The Senior Probe

MORALE.

Feed it and it can build.

Neglect it and it can kill.

Pull a line. Throw a ladder. Search a building.

Senior firefighters, get your crew out and work.

Build each other up. Feed one another.

Value your people.

Value their input.

Value their criticism.

Attitude is contagious. It can be a cure or a cancer. When you walk through the doors of your firehouse, you need to be sure your mind is in the right place. It’s not always easy. There may be problems at home, a new baby, only one day off after a long overtime shift, or a number of other things. Whatever it might be, you check it at the door.

Every crew has different personalities. Leaders, senior guys, rookies, quiet ones, jokers, officers, chiefs, etc. Wherever you fall, don’t bring negativity to your crew. There is a time and place to bring up what’s on your mind and seek the counsel of your brothers and sisters, and there are times to vent or express frustrations, but never let it be constant.

Remember why you love this job. Why you love what you do. Work is stressful and work may be busy, but it’s also an outlet for us. Why? Because we love it, we breathe it, and we live it. It’s in our blood. It is who we are. It is our purpose.

Check your stuff at the door. Don’t let it bring you or your crew down. Because a distracted mind is not good for us, our brothers and sisters, or those we are called to serve. It may sound cliche, but take this to heart… when you’re in your firehouse, your attitude is all in. All in for this job, all in for your crew, all in on every call. Negative attitudes are contagious. Positive attitudes are contagious. Don’t be a cancer.

You’re hired! Finally, all the hard work paid off and you have the best job in the world. You feel like you’ve finally made it, when in fact, you have only just begun. Immediately, you’re training and learning the ropes. Constantly having your worth evaluated while you’re trying to prove it. You’re learning the job, your department, your crew, station life, and your new home life all at the same time.

What makes a good rookie? Same thing that makes a good Firefighter, a good Driver/Engineer and a good Officer… Drive, motivation, hard work, positive attitude. Your first day is when the rest of your career begins, and your rookie year lays the foundation for the kind of firefighter you are and will be. There are the simple tasks, like making coffee, doing laundry, mopping floors, cleaning the rig, etc. that you are expected to do. Do them well. Do them with pride. Be the first one up in the morning, and the last one down at night. Make sure your station looks pristine for the oncoming crew the next morning. Fight for the dishes, and own that sink. It is yours, and no one else can have it. Show up early, even if you’re told you don’t have to. And relieve the off-going crew early, so they don’t get stuck with that late call.

Those are just basic rookie tasks for everyday station life. Own them like your name is on them. But most importantly, own the job. Train for the job. Take criticism constructively and be better. If you don’t know something, ask. Train with your crew. If they don’t want to train, screw it, train anyway. This job is your life, and your life depends on it. Every day you show up, do not leave unless you did something to make yourself better at what you do. *Insert all the cliché firefighter quotes* “don’t train until you get it right, train until you can’t get it wrong”, “let no mans ghost return to say his training let him down”, “do your job”.

Finally, shut up. Too many rookies these days like to talk. Ask questions when they need to be asked, and learn your job. But no one cares where you came from, the last department you worked for, or how you did it there. You’d rather have someone say you don’t talk enough; not that you talk too much.

Salt. Seniority. Time served. At what point do you think you’re above the rest? How long… 5, 10, 15 years? There is (or should be) a difference between a salty fireman and a senior fireman. A salty fireman is the jerk who has been there, done that a thousand times, certainly does it better than you, and for some unknown reason doesn’t have to clean toilets anymore either. While there is a certain level of respect that comes with time served, it is not earned by “salt”. Your seniority is respected as you demonstrate your knowledge and experience in the form of passing it on to those that come after you. No senior man has seen it all, he/she is not above training or being trained, and they certainly are not above mopping floors either. You can’t complain about new, green recruits not knowing anything if you yourself are not willing to pass on your knowledge and better them. And don’t just train them, lead them. Be an example to them. Motivate them. Just because you have 15 years on the job does not mean you can’t encourage the new guy, fight him for dishes, wrestle him for laundry. Rookies are expected to do rookie tasks, but what is the significance of being the first to make coffee or wash the rig if there’s no one competing with them or driving them. No senior man is above taking ownership in his/her firehouse, or newer firefighters. Train them, inspire them, lead them. Because one day, the recruit will become the senior man, and how they interpret that role will be defined by their view of you right now.

How white is your Chief’s (or your own) helmet? We get it, a white helmet is a white helmet, and traditionally we all associate it with a Chief Officer. But is it clean and shiny because he hangs by the wagon with a whiteboard, or is it gray and dirty from years of work and training with his crews? There is an undisputed need for a leader or commander, but how that individual interacts with and works WITH his/her crews will ultimately determine the level of respect they earn. A Chief that stands back and points fingers is a commander, and there is a time and place for a commander. But a Chief who steps up and does the dirty job, who works WITH their crews, who listens to their crews, who teaches AND learns from their crews will be a respected leader. There should be no job or task too small for a company officer and/or Fire Chief.

A few shifts ago, our crew walked out on the approach and there was our Batt. Chief washing the engine by himself. He never asked for help, he never complained, he never gave the rookie a hard time, he just saw something that needed doing and he did it. He was serving his crew. A Chief that not only commands their people, but also serves them with the same respect he/she would want will in turn benefit exceptionally. They will have the respect of their people, and the most motivated individuals will develop a desire to work for them. Take care of your people, earn their respect, and your own image as a Chief Officer and a leader will take care of itself.

-written by a fireman

Lead from the front. We hear that a lot, but what does that look like? How does it apply to a company officer? I’ve thought long and hard about this post, because there is much that can be said about being a “good” company officer. Being a “good” officer does not start when you first begin the carry bugles on your collar; it starts from day one. It starts when you hold the ranks below, such as Driver/Engineer and Firefighter. What you do from day one, how you interact with others, how you treat others, and how you carry yourself earns you respect… or lack there of. Leadership starts while riding backwards. Strong, proficient and respected firemen one day make strong, proficient and respected company officers. And likewise deadbeat, ass hole, unmotivated firemen become officers no one enjoys working for.
As a company officer, be the LEADER. And empower your crew to be the best they can be. Don’t train them, train WITH them. Let them train you. Challenge them to be better and more proficient than you, and push yourself to be better and more proficient than them. On the fire ground, take charge, but allow your crew to do their job without looking over their shoulder. Be the first one who would do anything you ask of your crew. Don’t be afraid to do the dirty work, because they need to see you get your hands dirty. Remember that your attitude is contagious, and so is your leadership. Take care of your crew, and they will easily take care of you. Work with your crew, and they will work for you.

The drive should never go away. The hunger you have as a probie to learn, train, experience, train some more, and eventually teach someone else should only grow with tenure.

Look around your department… you see the guys who are tired, out of shape, who never participate but are the first to critique. They may think it’s up to the newer, younger generation to be the workhorses, and they will ride your coattails. They’re wrong. At some point, those guys had to say “he’s got it now” or “I’ve been here long enough to not have to do that” and accepted the lazy fireman lifestyle.

Lazy firemen become lazy officers and lazy officers lose respect. Laziness is a cancer which is contagious. It’s simple: don’t be that guy. Remember when you got hired and the drive and motivation you had as a probie? And there was that former probie, senior man, maybe even a driver or a captain who is an absolute badass and took you under his or her wing for however long and dumped a bunch of nuggets on you… be like them.

There comes a time in a fireman’s career where the student becomes to teacher. You may be there, have been there for a while, or wondering when you will be there. No matter when the time comes, remember YOU and the guy coming after you are the future of the fire service. Like someone once taught you everything you know, it either will be or has already been up to you to teach the next probie.

Be the senior man the new guys look up to and want to learn from. Be the officer that guys want to work for because you train, you work, and your crew is badass because of it. On the other side, build that new guy into someone even you would be willing to work for one day without hesitation.

Finally, and just as importantly, be humble, remember where you came from, fight the probie for dishes or the mop; and don’t just instruct, but mentor. The future of the fire service is in OUR hands. Own it. Build it. Maintain it.