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Perfect Firefighters
I just watched a video of a fire. I'm not going to say what department because thats not the issue. The issue is perfect firefighters commenting on the thousands of the things the company did wrong.
They comment on how many drivers does it take to pump an engine. Using the wrong lines, etc etc.
I was in the business for 30 years. I've made alot of mistakes as a firefighter, driver and officer. But never lost anyone or had a firefighter hurt. Mostly thats from luck.
Its so easy to watch a video and monday morning quarterback. But I'm sure if they were on video people could do the same thing. Most of us know there are rules to this business. But we also know those rules go out the windows sometimes.
Pulling a booster line on a house fire. Sure we don't want a inch line but if thats all you can do and use it to protect esposures until more arrives or even stick it in the window I have no issue with that.
If it takes 3 drivers to pull lines, hook up the supply line, make sure the lines are clear and the crew gets water who cares.
And my biggest pet peeve. "They took forever to get there" I've told the story befoe how my mom called for an ambulance I called and cursed 9-1-1 because they were taking too long. I've been on all three sides of an emergency situation. As a responder going to the firehouse I didn't go slow. As a driver I didn't go slow, It feels like your flying like the wind. When I tool calls as a 9-1-1 operator I entered the calls as I was talking to insure prompt response. Bu as a person who needed emergency services...you people take forever. Or thats the way it seems.
My point of this long rambling post...think about the situation before you make a comment on a website about another company or department. Especially if your gear is still fresh and new and the closest you ever come to fire and the cigarette in your mouth. No fire department is perfect. We all make mistakes. Instead of bashing use it as a learning point.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Travis Skinner on
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there is no such thing as a "perfect" firefighter we all have our own faults as a dept and as a individual we all make mistakes some minor some very serious but none of us are perfect.
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it doesnt matter where you are it could be 2 in the morning we roll out with sirens and light blazen u could be in a parking lot or in a old peoples neighbor hood we run sirens till we show up on scene.
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Permalink Reply by Andy Turnham on
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I've been tempted to lay fingure to keyboard many a time to critic the actions seen on a video clip. But I've stopped and asked myself, "what's going on that I don't see?". The thing is, these clips are just little windows on a bigger event and no one has a right to critisise unless they know the full story.
The bottom line is that emergency responders always do the best they can in the circumstaces they face, no matter how it seems to an onlooker.
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Permalink Reply by Pierre-Louis Lamballais on
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Hi,
If you think a guy must be a perfect FF to say what is wrong or right, in this case, it's a good way to avoid cristicism and stay at the same level.
I admit that in some cases, cristicism are a non-sense, but when I see video with many mistakes, dangerous actions and people only able to transform a house into a swimming pool, and read comment like "Good job brother!" on such video, I think there is REALLY a problem.
I've search for month, video on YouTube and Dailymotion, showing good operations with trucks at the right place, hose line correctly laid, good action and so on. I've not found one...
Also, the problem is that, when a guy put a video on the internet, he believes he shows to the public a "good way of doing". So, in this case, it prooves the basic conscience of "things well done or wrong" don't exist.
And as you can improve your knowledge, only by learning and that you learn only if you know that you don't know, in this case, we can be sure that training is of no use.
My opinion is that, in too much cases, the "brother" flag is used to avoid cristicism. This is the way to protect the other, but, not really to protect them: as I know, in the deep part of my mind, that i'm not perfect, I know that if I stop criticism against other, I help stopping criticism against me.
For me, a real brother is someone who can tell me what he think and who can accept to listen to my criticism. And I'm not sure the number of real brother is very important.
Best regards
Pierre-Louis
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Permalink Reply by Alexander Korsunsky on
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I have been bashed on by many of my mistakes
and have been utterly dismantled by them and as an explorer I am entirely grateful for that they did that because now i know my lesson and have learned a new way to approach it though I hope and wish there is an easier way on handling the situation i think its right that these people do it because sometimes i don't even know or see the mistakes and don't learn from them till their pointed out I just hope people will be more respectful of it
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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We have a rule at our firehouse: "Praise other firefighters and other departments in public. Criticize them in private." If we say something bad about someone and another department hears about it then we look bad, too.
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Permalink Reply by Craig on
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Discussion and alternate views are how learning occurs. Learn from videos and discussions not close calls or worse. Pride and ego should take a back stage to humility and learning. Although there is this thing called tact.
Thanks
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Richmond on
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Craig,
As one old timer to another I back you on this post fully. Thanks Brother.
How did your lost tire day turn out?
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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Hope I never relive that situation again....
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Permalink Reply by Nenad on
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There is no perfect firefighter, who claims different then there is something missing in his mindset.Beware of ''perfect'' firefighters they are dangerous.
On the other side there will be always ''omniscient'' persons, commenting everything and better knowing your job on the scene. But if you ask them to show you how to do, if they know better,....the answer is like I have another things to do, or it's not my job to show you, or some other excuse.
Criticism in good will, is one thing, spitting is another thing.
We must be open minded to critics, if they can help us to improve ourselves.
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That's stupid. Thinking thinks in Belgium are different from thinks in France, due to the small size of the country, let think that we have the same difference in california and Michigan, Or, in my Country, between Brazilia and Sao Paolo!!
For centuries, the military concept of countries came from the same fact. Eg the US Army use the Clauswitz concept for fighting and Clauswitz was a Prussian. The Israelien tanks team use Guderian's method and Guderain was German.
For firefighting, that must be the same. I gave course in many countries where, each time, people claim to be different! But all discover they are not. Our structural firefighting course is strictly the same for all countries.
FF thinks they are the best because they are surounded by a population and by commercial team .saying that. Evevybody like to be seen as " a perfect guy".Just look at commercials, with "Heroes", "Bravest" and so on.
The result is that the only think they can do after an accident is crying or buying new tools. How can you imagine a FF saying "I was bad" when everybody tell him he's perfect??
An accident? No problem, we can sell you the marvellous tool which can save you! It's never the fault of FF? but always the fault of tools!
We aren't train to analyse. But if we want to be better, we must accept criticism.
I'mn not here to say "you're marvellous" and with 100 LODD a year, and the decrease of budget, I think it's time to start facing the truth, even if it's not very pleasant.
You say "plus we know that there are no miracle tactics for hoselines or way to attack fires." Really? My opinion is that we never know, Because if we are sure of something, we stop searching.
Regards
Pierre-Louis
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"Criticism in good will, is one thing, spitting is another thing.
We must be open minded to critics, if they can help us to improve ourselves." I agree. I notice also that in many cases, we don't have our mind opened.
But if you ask them to show you how to do, if they know better,...
On the other side, this is wrong. When you are doing thinks, you don't have a glpbal view. The one who observe don't need to be perfect to being able to see mistake. It's a bit like in sport: the trainer is not the best "player" but he is able to analys. We must accept criticism even from people unable to perform or job.
Also, in many cases, the "cristicism" came from people only asking "why are you dong that?" and as we are unable to answer, because in fact we do thinks without knowing why, we just see that as "criticism".
In fact, in some cases, the word told by people are "crticism" but in other cases, they are not and turn to criticism only when they enter OUR mind. ;-)
Best regards
Pierre-Louis
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