Juniors being treated like 9 year old children?

So, my department treats us Juniors very well. We do all the trainings our regular members do except sometimes we do our own tasks. Like today, we did hose evolution. Was great, i got to work the nozzle, and learned alot about how to stance yourself when operating a hose like that. I now have a new respect for the senior firefighters who make it look so easy. Because I trained, i came, i saw, i worked it out.

So basically, my department tells us, we have important jobs too, we do alot, in my department we follow the Pennsylvania Junior Firefighting guidelines i suppose. And mixed with our own, basically the only thing we cant do is, enter a burning structure fire, utilize a ladder, and work hydraulic equipment, etc. So Basically, we can do outside operations on a structure fire. We also respond to MVA's. I mean, we do work, we're not stupid.
We work hard, we keep our grades up, we HELP out A LOT, some of the senior firefighters dont know how stressful it is to work our butts off, study the trucks, run the gear, pack up,
and then 5 minutes later hear someone saying "there just children, blah blah blah blah"
Like, im not complaining because like i said
My department is good about the juniors
But i see alot of places where the senior ff's look at us like we're 9 year old kids who cant do a dang thing.

when alot of them, themselves, were juniors at one time.
I think we play an important role.
Don't you?

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Permalink Reply by Tom on March 18, 2009 at 4:17pm

Brandon, in the fire service there are all kinds of people. There are those that understand that respect is EARNED and not automatic no matter how OLD one is or how many years they have in the service. Notice that I said years in the service rather than experience. One can be in the service for a great many of years and still not have as much experience as someone who only has a few years. It all depends on how busy your department is, how active you are, and how much training you do. Some are just miserable people and treat everyone bad who has fewer years than them.

I have averaged more runs per year for the last 7 1/2 years than some of the companies in the lower part of my state have as a whole company. I am a member of one of the BUSIEST companies in my state. We also have training every week. I attend most of those. With that being said, I still don't know everything there is to know. That is why I go to training. Do I EXPECT respect from the younger crowd? Yes but not automatically because I don't know what they know and they don't know what I know. That is why one must get to know someone before they look DOWN on them.

I am a Captain (appointed by the Chief) in one of the busiest companies in the state so he must believe that I know what I am doing. I do have the respect of the newer members as well as the older members. Why? Well it’s not because I look down on them or treat them like pissants. I treat them with respect and in return they treat me with respect. Unfortunately not all people are like that. Some are just miserable people and treat everyone bad who has fewer years than them. Maybe it’s because they realize that as a younger member you are more willing to absorb knowledge especially if it is something new. Like a new way to do things. Maybe it’s because they realize that you may someday be in charge of them. The mouthy little smartass pissant telling someone older what to do. Some cannot handle that and what you out of the service. They are most likely part of the "good ole boys” club. You know, the ones who sit around the bar in the hall all the time rather than doing something construct at the firehouse.

Just remember, it may be their god given right to treat you bad, but it is also your god given right to treat them bad. I am not sure why one would want to treat another firefighter bad. God knows, the person you treat badly may just be the one coming to save your sorry butt. And it the case of this forum, one day it could be one of you pissants coming to save my sorry old butt. Just remember, ALWAYS TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED!

Permalink Reply by Cody Baker on March 18, 2009 at 4:24pm