Do Families of Firefighters Make Better Firefighters?

So I have been thinking about something...

Is it better TO BE related to other firefighters on your department (or neighboring mutual-aid departments) or is it better TO NOT BE related to others on your department?

Is there a transfer of human capital knowledge that is passed down through families of firefighters which makes you more valuable in the fire service?

if you grow up in a fire fighter family do you have more working knowledge of the fire service?
are they more skilled and attentive at trainings, since they grew up in the fire service culture?
do they have better critical thinking skills?
do you have more working knowledge of your specific fire department and workings of your district?
is there a higher level of trust within the fire service if so & so's sister is joining the department - and so & so already trusts the sister - does trust transfer? (if you trust them, I trust them?)
is there a higher level of relational cloaking / protection amongst those that are related to each other? is that good or bad? is their primal integration - (since John is an well-respected firefighter, then his son, John Jr. becomes more quickly a respected firefighter, compared to other rookies?)
are you an greater asset, such as being better at political workings?
are you more likely to stay in the fire service longer and manage stress better if you have family members in the fire service?
does the employee satisfaction go up?
are those with family members in the fire service more resilient emotionally?

or does it make you a liability?

does it bring a whole new batch of complications for discipline, leadership, promotion, and accountability?
do related fire fighters get lazy because they feel that they have a family pass?
is there boundary stretching that messes with the harmony of the department?
is nepotism a huge problem? do they get treated better?
is it better to have everyone in the department on the same playing field - not related to each other - everyone works their way individually up through the ranks alone?
do families bring their personal drama to the department?
if one fire fighter is in trouble, do all the family members on the department get into it?
are their problems with family members being senior officers to their underling family members?

etc.

I would be interested to hear thoughts and reasons pro / con or good / bad on this matter.

btw - statistically more doctors have children who become doctors; more lawyers have children who become lawyers; more fisherman have children who become fisherman; etc. etc. etc. This career development happens in other industries too.

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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on July 16, 2011 at 8:39pm

Ain't that the sad truth.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Almendinger on July 18, 2011 at 11:22am

I dont mean to cut into your conversation, but i can relate to Dave. My father also was Chief when i joined the FD. It was alot tougher for me to work my way up to my present rank, because he held me to higher standards. Although most guys on the department think the job was handed to me just because he was my dad. It did help to be raised at the FD, I came in more framiliar with the trucks, and how the Dept. operated. I can tell you at home I called him dad, but at the station it was always Chief, or Sir! and I can also tell you since his retirement i feel alot more at ease at the station, although the one reason i joined was so i had time with my dad. Due to his position he missed many family things, so i spent my time working next to him at the FD to make up for lost time together. We still joke and laugh about the things we have seen or done together on the scene. I do disagree with the "brother trust" concept though, for my brother and I it was more of a competition! LOL...

Great post Heather, thanks for the memories.

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Permalink Reply by Fabulous Heather Days of Summer on July 18, 2011 at 11:49am

Open conversation, not private - so jump on in...

Great to hear your perspective.

So do you think those that have family on their department, or in the fire service, feel like they get more family support?

Do you think it is tougher for someone to stay engaged in the FD long-term, when they join, alone, unrelated to any firefighters who can share that load, perhaps even because it takes so much time away from the family?

But when you have at least some of your family with you - does it make it easier?

Statistically, the #1 reason volunteers report leaving the FD is needing to spend more time working at a paid job; while the #2 reason is family obligations and pressure from their time away from their family.

oh yeah... explain this competition thing more?

Can you have a high level of trust & still be highly competitive?