I would like to ask everyone to do me a favor. Take a few minutes to yourself, and ask a few questions. “Why am I a firefighter?” “Do I really like what I do?” “Am I trying to do something about the problems or causing more?”

Too often we see the people who have the attitude that they know everything and don’t want to listen to what a senior member of their crew has to say. You know who I’m talking about. The 18-year-old kid that just got out of the academy and thinks they know everything. You know the one who has “seen it all.”  Give me a break! I understand that the academy gives you a lot of information and trains you the book way of doing things. The books teach some good things to get you started, but my personal opinion is that time on the job can teach you more than any book will ever hope to. The “Probes,” “Rookies,” New Guy’s,” or whatever else they may be called in your department, should come in from day one, and only give an opinion when one is asked of them. Now I am not saying turn them into the whipping boy but they should show respect to the members that have been there. The ones who have been there have earned the right to have input.

When you, as a senior member, receive a “rookie,” take a few seconds and pull them off to the side and give them a little, let’s call it a “pep talk.” Just let them know that as one of the more senior guys on the shift, you will help them in any way possible as long as they ask. From going over the truck or trucks, to helping them out with chores. Also, don’t be too closed minded. Just because they are new to your department, they may have previous time at another department. Now that doesn’t mean they should just come in and start trying to change things but listen to them every now and then. Who knows, you may be able to learn something new from them. Now I know what you may be saying, but the rookie is “supposed” to do all the chores for a while and not have input. While I agree with having the rookie give some of the more senior members a break for a little while, we also want to make them feel like we are giving them a chance and not just writing them off from the beginning. We are a family.

Consider this. You have a little sister or daughter and you are meeting her new boyfriend for the first time. Sure we want to protect her but we also have to give him a chance to screw up. Sure put the fear of God into him so he knows that if he does happen to screw up there are going to be consequences.

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In just about every firehouse in America, there is some form of animosity among the members. Whether it’s a firefighter you have a personality conflict with or an officer you disagree with for whatever reason. Unfortunately it happens and it has a tendency to split crews up.

We have all seen or been a part of it in some way shape or form. You can’t honestly sit there and say you haven’t. Every now and again we are going to have disagreements. I mean come on, we ARE human! We are also adults and professionals. No matter how heated battles may get, we are always supposed to be there for each other and be a “family.” Now you may be saying, “Sure we don’t get along in the firehouse but when we get to a fire scene, we work well together.”  That is true and yes, we all know that when the bells ring, the lights flash and the sirens scream, it is time to go to work and perform as a team. That’s all fine and dandy but wouldn’t it make more sense to be like that all the time? Let’s see, work well together on the small and the big stuff to get things done, or argue and bicker over whose turn it is to take out the trash. Still others may say, “I am here to do a job and I am not here to make friends.” This has to be one of the most absurd comments I have heard. “Only here for a job not to make friends?” WOW!! Wake up people! This “JOB” is one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Now, I know I am not telling anybody anything they don’t already know, but think about it for a second. The crew we get assigned to is supposed to be our extended family. We are with each other, in most departments, for 24 hours at a time or more. That is a long time to stay pissed off at someone and for what reason, because you don’t agree on something or they act differently than you? Oh wait, maybe it’s because they came from a state, town, city or department that you don’t like and think that only morons come from that area. Why should that matter? They are with YOUR department now.

One of the things I have discovered in my short 9 years in the fire service is that we as a profession are one of the most diverse mixes of people.  You have personnel with many years of service working right along others that are brand new and have never been on a fire truck. We are all supposed to work as one cohesive unit to get the tasks done, whether it’s on a scene or around the station doing the daily routine.  It’s all good and well to know that when the bells go off we will work together. Maybe it’s just me, but I know I would rather be able to trust my crew members all the time not just when the bells go.

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