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Know everything, fear nothing; invincible got any firefighters like that in your station?
I know it takes a special person to do the job we do. One has to be strong both physical and mentally. As fire fighters we are expected to perform some pretty crazy things of which most people would not attempt, when everyone else is running out we are running in. We see things that can shake most of us pretty bad but we seem to handle it and move one. We are expected to react with little information and little time to think about it. People lives and property depend on us to make the right decision do the right thing and do sometimes when there is great risk.
So you have to expect those that chose this profession as a full time career or as volunteer, come with some pretty strong personal characteristic. One needs confidence courage leadership and the ability to do what most wont.
But here in lies one of my problems; this doesn’t apply to all firefighters but a few. This issue has been around my station for some time but more recently has come up as a more serious issue.
1. How do you get those firefighters that seem to think they know everything have done it all and feel they are invincible to actively participate in training? I know there is the “I am telling you to do IT so do it method but just wonder what your experiences have been both success and failures.
We are currently going through mandatory training on RIT and self-rescue and it sure is frustrating when what your trying to do is keep yours guys safe and make sure they all come home, and they don’t see it that way.
2. How do you deal with firefighters that seem to think it’s never going to happen to them that they are invincible? I recently tried to make some changes to one of our fire strategies when dealing with a particular type of structure fire. It was felt by the officers that we needed to take a more defensive approach the structure we are entering was that “a structure” no lives at risk that is except the firefighters entering the structure. ( see discussion on tobacco barn fires) Well you can imagine the outcry and commotion that caused. It seems difficult for some to guys to be able to properly evaluate the Risk vs the Reward or potential outcome. For some it seem everything is worth the RISK. At times I think some of these firefighters are adrenalin junkies or thrill seekers?
I was sending out (e-mails) and discussing news clippings and articles etc that I found here on FFN and other firefighter forums where something went wrong. My hope was that this would bring some reality and be a wakeup call to some that things can go wrong and when they do the outcome is not always good. My hope was that we could learn from these incidents and make some good of them. I received a complaint don’t you have anything better to do then to look this stuff up.
Some of these individuals are pretty good firefighters but need some redirection and coaching. Just looking for some ideas
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Wade Seely on
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You could try to get a survivor in to do a presentation. I know that there are several who have been in horrific situations and badley burned. Maybe hearing from someone who has been through it will get them to take it to heart.
TCSS
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Permalink Reply by Pararescue on
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Tell them to read about Don Herbert, a Buffalo, NY firefighter who had a roof come down on him and suffocate him, leave him in a coma for 10 years. Only to wake up and live 2 years and pass away from pneumonia. Or research Mark Reed of Engine 31 in Buffalo, NY. They might wake up then. I know I did.
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Permalink Reply by Moose on
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I agree with this idea Wade, excellent way to scare the members straight. If you get someone who was involved in some major incident and survived that may be doing lectures now to educate others, that is the best way to go.
I remember years ago, when I was 19, fresh out of high school still living at home, taking every course that came out that year and going to every call, I was the youngest EMS Captain in my squad, EMT running dozens of calls a week and getting burnt out but not admitting it. I felt like I was on top of the world...untill...My chief at the time got a firefighter from some municipality, I forgot if it was FDNY or one of the local cities to me like Albany. He was involved in a partial collapse of the room he was searching for some victims. He told us he too felt invincible and when his chief officers were deciding the risk/benefit of trying a search for vicitims in a Type V(000) residence that was 3/4 involved, he took the initiative and started a search anyway. After telling us that, he reached into a box by his feet and pulled out what was left of his turnouts he was wearing that day, and put them on the table. Then he started a slide presentation of the fire, him and his crew entering the second floor window from the porch roof, than seconds later another picture showing the plume of fire and smoke coming from the same window after the ceiling collapsed on him and his crew, and the pictures of them being pulled out and taken by EMS, and the pictures of his burns while at the burn unit in Syracuse NY, the grafting process of his skin, he explained the terrible ordeal of getting his burnt skin rubbed with abrasives to remove the dead skin and the pain he went through even with pain killers...
To say the least, it scared the ever mother loving shit out of me and the others. I learned to be humble, respectful of my officers and their orders, and I learned that I needed to be smarter, not braver. I took more classes, read the books, got more books from the academy library, studied, went home and actually read the articles in the magazines I had for the sole purpose of the pictures of fires they contained, but now I read those articles and subscribed to more firefighting magazines. I went to Lectures put on by various career city fire chiefs at local College campuses and listened to what they said. It was an eye opener.
Today I am captain and proud to be, I teach my crews how to respect the fire and attack it from a different angle, and learn to realize when its too dangerous to risk anything. I tell them its not a cowardly thing to back out and start the master streams, its the SMART thing. I just found out recently that my Chief wants to nominate me as her assistant chief too, so wish me luck next month!
Stay safe chief, and best of luck to you in re-educating your crews on safety and caution, and the risk benefit analyses. Let us know how you make out.
Stay Safe
Moose
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Permalink Reply by Alan McGuigan on
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thats awesome news Moose Good luck next month it sure sounds like you have worked hard for it
Never stop learning !!
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