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Mowing the Grass at City Hall
It was brought up to me in another posting something about mowing the grass at City Hall. Good Idea? I dunno maybe, maybe not. Afterall some City Halls have a lot of grass. A neighboring County has about 2 acres in front of the Admin Building, so maybe not in that case.
So City Hall...i don't know. I will tell you this however. Oh before I start again let me apologize for being so "old skool" or "salty" or whatever...just my opinions.....
Here in Souther California, I see very few fire departments that mow the grass at their OWN stations!!!!! Why you may ask. Because the guys over at Station 2, or 9, or 25, or 44 or wherever complained that they had more lawn to mow then the crew over at 1's or 17 or 96 or wherever. So now we all have a gardening service. yes, God forbid that a paid professional firefighter may have to actually take care and maintain their own goshdarn firehouse....oh excuse I have been corrected by my "younglings" here. We have fire stations. A house is where they still live with mom and dad. This is my "house" it has been my "house" since the day I walked in and will be so until the day I die (knock on wood..a ladder maybe) Wood ladders a whole nother diatribe!
Anyways, one of our crew, in his mid to late 20's suggested that we have a cleaning crew come in and clean the station too. Afterall, if we are subject to calls, we may not have time to finish (HUH?)
So I'm imagining that we should have all our meals catered as well. In some houses they are just shy of that as all they ever do is "eat out". No sharing time as you prepare, cook, eat and cleanup. I know the young guys love it...afterall...No time in the suds!!!!! Ya just can't beat that.
Soooooooooooooooo. We don't maintain the station (not house), we dont cook, we don't clean, we don't sit around with each other...But oh he** yes we are a brotherhood!!!!! Ah yes this is where we have come. We have us to blame for this because we let it happen. Didnt want to step on anyones toes along the way. Didnt want to offend!
Gardeners! Ya gotta be kiddin me!
So City Hall...i don't know. I will tell you this however. Oh before I start again let me apologize for being so "old skool" or "salty" or whatever...just my opinions.....
Here in Souther California, I see very few fire departments that mow the grass at their OWN stations!!!!! Why you may ask. Because the guys over at Station 2, or 9, or 25, or 44 or wherever complained that they had more lawn to mow then the crew over at 1's or 17 or 96 or wherever. So now we all have a gardening service. yes, God forbid that a paid professional firefighter may have to actually take care and maintain their own goshdarn firehouse....oh excuse I have been corrected by my "younglings" here. We have fire stations. A house is where they still live with mom and dad. This is my "house" it has been my "house" since the day I walked in and will be so until the day I die (knock on wood..a ladder maybe) Wood ladders a whole nother diatribe!
Anyways, one of our crew, in his mid to late 20's suggested that we have a cleaning crew come in and clean the station too. Afterall, if we are subject to calls, we may not have time to finish (HUH?)
So I'm imagining that we should have all our meals catered as well. In some houses they are just shy of that as all they ever do is "eat out". No sharing time as you prepare, cook, eat and cleanup. I know the young guys love it...afterall...No time in the suds!!!!! Ya just can't beat that.
Soooooooooooooooo. We don't maintain the station (not house), we dont cook, we don't clean, we don't sit around with each other...But oh he** yes we are a brotherhood!!!!! Ah yes this is where we have come. We have us to blame for this because we let it happen. Didnt want to step on anyones toes along the way. Didnt want to offend!
Gardeners! Ya gotta be kiddin me!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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It's tough being one of the old farts, isn't it. We are now the guys the newbies whine about, just like we did with all those fossils from the 60's & 70's;)
We have the same issues here. The problem is these new guys are coming is they have for the most part never had to "work" at home. Mom cleans up, Dad dose the yard and Junior plays video games.
What makes it worse is when we put on a person that never had a real job before the fire dept. Guys right out of high school in some cases, most just out of collage. Yeah I know they worked at McDonald's, etc. I mean a real job. Const, Factory, Farm (that real work), somewhere they got there hands dirty and were too tired to go party at the end of the day.
I have had a cub (new guy) that was asked, OK told, to make coffee one of his first days out of the academy. He responded he did not know how, not a big shock, if your not a coffee drinker I would not expect you to know that. Well as time goes by we realize he is staring at the can of coffee, yes a real live tin can of coffee, I know I'm old Ok. He did not know how to use a can opener!
Mom did that.
We still do the "daily" maint at our houses. Anything that requires a city permit a contractor or appropriate city dept needs to do. Depends on the station, we own some, lease some. We do cut grass, shovel snow, care for plants and bushes. We definitely don't do these thing for other municipal buildings. Only our own houses.
If the mayor wants his grass cut at city hall he is welcome to borrow our mower, not that it would ever come back;)
We have new guys that b*%@$ when we use cooking pots that won't fit in the dish washer. You would think you just asked them to go on a fire attack in their gym shorts.
It's kind of our fault, we are being to "sensitive" with them. I'm not advocating violence or harassment but I think we may have gone a little too far with I want little Johnny to have it better than I did crap with our kids.
Your right it is our "house" we live there about 1/3rd of the time.
We should treat it like our house.... Oooooo... wait I have seen where and how some of these newbies live.... Maybe not a good idea.
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Permalink Reply by Robert on
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I don't not believe that it is just the old guy's that are feeling that way. I am 23 years old and I still take pride in my work. Be it stopping a fire or cleaning a walkway, floor, yard, cutting the grass, get the drift. I take pride in everything I do. and in my opinion that house, station or whatever you may call it is my place of work and my house as I see it. Therefore should it not be just like my own home. I maintain my home why not my house. I think that it has more to do with the up bringing of individuals than the age group of the person. I was always raised to respect my elders, Take pride in my work and be a gentleman and respectful no matter where or when I may be. I hope maybe this proves to someone out there that there are young men and women out there that do care and do have work ethics. I know I do, and many others in my area do. It also peeves me to see young people out there that do not have a work ethic. The ones that say well mom and dad will fix my mistakes. The ones that say well that is not my job. I do think that many a family has been broken down so far by the system to the point of being scared to teach morals of there own to their own kids. I for believe that a spanking and a stern voice will go a lot further than doctors and such will. and those lesson's will be remembered for years to come. I also would like to make clear that I respect my elders to a great extent. I also see that there is much to learn from older folks. I may be rambling on but I am voicing my opinion. Which I also have my own opinion about as well, but that is another story.
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I know there are other like you out there and we do appreciate you. You are the ones keep us old geezers sane and from blowing a gasket.
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We try, but who keeps us from blowing a gasket. I just went off on one of the young guy's at station 4, where I am training officer because he refuse' to help out around the station and almost never participates in training. But yet wants to be a firefighter. I made it very clear that being a firefighter is more than having a light on your car and saying I am a firefighter. It is hard work with little recognition, not to mention long hours at any given time.
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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We mow the grass,clean,and general up keep at our firehouse. Its a vollie dept so the money comes out of our (the dept.) pocket if something needs fixd or the grass needs cut. so we doit our self.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Koontz on
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Ya know, this is exactly why I love the fact that I was taught by the old dogs, brought up by the old dogs, and still do everything I can to be like the old dogs! God save the fire service when there aren't any more old dogs around. Stay safe, lads, from a young old dog!!
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Permalink Reply by Grant Bennett on
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I am on a volley department in a town of about 1400 people. My dad has been on the department for as long as I can remember. I have always looked up to the department and its members. I spend an average of about 4 hours per week at the firehouse (excluding calls, meetings, training, etc.) doing things like cleaning the bay floor, washing hoses and trucks, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc. Yet there is another probationary firefighter that is always the first one to leave from meetings, training, etc. and never lifts a finger to help. I will tell you what gets on my nerves more than anything is all the half drunk soda that people leave lyin around. We had a firefighter that missed a truck to a working house fire because he had too much $h!t in his locker that he couldn't clear it all away quick enough to get dressed. It just amazes me that people can't take 5 minutes to clean up before they leave the firehouse.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Simpson on
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het gang, this vol department has the inmates at the local jail at our discretion so at least they have to come work for free,
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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Every fire station in my area has gardening tools to do the weekly Saturday yards maintenance. It's no different than keeping the station clean. It's not uncommon at some of the stations for guys to bring in their own equipment because it does a better job.
My departments culture is one of pride and respect for one another and for the tools we use to do the job, including the fire station. The only difference in the station cleaning is whether you do it the night before or early in the morning before you go off shift. Either way, we maintain things ourselves. I just can't imagine that there could be such a difference in attitude with my department being only 100 miles north of you... doesn't make sense.
Now the dishes thing, well, depending on which station you work at, you could find yourself doing dishes and getting into the suds dependent upon how well you play cards after the dinner table has been cleared. I always seemed to loose and ended up doing dishes... and rank has nothing to do with anything. Things are kept fair, but everyone eventually does kitchen cleanup.
If this attitude is tolerated by a department, then the problem is not with the 20 something firefighters as you implied. Instead, the problem is with people that bitch about the problem but do nothing to correct the problems. Sure sounds like someone needs to lead, follow or get out of the way.
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Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on
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Capn Busy....
The gardeners was actually a "local" decision.
It was fought by many. I somehow think it has something to do with the city councilmans brother who owns the gardening service....but can't really prove it.
I just know the original thought came afrom a fireman who said he always had to mow the lawn at the biggest station, and so the snowball rolled.
The 20's somethings suggested the house cleaning crew, which has been denied and we ALL take full part in station cleaning .
Suds. We play cards as well. Whoever losses is in the suds, and the rookie usually jumps in too.
The main problem, and maybe I did not express it well, is that we have a whole bunch on new generationers who seem to think they are too busy to do station duties. That they were up on a call at midnight, so they should not have to put away dishes in the mornings....Lead, Follow or Get out of the way....Interesting. Didnt know I wasnt leading, no one around to follow and didnt realize I was in the way
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Hey Jake, did not intend for you to think that you were not leading. It's a cultural thing for departments to accept or not accept this behavior and it's normally above the pay grade for folks like you and I to set the tone. Some places just tolerate this behavior. All you can do with the new E-Generation (entitlement) is shake your head and hope that they figure it out. We've seen the same 20 something's and their attitudes but eventually, someone has to do the job. From your response, it appears that there is no real difference between our culture or departments. Go figure...
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LOL The ol' fossils probably looked at us in the same way. Hopefully this generation will improve like we did!
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