We have all seen it. The person who is always involved in some project for the Chief or always doing something to “look good” when the Chief is around or when it is promotion time. When it does come time for promotion, this person get’s the position. Let the bashing begin. “They only got there because they are the Chief’s buddy,” “It’s no surprise he got the position. He’s always under the Chief’s desk.” I can go on and on but that’s not what I am writing about.

The great thing about the Fire Service is that we have such a wide variety of people working in our profession. Some people are naturally good workers. Some need a little more encouragement than others. Still others only seem to do things when the right people are around. So this brings me to the Big question. Is the person really a kiss ass or are they a good worker.

The true kiss asses. These are the people who make themselves look good when the right people are around. They are the ones who are only interested in doing something if it is going to make them look good or is going to be beneficial to them. They ask, sometimes in very subtle ways, what is in it for them.

The hard workers. These are the people who do things because they want to and don’t care if there is recognition or if it will make them look good. They take the time to do things the right way and get things done in an efficient and timely manner. They do not ask “What’s in it for me.”

Most of the time, I believe these two get mixed up with each other. Sometimes the person who is a hard worker and does the things that need to be done, gets mistaken for a kiss ass. The hard worker is doing things to get them done because no one else wanted to do them because there isn’t any recognition that comes with it. I also think that a lot of times, the people who are calling the other person a kiss ass, are just jealous of that person because they are getting noticed for doing what is either asked of them or was asked of the person complaining but was turned down cause they weren’t going to get anything out of it.

In closing, I would only ask everyone to take a minute to analyze the situation before passing judgment on someone. Look at all the factors. Do they routinely ask what’s in it for them before taking on a project or do they just suck it up and do it because someone asked them to. Look at yourself. Do you do projects that are asked of you without asking “What’s in it for me?” Are they really a kiss ass or just a hard worker?

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Respect, what does it mean to you? Do you feel it is owed to you or do you have to earn it? Do you want to earn it? Do you do what is needed to earn the respect you want, or do you just sit there, behind your desk, and shout orders? Do you really want to be in the position you are in or is it something that you feel was owed to you for your “years of service?”

Respect isn’t just about respecting each other. It is about respecting our profession. People have many different reasons for joining the fire service. No matter what your reason for joining may be, you must show respect to the profession.

To all who are reading this, let’s hear some feedback on what respect means to you. What was your reason for joining the fire service? Do you feel the same today as you did then? Some have gotten into the service and had a change of heart, maybe due to a bad call or the department in general. Either way we all have had something that sparked our interest in the fire service. Seeing a fire engine going down the road as a kid, being a second or third generation. All of us have something that sparked that little fire inside of us. Let’s hear what you guys have to say. Take care and stay safe.

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So, this is not going to be an article about officers drinking on the job. It is however, going to be about officers that are so involved in themselves and the title that is bestowed upon them to be an officer, that they become “Drunk” with power.

We have all seen this type of person. They are the one who gets the position and becomes a complete and total idiot. Now, they may have been an idiot before but, now they are an idiot with a title and power. This is the person who sits behind a desk shouts orders and doesn’t even attempt to interact with the crew. The one who doesn’t, at least, stand there with a towel and try to look like he’s helping dry the truck. He is the one who thinks it is important for the crew to train but will leave it up to the Engineer or Senior Firefighter to conduct while they sit at the desk because they have “administrative stuff” to take care of. This type of officer while putting on a seemingly good show on the exterior is just another pencil pusher that wanted the position for the title on the inside.

The “Drunken” Officers are the ones who tell themselves that they are the greatest officers while their crew suffers due to their lack of leadership traits. They walk around and tell everyone how great they are and how they were “hand picked” for the position they are in. They see the position as a feather in their cap. They fail to see the fact that they are responsible for the lives of their crew and not just their own. Decisions are made on what they think is the “right” decision and not what is actually the right one.

We have all worked with, or know someone who has worked with, a “Drunken” officer. I would like to get feedback from our followers of some ways you have or would deal with an officer like this. We unfortunately will have to deal with one someday. We can’t exactly just blow them off because they are an officer. However there are ways of dealing with them and still not getting written up. Stay safe and go home at the end of every tour.

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When we respond to an MVA, there are many factors to figure out as far as vehicle placement goes. Placement of the apparatus can either hinder you or help you. What I would like everyone to do, is write a little comment on how your department has the tools set up and what you do on scene. Are your tool’s mounted or do you have a portable system? Are they mounted in the rear, front or side? Do you pull past or stop short? This is just to see how other departments do things. Everyone does things a little differently and sometimes you can get good ideas from other people. It may not change the way you do things but you can find out that someone else may have the same set up but deploys it a little differently.

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      In today’s Fire Service, we have members that step up into a role that they are not normally in. A Firefighter stepping up to the Driver position and is the “acting” engineer for the shift. The Engineer that moves to the right side of the truck for a shift. Or the Officer that goes from the truck to the Battalion Chief for a shift.

     My question to all who have, or could possibly have, the opportunity to “act” in a position above their normal rank, is will you serve or will you act? Now some may be wondering if there is a difference and I will tell you that yes there is.

            Someone who “Acts” in a position above their normal rank goes around with a chip on their shoulder and lets everyone know that “they” are the one in charge and making the decisions. They treat the members they are with, in a different manner than normal. They get a very different attitude than they would normally have and let the honor of being in a higher position, even if it’s is only for a few hours or a shift, go to their head. They make the personnel perform duties and do not offer to assist. They hover over and have micro-managing tendencies. They forget that one day the very people they are “acting” above may one day succeed them.

            Serving in a position one would not normally be in, takes on a much different role. One who steps up and “serves,” treats their personnel with respect and gives them opportunities to step up into their position. If you are serving, you are providing a service to the community and your department. You take on the responsibility with great pride and honor. You take the role seriously and make absolutely certain that you do not do anything to make yourself, your crew or your department  look bad. They offer to assist their crew with tasks but at the same time they do not micro-manage their personnel.

            If you have a tendency to “Act,” I would ask you to consider your actions and how they affect the rest of the crew. Make a conscious attempt to change your ways so that you may “serve” in the position. Be aware of how you conduct yourself and remember that YOU in the position you step up into, set the tone for your crew. You decide whether or not your guys are going to respect you as a leader and do what you ask them to without question.

            I would like to end with a quote from a movie that I would like everyone to remember:

“Attitude reflects leadership.”

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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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