As I've been going around teaching and talking with various departments in the state. I am coming to the same thought....no matter if it's paid or volunteer, it's all the same stuff. I know what you're thinking and please close your mouth (your going to attract flies). Hear me out before you decide I'm just some ignorant firefighter.
As I go around and teach on various topics and I sit and talk with fire chiefs and firefighters I am beginning to hear the same stuff. Example: "We just can't find good help" "The guys don't want to train" "We have got to get more personnel" "How do you enforce (you fill in this blank) rule?"
I am beginning to see that it doesn't matter the station, paid, vollie or anything else. The only real difference is the color of the truck and the name on the side. Yea, there are a few difference, but they are few and far between. So you say....what's your point to this.....
Ok, everyone got their special shoes on...???? You know the ones with the steel toes, cause I'm probably fixin to walk all over some peoples toes.
Rule 1...You can not enforce rules that you, yourself, don't follow. (Wow, jumping on the officers first, that's gutsy) How can you tell a guy...."wear your seatbelt", then you leave the station EVERYTIME with your's off. It does not work that way. "Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't work for our kids, it dang sure ain't going to work for our firefighters.
Rule 2...You can not find good help if you are allowing slackers in your department. Now I don't know your department, but as I often ask my students...."How many guys are on your roster?". Now you paid guys, don't you dare start nodding your heads and saying yea yea, we have this exact same problem.
So chief, how many guys on the roster? Ok...how many are active....? I usually hear 20-35 on the roster and 5-10 active. Ok, now I don't know your department, but let me tell you about those inactive guys. They are the guys that are always coming to the chief with "I lost my right gloves ( you can substitute left glove or hood here) chief" or they always have the broken faceshield. But they never seem to make a call or training session...so how is this stuff getting lost/broken???? Oh well, moving on, these inactive guys almost never come to a training session and when they do you remember why you wish they wouldn't. They sit in the back (where else would a firefighter sit) and talk about how this is a stupid training session, how the training officer doesn't know anything, how they have more time than the instructor, how they could have been teaching this, but they just don't want to. They are always trying to find a shortcut, that causes their team to work harder for their lack of wanting to do anything.
This is the person that when they come to a call it TOTALLY worthless. They don't know how to pump that "new truck" (the one you've had for 2 years), they don't know how these "new airpacks" work (you know the ones you've had for 18 months) or they don't know about the new command and tactics your using (that you've been doing for a year now). This is the person, that with 3 hoselines going in the front door will arrive on scene, not report in, not drop off that "new accountability tag" (that you've had in place for 6 months) and will get a spare hoseline and go around back and come in from the rear door.
These inactive people are the ones that are always having a broken pager/radio, but again, they never seem to be on a call or training session for it to break. This is the person that drives mach 3 to the brush fire in the 2nd tanker.
Ok, ok...I know you're thinking that I've got cameras in you station. Let me be real serious now....this is the person that is running around out there with your name on them....they are drinking in your fire shirt. Now I'm not saying you should or should not drink, but if you out drinking alcohol in a fire dept shirt then get in anything other than a tricycle and drive....you should have your butt kicked and your firefighter status revoked.
This is the person that is constantly complaining to the mayor, city/county board or fire board about how the department should be.
So...do I know your inactive people? Never been to your station, don't know these guys from Adam's house cat, but I do know firefighters. Ok, so how do I solve this?
Easy, you cut your dead weight. You start enforcing the rules (if you don't have rules you write them). If members miss training sessions without a legitimate excuse you put them on "probation", they can't make a call, but they still have to attend trainings, fund-raisers and all the "non-fun" stuff. You say things like, "you don't wear your seatbelt/PPE, ou go home on a suspension for 30-90 days.
Now I know about 1/2 of you fainted...after you recover and the chest pain & shortness of breath go away, here me out. I know you're thnking, dude...folks will leave....and I have to tell you. You are right. Ok, take a deep breath....breath in, breath out. Some of you are about to stroke out. But wait......
Didn't you say earlier that you had 30 on your roster, but only 5-10 active???? Sooooo....who's going to quit? Those dedicated 5-10 or the other 20-25 slackers you have. Chiefs tell me all the time, man if we did what you said, we'd be down to 5 guys.....chief wake up......all you got is 5 guys now!!!
Those other 15-25 slackers are sitting around and just abusing $2,000 worth of your gear (including radio). Most importantly, they are abusing your good name. I'd just about give them $2,000 in gear if they'd just give me the name and T-shirts back. Keep the gear, just NEVER tell anyone else that your with or have ever been with our department.
Maybe I'm wrong...maybe I have no clue what I'm talking about.....maybe I am just some idiot.......or maybe I'm on to something here.
Stay tuned....next time Rule 3 & 4...and us paid guys better bring the specials shoes, cause I'm going to get all up in our Corn Flakes next.