I just joined an explorer post, and I wanted to know what your first explorer meeting was like. What should I expect? Should I do anything special to prepare? What might the others expect of me? I would really appreciate any other advice you could give me.
First night is the worst unless you know someone there. After that it gets better. The only advice I know that will help on every occasion is to take the crap they all dish out, ignore it, and still work as hard as you can at everything. Do this for a week you give a good impression. Do this all the time and you'll earn respect. Worked for me...
First off, don't expect anything. You can really only get a proper response from someone in the department you are in, as different departments do things differently. With that being said, just take in all the information given to you. Do your best to retain that info. Learn your way around the station, not just the station itself, but the people in it. Get to know those you will be seeing. Check out the aparatus. See and remember where things are. Take notice of a couple things that you have no idea about and ask about them. Just a couple. Don't ask so many questions all at once about every ff subject under the sun. Do whatever your officers tell you to do. If they say walk like a duck, then do it. It's for a reason. You will get harassed from time to time. Deal with it. It's all good. They don't mean to give you some kind of complex or anything, just want to see who you are.
Ok, my brain just quit on me. So, yeah, just have fun, learn lots and be safe.
Maryann, remember...The people you will meet at your Explorer post weren't born knowing what they know. At one point they knew as much as you know now. 16 years ago I had no idea what to expect as I entered the Fire Academy. just take it one day at a time, pay attention and try not to take the "hazing" personally. Best of luck and stay safe!