
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but off I went --
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up the stairs, down the hall, past the 'real' firefighters,
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who were pretty much done putting out the fire at this point,
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into the master bedroom to get a pair of shoes.
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Now I know what you're thinking,
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but I'm no hero.
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(Laughter)
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I carried my payload back downstairs
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where I met my nemesis
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and the precious dog by the front door.
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We took our treasures outside to the homeowner,
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where, not surprisingly,
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his received much more attention than did mine.
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A few weeks later,
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the department received a letter from the homeowner
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thanking us for the valiant effort displayed
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in saving her home.
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The act of kindness she noted above all others:
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someone had even gotten her a pair of shoes.
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(Laughter)
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In both my vocation at Robin Hood
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and my avocation as a volunteer firefighter,
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I am witness to acts of generosity and kindness
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on a monumental scale,
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but I'm also witness to acts of grace and courage
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on an individual basis.
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And you know what I've learned?
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They all matter.
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So as I look around this room
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at people who either have achieved,
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or are on their way to achieving,
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remarkable levels of success,
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I would offer this reminder:
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don't wait.
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Don't wait until you make your first million
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to make a difference in somebody's life.
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If you have something to give,
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give it now.
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Serve food at a soup kitchen. Clean up a neighborhood park.
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Be a mentor.
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Not every day is going to offer us a chance
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to save somebody's life,
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but every day offers us an opportunity to affect one.
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So get in the game. Save the shoes.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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Bruno Giussani: Mark, Mark, come back.
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(Applause)
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Mark Bezos: Thank you.
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mark Bezos - Activist, volunteer firefighterMark Bezos works at Robin Hood, a poverty-fighting charity in New York City, and the assistant captain of a volunteer fire company in suburban New York.
Why you should listen
Mark Bezos is the SVP, Development, Communications & Events at Robin Hood, the leading poverty-fighting charity in New York City. Bezos joined Robin Hood following the sale of his advertising agency, excited to have found a way to use his powers of persuasion for good.
Bezos is the Assistant Captain of a volunteer fire company in Westchester County, New York, where he lives with his wife and four children. He is continuously amazed and motivated by the everyday acts of heroism--big and small--that surround him.
Mark Bezos | Speaker | TED.com