How many times have you heard the driver/engineer position referred to as “boring” or “away from the action”? Unfortunately, I have heard this way too many times. When I ask firefighters if they are going to enter the promotional process for driver/engineer, I often get that all too familiar response: “That position is too boring. I want to stay where the action is.” I have also witnessed driver/engineers standing at their pump panels at working fires looking as if they had lost their best friend.
If you are a driver/engineer or wish to be one during your career and think that this position is a drudgery every firefighter must endure on the way up the ladder, I can offer you a different view of the job.
The duties of a driver/engineer vary from fire department to fire department, but the position entails a certain core of responsibility in most cases. It’s not just pulling knobs or blowing the air horn and siren. The duties of all driver/engineers are many; they include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Know the still districts, those next to you to which you respond, and the best and quickest response routes.
- Inspect your rig and its tools and equipment.
- Know the equipment on your rig, what it can do, and how to operate it.
- Understand that if it’s going to go wrong, it will, and it will be when you’re pumping at a scene and your crew needs water the most. Will you be able to handle and correct what’s going on? This is just one example; there are many involving a variety of instances. There is nothing more stressful or embarrassing than when your rig or something on it fails while a street full of onlookers are watching.
- Drive safely AND legally to incidents; make sure all riders are wearing seat belts. Know that your fire engine or ladder truck responds and handles differently than your car or pickup truck, especially in bad weather.
- Position your fire apparatus at an incident so it will function most efficiently (hose lead-outs and room for the ladder truck in the front) and, more importantly, to protect your firefighters.
- Operate your pump at working fires regardless of who connects a line to it, and know how and when to put a supply line under power.
- Operate and inspect hydrants while at an incident when you have a chance. This is easy at a fire alarm when you’re sitting there waiting to see what’s going to happen. Many good driver/engineers jump out of the rig every chance they get and check the hydrant they may have to use. This way, you find out which work and which don’t before they are needed.
Additionally, in some departments the driver/engineer is a first-level company officer, often taking on the duties and responsibilities of the engine officer in his absence. This is the driver/engineer’s opportunity to be “in charge” of a company. It is your time to shine as an officer and also to show that you are serious about your crew’s safety at all times and not just “filling in.” What kind of driver/engineer are you? Do you wait until your officer is on vacation before you get enthusiastic about your job, or can you be “accused” of being enthusiastic on a daily basis?
I have had the privilege of working with some great driver/engineers. There are a few in particular who really “take ownership” of their rig; their district; and, most importantly, their officer and firefighters. They not only work to establish a permanent water supply but also anticipate the needs of the fireground or incident in general and pull tools, such as the following, so they are ready for immediate use:
- additional hand tools for the crew,
- ventilation fans (deliver to the front porch),
- straight and attic ladders (lay out in a safe location),
- salvage covers and tarps,
- spare SCBA bottles, and
- lighting (mounted lights) for the front of the structure or scene; they can greatly reduce tripping hazards.
A good driver/engineer is never finished. There is always something to do, some way to contribute to the success of the operation and make a difference.
Many years ago, my company was out of the house and caught a working car fire. On arrival, I positioned my engine to provide a safe work zone for “MY guys,” set the brake, shifted into pump gear, and pulled and stretched the line. I was waiting at the front corner of the bumper when the firefighter came around to get “his line.” He had the funniest look on his face when I shoved the nozzle into his chest and told him water is on its way. What was I supposed to do? I suppose I could have stood at the pump panel and waited patiently for the firefighter to deploy the line himself. You see, that was MY firefighter, MY captain, and a safe work zone that I provided for them. I was going to do everything possible to make this operation easy and safe for my crew. That firefighter often refers to me as the only guy who has ever deployed “his line” for him. By the way, that firefighter is now a driver/engineer who strives to stay ahead of the needs of the scene.
No matter what your rank, show some enthusiasm about your job. Our profession is a team sport. A successful operation requires that all of the participants be “on their game” at all levels. Take ownership of your crew, tools, and equipment. The only reason your job is boring-or seems to be-is because you allow it.
JERRY WELLS has more than 20 years of fire service experience and is a battalion chief with the Lewisville (TX) Fire Department. A second-generation firefighter, he has served as a firefighter/paramedic, a driver/engineer, and a captain of a fire department ladder company. He has a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from the University of North Texas.
