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Cobwebs on the gearrack
So ive been in the fireservice about two years now and love every second of it. I come from a fairly small town with a fairly small fire department ( 8 apparatus, 28 members, around 500 calls a year). Just before I got on this department, a new firechief was elected. Since his election; six members have quit. Now before we go jumping to conclusions about the new chief, let me say this. The previous chief had the department "stuck in the past." He refused to create sops, follow new guidelines, apply for new grants, etc. He was content to keep his department the way it had been for the past twenty years that he was chief. Now this is all what I have been told, never witnessed, as I said he had retired before I got on. In either case, The new chief came on and started to slowly make some changes. There was a certain group of members, the six that quit, that did not like any of the changes that were being made, they were also content to let the department stay the way it had been for so many years past. We all know that simply cant be. In just recent years, huge changes have been made to the service and departments must comply with those changes if they want to get anywhere. In anycase, Now we have a new problem, A BIG PROBLEM. The younger guys that were complaining about the dead weight that was on the department before, (the six guys that quit), have now become dead weight themselves. My department is facing a HUGE crisis with guys simply not showing up for calls.
Like I said, Ive only been on for two years, but I knew the current chief before I got on and weve only become better freinds now. We have had a lot of "heart to heart" talks about many other things then the department, although we have talked alot about the dept. now that we have this huge problem.
Okay, so now let me finally get to the point LOL. Last saturday we had a medic assist call, boring right? While apparently so because only I, the asst. chief, and the chief showed up for it. This was 9 o'clock on a Saturday night. What are we doing wrong that only three guys show up for a call at 9 on a saturday night??? I sat down with both of those guys that night when we got back from that call and we talked about this problem and how we can fix it. Sadly, we couldnt even really come up with any good reasons why guys arent showing up, let alone how to fix the problem. How can we fix something when we dont know what is broke???
I hope that I am passing along the sencerity of my thoughts through this post because I am really at a loss here for answers. I love the fire service, I love my department, and now I see it slipping farther and farther down into the ground. I ask anyone who has any ideas/help for me and my department because right now, the three guys that really care about this deparment are at a loss. Help keep my department going and help keep the cobwebs off the gearrack!!!
Like I said, Ive only been on for two years, but I knew the current chief before I got on and weve only become better freinds now. We have had a lot of "heart to heart" talks about many other things then the department, although we have talked alot about the dept. now that we have this huge problem.
Okay, so now let me finally get to the point LOL. Last saturday we had a medic assist call, boring right? While apparently so because only I, the asst. chief, and the chief showed up for it. This was 9 o'clock on a Saturday night. What are we doing wrong that only three guys show up for a call at 9 on a saturday night??? I sat down with both of those guys that night when we got back from that call and we talked about this problem and how we can fix it. Sadly, we couldnt even really come up with any good reasons why guys arent showing up, let alone how to fix the problem. How can we fix something when we dont know what is broke???
I hope that I am passing along the sencerity of my thoughts through this post because I am really at a loss here for answers. I love the fire service, I love my department, and now I see it slipping farther and farther down into the ground. I ask anyone who has any ideas/help for me and my department because right now, the three guys that really care about this deparment are at a loss. Help keep my department going and help keep the cobwebs off the gearrack!!!
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Comment by Joe Stoltz on September 30, 2008 at 9:18pm
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We had a water problem, a foot of water in someone's basement at 10 on a Saturday night, and I almost had to call mutual aid! But it was an isolated incident, and generally we get a good turnout on the minor stuff - EMS calls, automatic alarms, etc.
But every now and then it just happens that there is no one around at night. Such is the volunteer fire service, at least in some areas.
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Comment by Joey "BigShow" De Piano on September 29, 2008 at 9:19pm
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Wow if ididn't know better I would swear I wrote that from my last Dept. the chief and the "over 20yrs crew" did the same thing but he didn't step down and they didn't quit in fact it was the opposite they bucked the changes still (why I am no longer there) Anyway, Bear in mind this is easier if your an officer but the first step starting Oct.1,08 call mandatory work detail or meeting do this on a night you know most will be home, before you call it in drive by a few of the crews homes make sure they are there, once you call it in attendance after that call their homes see what the excuse is (some might be legit) then those who do not show up and have low % get their gear moved from front of the bay to the last dressing lockers they don't need the front lockers if they aren't there to dress and work, and trust me after a few now and again showing up calls they will notice and question it and your answer is simple "if you had shown up you would have known" it puts the burden on them and if they have no decent excuse and you know they were home let them tell their tale to you but not one on one cause thats a he said he said thing..do it in the meeting, let everyone know that not only can't you count on that person but the others can't either, you will single them out and either they walk away or come around again.
Trust me when I tell you having made major changes in my last dept. is a fight period, why?..can't really say but the excuse list is long, I think it comes down to those who want to learn and advance and progress take things on full throttle and then we have those who are content in beliefs that as long as its water on the fire everything is fine, I had that battle a long time with one former Lt. after I was Lt. and i was able to shut him down by simply asking what he would do if at a car or business store fire and as he shot water out the fire seemed to grow and spark like welding, he was clueless as to what I was asking, and scoffed at the scenario, till i popped in the tape of the West coast arsonist who was doing insurance arson with magneseum which as we know has a reactive to water and it intensifies(great video btw old but if guys have no clue informative) anyway the next month we had 4 members take a refresher on HazMat 1 so old dogs can be taught new tricks if you sever the ring leaders leash. It is what worked for me but the raw truth is no one likes to be shown they are doing it wrong, so let everyone else see they are and problems tend to melt away.
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