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sense of entilement
I've been noticing on here lately that most of the younger probies/juniors (before ff1) have a sense of entilement. I'm not FF1 yet and enxt week I finish EMT school. Theres alot of expectations, like getting illegal blue lights, being pissed that trucks pull out when they pull in, getting kicked out of their truck seats for SCBA certified people. Or breaking company school night rules to get into trucks. They're the first one to run in and grab their gear but the last to volunteer to clean trucks. Leaving trucks halfway washed to run to McDonalds for Shamrock Shakes. I'll show up when trucks come back to help clean lines and tools, when kids show up I grab my gear so they can see what firefighters wear. I dont hop in a truck till the door opens so I dont waste time to leave my seat. Just like the thousands of juniors threads whining and bitching that they can't get pagers, gear, etc... You need to earn these rights, before FF1 on a fire scene theres not much that can be done and een I know I sometimes get in the way bc I dont always know what to do... Does this stuff bother anyone else as much as it annoys me?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Smoke Eater on
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Well said.... I think it gets to us all to one degree or another. Sounds like you have a good attitiude about what you can and can't do on a call. Keep it up and you will do just fine!!!
Stay safe
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Permalink Reply by Paul Young on
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It sounds like some of the leadership has missed addressing this problem.....and it is nationwide. It does sound like you are providing the example. Hopefully they will take heed. Keep up the good work.
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Permalink Reply by John on
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Well said it is nationwide and its not just in the fire service either, I have seen it in the auto repair field as well, guys come out of trade scholl and immeadiately think they should be the main tech of the shop.
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Permalink Reply by Dustin J. Millis on
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Lauren... You are the first probie on this site that has given me the slightest bit of hope for the future of the fire service. After reading some of the discussions posted by a certain "cody baker" and his sidekick/boyfriend "brandon," I've really started to worry about the new generation of FF's.
This sense of entitlement is nationwide. I blame the media!!! LOL yeah i know its a little cliche but think about it and you will realize its true. Every commercial on tv tells us how we deserve this and that. That we work hard for our money and we earned the right to buy that brand new suv. WE DESERVE IT!!!! We deserve that five dollar latte from starbucks, that brand new Garmin GPS for the car, and that new Dell Laptop. All this telling us what we deserve and we start to believe it.
It sounds like you have a great attitude and a true desire to learn. Keep listening to your officers and senior FF's, work hard, and just keep doing what your doing. You will earn a great respect from your peers and elders!!!
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Lauren:
You have a very keen eye and a great attitude.
But, the funny thing about a sense of entitlement is that it goes FULL CIRCLE.
That is, it can be seen in the veterans as well.
Watch for it in training. You will notice some of them not doing an evolution and when asked why, they will say something like "I have done this before; I'm taking the night off" or a similar weak excuse.
But I like the cut of your jib.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Some Irish Guy on
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Great point, Lauren. I agree with all the above posts-this is a national problem in our generation, and it's not something limited to the fire service. There are at least a few young members who refer to themselves as "firefighters", while rarely making calls and being the first to leave the firehouse after a call, and never showing up to drill. Fortunately though, there are many young guys in my department who are dedicated and eager to learn, who are always willing to drill and even just study the truck.
This mentality of entitlement isn't something that changes easily. You're probably just going to have to tough it out and be the example, and hope that some more members like yourself join. What people don't realize is that the title of "firefighter" is something earned through years of practice and experience. You don't just join and become one, or pass a class where you read a textbook the whole time. I'm a rookie ff, FF1 passed and I've seen a decent amount of fire, but I'm still reluctant to call myself a "firefighter" and put myself on the same level as the guys who've been doing this job for decades. As far as I'm concerned, it's up to them when I'm considered a full firefighter-not me.
Keep up your attitude, and try to get friends you know who have the same attitude to join-the entire atmosphere in a firehouse can change if there are even a few young people with a positive attitude who want to drill, train, and even do things like clean the firehouse and wash the truck.
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Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on
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Ahhhhhhhhh a good jake indeed. Sounds like your head is "screwed "on and you have a good attitude. As far as the "entitlement" issue. It runs a lot deeper then the fire service. This is the "I deserve it" generation. They have nop thought other then THEY DESERVE it...afterall they want it, they should get it. Mom and Dad (thats us in some cases) told them they were special and they could do anything. many have NO concept of work...let alone work ethic. Maybe we can change it, maybe we can't. That's why in some ways it does US best to stick by our guns and do it "our way".
I had a kid (19) come in the other day and tell me he wanted to be a firefighter and asked if I could sit down and discuss it with him. It was great and so was he. The next shift I had a 45 year old woman come in and ask the same questions. While her son sat there and watched...well looked out my window. As she was telling me how much "Billy" wanted to be a fireman and how good "Billy" will be on the job, all I could imagine was "Billy" looking out my window and turning and saying "mommy look at da biiiiiiiiiiig rewd fiore truck, I wanna be a fireman mommy" !!!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on
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Lauren,
Keep that going and you'll see the that it will help you with the senior members in your department. As you said there are the Juniors and probies that whine about not getting the respect that they should, well you are doing everything right. I for one think that is great. Keep up the good work and you will do well.
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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
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Actually I am amused by it all. Your title "Sense of entitlement" is just that! They believe what they perceive or see to be the way things are. They just dont realize that what it takes to be respected and part of the team is to earn that respect and place on the team they have to do what it takes to get there. Seems that young people today want to BE something or HAVE something cause they see adults having these things. They want to get there right now cause they are used to playing videos and such that is all about instant entertainment and gratification. It is sad really because our society has fostered this notion and the kids are just going with the flow and excepting this as truth. Those of us who have been in this for some time realize what it takes to get where we are and know that it takes the whole package to be what we are. Not just a certificate or title either. Bottom line, RESPECT IS EARNED! EARN IT! Learn to open your eyes and ears and shut your mouth. You will go far with that in mind.
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Good STRONG words Chief!
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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We are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, stimulus check, bailout, emergency lights, take my POV to the fire, have the contractors wash the trucks after a call (that's who does it right?), ride on the fire truck (even though I have no experience), and those stupid "I Fight What You Fear" t-shirts.
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