Tricks VS. The Trade

"What you showed me isn't in the book.  What are the Chiefs gonna say if I do this?  Are you gonna have my back if I do this and someone says something?"  This is a real quote from a firefighter at a recent training


Are we so worried about book knowledge and pieces of paper that we fail to learn the real life application of our job?  As an instructor and a fire officer, one of the "hurdles" I have encountered is that people have FF1, FF2, a cape and a "S" on their chest.  However, when they pull up with fire blowing, they don't know whether to stretch a line or go fetal.  Safety is more than just a buzz word, a sticker on a helmet or a program.  True safety is grassroots, its hands-on and its continuous.

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Comment by FETC on January 16, 2011 at 4:29pm
I agree to a degree but it depends on what and when you are teaching. I find when experienced instructors show probies the tricks of the trade before the basic foundation skills are mastered, then to new kid only knows the short cut way which is actually safe-ish.

Not to mention as a instructor/coordinator, I have heard more times than I want to from a student who is testing for a FF1 or FF2 skill that, "This is how we were shown by the experienced instructor as they fail said skill station.

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