So Im at work the other day and I decide to go thru all my pockets on my bunkers. Do a little inventory, a little clean up a little maintenance. Just normal takin care of business stuff.
Ive got my bunker coat and pants and Im taking stuff out one pocket at a time and doing what needs to be done and then returning those wonderful tolls back to their safe secure position in said pocket.
A new guy comes by...and although he is "new" he is also 30 something years old. So I pull out a razor knife from my rolled pouch and he walks by and says...and I quote "Hey, you should never carry anything that sharp. Someone could get hurt". . . And he was sooooooooooooooo serious it wasn't even funny.
Now I do admit to running with scissors when I was younger...but a fireman can't carry sharp tools???????
Whats next? Hey don't use that water...something might get wet!!!!
I was laughing at one of our newer guys the other day at a structure fire. Now, this guy has been on for about 3 years so he isn't exactly green but . . .
For the second fire in a row I saw him trying to push the vent fan back and forth. Both times were up hill. The wheels would start digging into the grass and it was nearly impossible. I saw him struggling and finally went up to him and calmly told him that it'd be much easier if he would turn it around and pull it.
Of course as any one would be when they are corrected, he initially said that he was doing ok. So I turned around and walked back to the truck. He struggled for another minute and then turned it around and easily pulled it back to the truck to put it away.
Now with that said, there is no way I'm gonna tell all the stupid stuff I've done myself over the years. Lets just say that I've been there and done that so I can totaly relate.
How about sending them to the auto parts store for spark plugs for your diesel engine. We tried that with a newbie. The auto parts store called us to confirm this with us. We told them what we were doing and they told him to go to the other auto parts store that they had one. Had this guy run all over an finally come back to find out we were messing with him. Was fun.