The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ALL THE REAL FIREFIGHTERS
Is it just me or has the commitment of the younger firefighters these days just gone to pot? Now don't get me wrong there are some young guys and gals out there that still go get it but they are a shrinking breed. Out of 20+ applicants to take our last agility test only 5-6 passed the rest just quit because they were tired out. We have a working fire at my volley station and 1 cylinder of air and they are laid out in the yard wipped out and the house is still burning, and one last thing is this, it's all about "me" thing, only looking out for myself instead of whats best for the crew or the dept.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by willy952 on
-
thank you joel .we are not trying to put down anyone jim. it's just we need to see more from the guys and girls {young and old} thats all we want lol sorry if i hurt anybody that was not my intent i love the fire family all of you your all my family
-
Permalink Reply by Ron Maddox on
-
First thing, at 7 years your a vet... Age is not the factor here. You came up and grew up with the department. You are the ones that no one complains about. You are part of the leadership and you should show what dedication and honor are. I commend you for being there for as long as you have been at your age. But remember you have time under your belt....
-
-
What personal attacks, and BS.?
-
Permalink Reply by robbie on
-
I can not speak for everyone, but in my 13 years in the military and 12 years in the fire service there has been a real change in work ethic and ability. I was raised to work for what you got. If it was as simple as taken out the trash as a 10 y/o for allowance, or a part time job after school to pay for gas. I had to work to get what I wanted, even in college. I see kids now that only know how to operate a computer or and xbox. They start to sweat and it's over with. I still to this day can go through 2 cylinders before i'm finished. I am 36 and feel I am in okay shape but can allways be better.
-
Permalink Reply by Joel C Kelley on
-
I remember my first fire, a pile of firewood (30 plus cords) with structural exposures. I was assigned to begin overhaul operations by pulling apart hotspots and hosing them down. I put on my first bottle and went in, only to come out at 500PSI because I got a little freaky. I sat at rehab sucked some o's and went back in for two more bottles. I learned a lot that day, and those lessons have stayed with me both in my fire life and my civilian life.
Nowhere but in the military or the fire service will young people be taught what it means to push yourself further or harder, and as a result, we will have to develop new ways to build this ethic in the new generation as they come to our stations, and we as the senior personnel need to guide and mentor younger pups to help them see the value of this way of thinking and doing.
My last department had an SCBA survival maze. They would guarantee that you would go through at least two bottles, and one you would suck dry. Every conceivable fire situation was in the maze and it was a great way to build not only confidence and cool headedness, but a way to push folks out of the Xbox comfort zone. Exhausting? Hell yeah, but worth it.
Again, if we push ourselves, and be the example to those we wish to teach, then we will be the best.
-
-
Ron, they were deleted, suffice it to say that some inappropriate events transpired..
-
Permalink Reply by Stelzer III on
-
I think everyone had a valid point and can match a youth to the text below, but we (as people) feed this lazyness to our kids... Here is the Playstation, Wii and x-box - go play marry x-mas... When growing up did you need to see a tv ad saying VERB its what you do, go run, jump and play... We didn't need that because we weren't home until the street lights came on...
-
Permalink Reply by Hugh on
-
Alot of volunteer firefighters especially in PA is burned out tired from classes and wonder if all these work and training ever will ever pay off for the firefighters since PA hasn't made much of effort for the Volunteers to ever see their dream come true and see them become paid firefighters so they can keep their families or themselves in there home state especially so they can become taxpayers and make dent in the Commonwealths budget.God Bless You Men and Women for every free moment I trully wonder how much its appreciated?
-
Permalink Reply by ILDisasterEMT on
-
I guess I dont see it as much being new to the fire service. I have a good group in my class. We are just starting to work on a lot of team type stuff whether its hose rolling, making repairs, laying lines, etc. We're getting stronger, both physically and mentally and I think the sense of "team" is starting to kick in. The other day, while we were having class, three of our companies were called out for a box alarm. They got back and the trucks were a mess, so my class pitched in, pulled the hoses off, relayed them, got things squared away and got the trucks back in service. You could see on the faces of those of us doing the work that we knew we were actually doing something which benefited not only the department, but our community. Sure, quite a few of us are out of shape, but we are working on it, exercising better and more, eating right, staying hydrated. I think of the line in the Guardian where it says "There will come a time where you will be tired, and you will want to quit. The question is, will you?" So far none of us have. I know last week by the time we were up in the truck bed relaying hose, my arms were quivering from the weight of working with my team, wrangling 250' of 5" pipe and Storz couplings and all. But it was a good feeling and we just kept right on going. I think we are starting to train as we work. That is we dont see any difference. We attack any training with the same ferocity required of being on the fire ground. Sure, people get tired hauling 5" pipe. But when the FTO says, one more time, we are all there, clammering to be the first in line. And when one of us falls back a little, there are always five guys there to help. We are getting through as a group. We are starting to see the divisions of who will work at which house and those trainees really stick together, because they know they will have to work together under very adverse conditions. I think we are doing a pretty good job for being only a month in.
-
Permalink Reply by David Rodgers on
-
The newbie s need to be developed by older and hopefully wiser firefighters. In doing this the "mentors" will teach them to work smarter not harder. i remember fighting fire with guys who had hip boots and refused "air packs"....now it is a no brainer that these items are necessary tools. Teach them how to work a bottle correctly, preserve air, and develop their sense of brotherhood. It will be in yours and everyone else 's best interest.
-
Permalink Reply by Firesqwasher357 on
-
From what Ive read of most of the replies to this, you are getting one common response said many different ways. The way the "young one's" have been raised is starting to reflect on our business. Those who have been taught respect and to work for what you've got become great firefighters and future leaders. Those who haven't been taught this come into the service looking to become the next hero, but they don't want to do the hard work. They also end up burning out faster because not everyone gets to be a "hero" in their area. My solution to this, take those who need help becoming better firefighters under our wings and vigorously teach them the responsibilities we all have working together. For the ones that do the work asked and not asked of them, reward them with praise and more responsibility. I may only be 29, but Ive been in this business for 13 years and am lucky enough to be raised by an old-school grandfather and father that are still part of emergency services. My final thought on this, we need to teach our own kids the responsibility and work ethic that being in this wonderful career entails.
-
Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
-
I look at it this way:
When I was younger and just married, my wife and I struggled to make ends meet. When we had our son, he wouldn't remember that money was tight. We always provided for him, whatever he needed and if we had extra money, we would treat him in some way. What he SAW was that things were good. Thus, he didn't see that hard work that went into providing for a family. He went on to college and worked during the summers for his spending money and he took out student loans and so did we. It's all paid for now.
Today's firefighters are much the same way. They weren't around the old technology and attitudes. They only know the new technology, so they have a different attitude. I'd like to think that they are working smarter; not harder. Along with that may come the idea that the old guys are stuck in a time warp. I don't think that it has occurred to them that the reason there are old guys is because the old guys have adapted and changed right along with the fire service. They may not be as "fast" as they once were, but they still have plenty to offer in terms of experience and wisdom. You can't be in the fire service for thirty years and not know something.
Yeah; the young people ARE the future and the veterans will lead them to it.
TCSS.
Art
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
