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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