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Making the Basics, Basic!

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Is this an acceptable drill for your new engine or truck company?

One of the highlights of my profession is the networking you are allowed to do.  A person I consider a Ture Brother, Mentor, and Friend has always maintained that where we missed the mark in the fire service is to break training down into smaller segments. We must began to recognize that training firefighters does not have to be a clubbing over the head, death by powerpoint, but yet it must meet the requirements of being Realistic, and Relevant. There are a few points when injury or death occurs that can be pointed out an Ineffective command system, and firefighters who were trying to operate outside Basics. I understand that accidents happen as well based off of decisions made by others, but that too can be linked back to a failed understanding of the Basics!

For new and aspiring fire officers remember training does not have to take all day, but has to be effective and have a measurable outcome at the end. Remember to take nothing for granted when training. A great place to start is by taking your policy manuals and ensuring the policies are truly understood and you become amazed it what drill s you can pull just out of them. If you do not have a policy manual then start with your expectations and your desired fire ground performance. The hardest part will be consistancy.

Posted in Drills, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

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March 4, 2013 • 1 comment

“He writes his own headlines”

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What does “Writing his own headlines” mean?  That’s when someone spends so much time thinking about how this is going to look in the news they forget they have to do the work before the story gets written.

Example:

“Hey Lt Can I borrow one of your guys for this medical call?  My guy is cooking supper.”

“Of course, no problem” was my reply.

1/2 hour later both companies get a call for a Central Station Alarm, and the cook shows up on his piece to go.  When we return the cook asks my guy to cover for him again.  I say No.  He says “But how can you let US run short?”

I understand the cook is doing something for the benefit of everyone in the house that’s why I have no problem running short if his boss does have a problem running short.  My guys are not here to fill in so you can cherry pick your calls, either we cover you or we don’t.  So, in order to prevent digressing into an all out rant, let me be a bit more positive.  Or try.  All companies are equally important in the fire service.  If a company was not needed believe me the bean counters would close it.

If you think that chasing the beeping boxes all day downtown makes you a more important firefighter than the firefighter that works in the retirement firehouse in the affluent neighborhood, you are wrong.  It’s just your job, volunteer or paid.  For the paid guys who think they are more important than the vollies ask the residents of Breezy Point about how important their volunteer companies are.

What makes a company more important than another one?  Nothing on a day to day basis. No resident cares as long as someone shows up.

Knowing your job and doing your job when it matters makes you a BETTER company, more PREPARED Company.  I’m sick of hearing about the “Elite” companies that just drew a short straw that one time. EVERY TIME. Wow, the “Elite” company has a straight up figure eight in the feeder….. that IS awesome.

You know what, I’m going to go negative.  It’ll be more fun this way.  Here is a short list of ways to tell if your company is spending more time writing their own headlines then they are making the story worth reading.  Please feel free to add your own.

1. Oh jeez!  I thought Stedman Court was off Stedman Ave, why would it be 3 blocks away?

2. If you can get to the address, but not to the fire.

3. If you can get to the roof, but dog gone it that guy yesterday didn’t fill the saw.

4. If you know what every other Fire Company did at the incident.

5. If you know what every other Fire Company did WRONG at the incident.

6. What the hell is he checking that tool for?  We never use it.  He must be new.

7. I didn’t know they were building this massive apartment complex in my district.  Those lazy Fire Prevention guys should have told us.

8. We don’t need training, they do.

9. Look at them wearing their equipment while investigating.  Are they afraid of fire or something? It’s just an alarm.

10.  Its not our fault the piece is all beat up.  It’s too big for our district, the city should have thought of that.

Maybe you should have a look in the mirror and see what is really there.  You cannot be that unlucky, maybe you just suck at this.  There is hope, and training is the light at the end of the excuse tunnel. If something is going wrong every time you go out and it always seems to be someone else’s fault, um, sorry but it’s not them…it’s you.

Let’s do the Jeff Foxworthy thing; “You might be writing your own headlines if;”….

 

Posted in Motivation, Thoughts

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January 16, 2013 • 1 comment

Five 4 Friday

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Just a few rants for the week

  1. Don’t assume because a firefighters career has been prodominatly in the South that they are stupid
  2. When fighting commercial structures always secure two water supplies
  3. When you decide to promote up does not mean you have to be a jerk, but it does mean you have to do your job
  4. stay in the best physical condition possible or the stairs you have to climb will tell on you
  5. When you are truly the best running your mouth does not display, but performance will tell

Fell free to add to the list and vent. No names, but feel free to let go

Posted in firefighter-safety-health, Thoughts

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July 13, 2012 • 1 comment

10,000 Hours?!

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How do some firefighters get really good at their job and some, well, not so much. I was just perusing Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” and one of the focuses of the book is the 10,000 hour rule to become an expert or successful. I don’t plan on reading the book, but I’ve heard this 10,000 hour number before.

10,000 hours….

5 years full time employment (40hrs a week)

10 years part time

For the average firefighter that may take an hour a shift to check the piece; 64 years, if you do 3 shifts per week

OUCH! And that is just operating the piece and the equipment on it, not RIT training, not roof operations, not EMS skills, not fitness all of which a firefighter should be an expert at. Or is it 10,000 hours of “firefighter job related stuff”? Either way, I’m nowhere near it.

Now Gladwell is far from THE authority on the subject, having written about other people’s research and weaving in some interviews for flavor, but the idea is interesting.

I may have brought this up before, but have you ever watched someone at an incident farting around with a power tool like a monkey fornicating a football? Don’t you just think “Come on guy, the switch is still off”? How much time has he spent with that saw? How many hours? Minutes? He is acting like it’s his first time.

We ran a 2 1/2″ line in an attempt to fill our local pond on my last shift. The crew was all experienced and professional and I would consider a most of them to be experts. I asked for a solid stream (built into the nozzle) we had an issue finding it, when the hydrant was charged it gave the line too much pressure, We had a difficult time with apparatus placement to have an easy escape in order to stay available for responses.

The placement issue was all me. It was a silly new officer mistake. I try not to micro manage so I let the driver pick the placement based on my requirements, now I know better. The line problems were just rust. Not equipment rust, but firefighter rust. I know they are good at their jobs, it was a good refresher for all. The total delay or inconvenience was negligible and barely noticeable to anyone watching but everyone involved knew what happened and how to fix it.

When we were harassing each other about it later one of the younger firefighters ask what we were talking about and why it was an issue. So I see we need to do it again and get him a little closer to the 10,000.

Every time you put your hands on that piece of equipment you are learning something about it. All those little things that make checking the piece faster and easier for you also make you more familiar with it. The more familiar you are, the better you are but also the more complacent you become, not getting into that today.

Do I think the saw needs to be checked every day to be maintained? No. I do think it needs to be checked every day to maintain our readiness and competency with it. I can understand getting rusty with a 2 1/2″ line, 75% of our work is handled with an 1 3/4″, but there is no excuse for not knowing your saw, ladder, EMS equipment.

Are you going to get 10,000 hours of training and become an “expert”? I doubt it. Most of us have long passed the expert level at sleeping or channel surfing, maybe Grand Master level for some. But the general idea here is that you need to get your hands on that stuff. Get your face in the books.

Become a student of the fire service.

 

Posted in administration-leadership, command-leadership, Drills, Education/Training, Engine Tips, Motivation, Thoughts

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June 28, 2012 • No comments

Fire Ground Operations # 4

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We want you to Identify basic functions by putting yourself in the position of our brother and sisters in the videos. Remember these are videos and you could be the next week. We want to learn and grow not critcize. Five basic points to consider.
•Size-Up
•Command
•Hose Lines ( Deployment, Number )
•Truck Functions
•Water Supply

Posted in command-leadership, Education/Training, firefighting-operations, fires, Training, Uncategorized, videos

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June 19, 2012 • No comments

Five Years Ago SSS

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The True Honor and the best Memorial will to be by Training and Never repeating what has already been done. Seek excellence in all you do.  Don’t talk training, Live it! Live to Learn, and Learn to Live!

Posted in Building Construction, command-leadership, Education/Training, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations

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June 18, 2012 • 1 comment

Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment

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I was trying to teach my children about doing quality work and making sure you can put your name on everything you do.  Of course one of them asked “But isn’t that a lot of work?” Yes, yes it is.  But the effort is the biggest part of any job well done.  Like Ghandi said.  Most of the time it’s the struggle that determines if the outcome is desirable or not.  In the fire service if you do good training and drilling you will do good work.

I thought of Rocky Valentine for some reason.  Rocky was the main character in an old 1960’s Twilight Zone episode called “A Nice Placeto Visit”.  Rocky was a career criminal that was gunned down after robbing a pawn shop.  He wakes up to Pip, his new person assistant for the afterlife.  Pip grants every wish Rocky has.  Rocky has amazing luck in this new afterlife, everything works out for him.  He doesn’t have to struggle with anything.  He wins at the casino every time, the ladies love him, his every wish is granted etc…  After a month of this Rocky gets bored and frustrated with everything working out all the time.   He tells Pip “I don’t belong here in Heaven, I want to go to the other place or I’ll go nuts!”  Pip asks him “What makes you think this is Heaven?”

In my new firehouse I go out with the guys and we do a little drill every day.  I’m not a ball buster and I am not trying to test anyone.  We go out as a crew and do something.

The last time we went out was to run the deck gun.  Nothing fancy, run water and play with tip sizes and talk scenarios and water flow.  One guy has been on for 3 years and that was his first time operating the deck gun.  I have to wonder when the previous officer expected this firefighter to learn this basic skill.  I can guarantee if they went to a surround and drown and that firefighter could not get the deck gun going the officer would lose his mind.

A firefighter I worked with months ago called me to complain that a firefighter that just transferred in ran the line around the stair case instead of up the center; they ran out of line short of the fire.  Tragic.  So now if we are out on a call and see some funky access or architectural oddities I ask the crew how they would handle it.

I’m not an engine guy so I am most definitely learning while we do it. But we are doing it.  When it comes time for us to work, we will work and hopefully it’ll work out right.  Other companies that I have worked at like to sit back and talk about the fires they had.

You are only as good as your last fire, right?  What about your next fire? What about the satisfaction of a job well done?

I think the deck gun qualifies as a basic firefighter skill.  I think shagging a line qualifies as a basic skill also.  Do you really want to be known as the company that messed up a BASIC skill?  Advanced stuff and the once in a lifetime things are fun to prepare for but if you mess up a basic skill on the fire ground you will wear that mistake forever.

 

 

Posted in command-leadership, Drills, Motivation, Thoughts

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June 7, 2012 • No comments

WHY?

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Hey everyone, I’m back like a really bad habit! How often in your next tour will you as a fireman or a company officer hear the word “Why” come out of a members mouth? This word can be good, bad, or just downright insubordinate. This is my getting back in the grove, so this will be short, but for anyone that knows me at all, much more is coming on this issue! Drillmaster’s challenge is simple. Count the “Why’s” your next tour, keep track positive or negative. Let me know and we are off to the races! I’m back, more opinionated as ever Brothers! Always remember those who came before us on this Memorial Day Weekend! we are our Brothers Keepers!

Posted in administration-leadership, command-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, Motivation, Thoughts

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May 27, 2012 • 2 comments

The Elite Company

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Often times fire companies will start to come together but start going in the wrong direction due to poor leadership or lack thereof. Members of the company will start to believe their own self made hype and will began to put distance between them and other members of the department. To become truly elite it takes Years of Service, Calls for Service, Training and Humility. Over time the members of the company must prove themselves worthy of the title of Elite given to them by their Brothers and Sisters as they test their Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities each day.  When companies take time to develop, stay low key, work hard and become a value to everyone through Service and Brotherhood they will be looked as Elite. A company’s success is not based upon one person(s) it is a company’s ability to grow, stay progressive and deliver quality service to all. To anyone reading this and find it offensive you, may fit the bill. You can correct this issue by coming back to earth and earning the respect back of your peers and doing your part.

Posted in command-leadership, Thoughts

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April 24, 2012 • No comments

Hold Your Assignment

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Often times aggressive fire companies want to get inside and do work, but it is with that same aggression firefighters get killed. If any firefighter out there could justify why 15 firefighters should be operating in a 1100 sq ft ranch house here is your opportunity. Firefighters have to be thinking firefighters, and use the basics. What do I mean? One company for fire attack, a company to back them up, a company to search and open up. I do realize that the number increases as the square footage goes up but it still needs to be managed. Interior supervisor’s need to recognize when too many companies are on the interior and correct the problem. It has already been proven that it takes 12-14 people for a RIT team to rescue one down firefighter, but yet we continue to put RIT teams in a position to rescue multiple firefighters with only a 3-4 person team. My point being if your position is not to be committed to interior operations your time will come so stand by. Remember the items that burn today are highly volatile and cause conditions to change as well as the inexperience on the fire ground making poor hose line selections, and improper fire ground coordination of ventilation.

Posted in Education/Training, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, training-development

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December 30, 2011 • No comments

Failure During Training

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During the setup a multi-agency drill, a conversation was started after a prop that was going to be used was built. The conversation covered when to remove a firefighter from the prop that will be used as apart of an Air Management course. The statement was made a firefighter starts to lose it you remove them from the prop. My feelings of course is that you allow them to stay there and work it out. My feelings are this way because, I feel that we are giving firefighters a false sense of security. Allowing them to believe that there is going to be a hand to just reach in and grab you when your in trouble. Firefighters who have experienced being lost and disoriented, or running out air know that this is not so. It was said to me that it seems like we just want firefighters to fail this particular skill by allowing them to panic and not pulling them out. My thoughts are the failure would be to pull them out and build that falsehood that help is always going to be right there. The basics are simple and plain if and when you get jammed because if your a firefighter going into structure fires you will, its simple you panic you could very well DIE! Yes I said it! Its a harsh reality,  but true. You have to have a survival attitude and training to go along with it. So I ask you the fire service where is the failure. Is failure allowing firefighters to be pulled out because they panic, or Failure not to let them panic and hammer the point home?

Posted in command-leadership, Drills, Education/Training, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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July 8, 2011 • 5 comments

Investing and Not in a 401 K

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I have written on this topic before but, I feel that it is even more important now. In a time when the Fire Service is under attack by the political hacks who are suppose to be servants of the people, our budgets are being cut and what area normally suffers first is training.  Firefighters are innovative by nature but were spoiled when times were better. Paid firefighters often criticize our volunteer brothers for giving of their time freely but, I employ you to see the lesson in their service. The lesson is investing in yourself. Finding a way to make it happen.  A good friend of mine, once a shining star in the NFL, told me during a discussion over dinner that Pro Athletes are relentless in their pursuit of their goal to make it to their respective leagues. Meaning they don’t just quit because practice is over and they are committed to spending whatever is necessary to go to camps and/or strength in conditioning tool. My point is they are constantly investing in themselves to achieve the optimum performance they expect of themselves. Firefighters have to make that same sacrifice in order to achieve the excellence we swore to provide when we took our oath or accepted the badge.  Even while not get raises and insurance cost on the rise, we have to find our way to increase our training no matter what. The Fire Service is becoming a youthful service and providing realistic and relevant training couldn’t be more important. What I’m getting at is we must be willing to reach into our own pockets to build necessary props and travel to training such as FDIC. I’m not saying the fire department is off the hook for training just saying we can’t sit around crying about what we don’ t have because truth be told we never had a lot before. At least not to adequate levels. So I ask again, will you be willing to invest in yourself? It is up to you to give yourself that edge you are looking for when on the fire ground or during promotional testing. What KSA’s will you bring to the table? Ever wonder why that guy you think is a know it all always has something to say or appears to know just about everything? It is because they invest in themselves. They are the folks who drool at the sight of the new Fire Engineering Books Catalog. They are the guys whom pay for the conferences and spend their vacations on doing fire service related things. Sure their are some who could just never shut up and when challenged can’t produce but what about the person who can? Every asked yourself why?

Posted in command-leadership, Education/Training, fire-rescue-topics, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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June 2, 2011 • No comments

Am I My Brothers Keeper?

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I’ve been spending some time training the probie lately.  What a good time.  Where does that motivation go?  What should I teach him?  At what point does my “teaching” become “storytelling”? How long before he becomes the next whining lump on the couch?

My goal: Prevent him from becoming a couch creature, ever.

Here’s what I’m telling him;

  1. You are going to hear a lot of different things from different people.  Don’t argue, just agree with them and do it their way for that day.  You will find your own methods, you just aren’t allowed to right now.
  2. If someone doesn’t answer your questions adequately go to your officer or me.  I’ll have time for you; I’ll get you the best answer according to our SOP’s.
  3. Until you prove yourself and/or you are off probation your priorities are as follows; getting here early, checking your personal gear, checking/washing the truck, then house duties, finally you will be the last one to leave at the end of shift, sorry.
  4. When we do drills ask questions after the evolutions, not during.  Then ask for clarification if needed, get it done right during training.  Also during training is when we have time for mistakes and redo’s, not during incidents.
  5. Stay away from the coffee table until you know the first and last names of everyone there, and then sit there quietly until invited into discussion.
  6. Listen to the war stories, but try to find the truth in them.  Try to figure out what was done incorrectly to end up in that situation.  Ask you officer if you have questions, don’t ask the storyteller.
  7. I know you want to learn tech rescue, we’ll get there.  Learn the pump and medical protocols first.  We will get to the rest later.
  8. Make your own opinion about other people and other companies.  Worry about doing YOUR job correctly first.
  9. No naps, don’t park/wash your car in the firehouse, keep your butt in the radio room.

10. These guys are not going to be around when you are 80 years old sitting in a rest home.  Hopefully your family will.  Be Safe, always remember your family when you are at work.

11. Wear your equipment.  Let the “salty dogs” get caught with their pants down, they will have some excuse that makes it someone else’s fault that they weren’t ready, you have none.

12. Always have promotion in the back of your mind.  Find an officer to emulate.  Study, study, study there is a lot to this job and plenty of nationwide opportunities for knowledgeable and motivated personnel.

I’m not a mean guy and there are exceptions to everything, but I think if he follows this general outline he’ll be just fine.  Even if he does make some mistakes I think he’ll be better off then the probie on another group who asked the officer to move his car out of the firehouse so the probie could wash his own car.

Good luck all you new guys.  This is the greatest job.

Be Safe.

Posted in Thoughts, training-fire-rescue-topics

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March 8, 2011 • 1 comment

Leadership problem

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All to often I hear of firefighters today wanting to be babysat when it comes to doing their job. Some, but not all, want you to tell them to drill ; When to drill and how to drill. My question is when the decision is made to be, or not to be, a professional, who’s job is it to take corrective action?

Does it always have to be formal corrective action or can the Senior Firefighters within our companies handle it?

Posted in administration-leadership, command-leadership, training-development

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March 4, 2011 • 1 comment

What is Brotherhood/Sisterhood

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This title has sat in my draft box for sometime and for good reason. I thought of this title one day while becoming very angry at another Brother. Quite often firefighter’s use the term Brother, but do not really understand the meaning behind what they are saying. It is just the common thing to say and an easy way to fit in. I want you to think about the word Family and then think about what it means to you and how you feel about your family. Now I know everyone did not grow up in a perfect utopia living like the Brady’s or the Huxtables, but for the most part I think the meaning is understood. Often times growing up if you had siblings you probably wanted to kill them, but the flip side of the coin is you would absolutely kill for them. So I pose my first question? Why is it that we allow envy to creep in our departments or firehouses and run rampant? What happen to facing each other if you had a discrepancy and working it out. Often times now it seems firefighters now conspire with others to gang up on one firefighter. Brotherhood/Sisterhood use to mean looking out for each other at all cost and it was an US against the world not each other. When did it become appropriate to criticize a fellow firefighter ever, or even worse, before offering them help with their issue? One of the greatest Traditions the Fire Service has to offer is the lessons of the past, that are now seemingly not getting passed on because the wrong folks are getting put in place, and yet we allow for this to happen time after time by not putting that person in there place or when they first come helping them understand what they have become apart of. In thinking of Brother/Sisterhood, it means no matter what you will be there for each other unconditionally. If I have something you need, it should never be to good for you not to use it. If you just need someone to talk to I should be offering that listening ear. If you are a little short on cash to make the mortgage and I got it, it should be yours no questions asked. With no favors expected in return. Most of all give the gift of  knowledge, share what you know. Now I ask you what does Brother/Sisterhood mean to you?

Posted in administration-leadership, Thoughts

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January 10, 2011 • 2 comments

Flashover Friday

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We are asking the question do you think it is ok to hire line Company Officer’s from the outside into a department.If so why?

What should their Credentialing be?

Has your department done this and what was the outcome?

What message does this send to incumbent members of the department?

What does it say about the leadership or lack of leadership in the department?

Posted in administration-leadership, command-leadership, Thoughts

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September 10, 2010 • 1 comment