BY PAUL G. LANDREVILLE
To some firefighters, adding new recruits means more hands to help wash trucks, repack hose, and clean the station bathrooms. To others, it’s another opportunity to take willing men and women and transform them into firefighters. This is one more chance to take those willing citizens in your community and teach them the skills that will make them valuable members of a volunteer or paid-on-call organization. To the fire department looking for new and enthusiastic members, a fresh recruit is another likelihood your fire department will move ahead in the future. The expression “You only have one chance to make a first impression” holds as true for young impressionable firefighter recruits as it would for any other professional organization. Keep new recruits cleaning the bathrooms for a long period of time, and you may lose them. We all have to take turns doing station duties, but the new recruit didn’t sign up for bathroom detail until the next group of recruits signs on. In some departments, that could take years; your new recruit may be gone by then.
The problem with beginning a successful and aggressive mentoring program is that both these points of view exist. New recruits can wash trucks, repack hose, and clean bathrooms. However, your department just recruited aggressive, willing, capable citizens who will give up their time for the community. Here is where your organization must make two decisions.
The first decision to be made is this: Who will be mentors for these new recruits—the firefighter who sees only young truck washers and hose rollers or the firefighter who sees the future of your department coming through the door with a positive attitude and unyielding ambition? The answer to the first question should seem obvious.
The second decision involves how your fire department will recruit and select the firefighters who will do the mentoring. Administration, in conjunction with the training division, will have to make these choices. The phrase “Have ’em follow me” or “I’ll take them under my wing” is not a formal mentoring program. It provides no formal goals, objectives, evaluations, or permanent and official documentation. What this informal mentoring does is give the new recruits a false sense of “I am in a learning environment” when they’re actually just tagging along; learning by observation; and, in most cases, doing only the dirty work.
PREPARATION: ADMINISTRATION AND TRAINING
The mentoring program starts at the administrative level. Administration must be prepared to support the entire program from start to finish. All administrative officers must make mentoring an organizational priority within a busy and growing fire department. The administration’s approval of final goals in the mentoring process is important, but it must leave program development and day-to-day operations to the training division.
The training division will begin the mentoring process by creating a specific program. This program should include, but not be limited to, goals, objectives, guidelines, evaluation timelines, forms, mentor selection, scope of the mentor’s roll, troubleshooting, and the program’s final evaluation of mentors and the effectiveness of the mentoring program.
After the administration has approved all aspects of the mentoring program, the training division recruits and selects mentor applicants and presents them with a detailed overview of the program’s expectations.
The training division must be prepared to review all written evaluations for each probationary firefighter. Be sure you have a system in place to securely store all documents. Confidentiality must be preserved, and unauthorized personnel must never have access to evaluations. Good documentation and routine reviews of each recruit will show strength and growth areas and, should it become necessary to discharge a recruit, this documentation will make the process quick and efficient. If the department must defend its actions after releasing a candidate, you will have to produce this documentation. For a busy training staff, this documentation process is often overwhelming. Designating an officer in charge of probationary firefighter training will make the mentors’ jobs easier, since there will be a single contact point for problems, questions, new ideas, and monthly written evaluations.
DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM
Program development must include documentation for each training session. What type of forms and their designs can be adapted from other departments already using a mentoring program? Check with your neighboring departments before spending valuable time on this task. At this point in program development, the administration and the training division should have agreed on all aspects of the mentoring program. The program may have to be modified for each new recruit class. Depending on a recruit’s fire service experience and education, all the classes taught prior to this group may not apply. Keep the program and the people involved flexible enough so you’re able to customize the class.
DYNAMICS FOR SUCCESS: MENTOR QUALITIES
Merriam-Webster’s On-Line Dictionary defines a mentor as “a trusted counselor or guide, tutor or coach.” This must be the training division’s definition as well. Add to that definition a positive attitude, good character, natural leadership, communication skills, and vision. A mentor with these qualities will be able to take willing probationary firefighters from where they are to where the training division and the administration want them to be.
Positive Attitude
Few things are better than members with a good attitude toward a challenge or the daily everyday chores. They are great to work for and pleasant to have on a crew because they inspire others, make the job enjoyable, and help maximize others’ performances.
Good Character
Most people like to be identified with this trait. People of good character have unshakable values and set themselves apart from other members without even trying. A firefighter with good character sets a positive example in all situations, on and off the fireground, effortlessly and without arrogance.
Natural Leadership
An article could be written on this topic alone, but the primary quality in a natural leader is the ability to follow. Those willing to take direction from good leaders may be good leaders because they paid attention and stayed alert. Find those good followers, and you may just see leaders waiting to be developed.
Communication Skills
A mentor must be able to demonstrate, teach, and inspire by verbal encouragement and stay silent when necessary. Honest mistakes on the mentor’s part are inevitable, and pointing them out to the probationary firefighter is a lesson learned for both. Recruits ask lots of questions. If a mentor doesn’t communicate well with a recruit, nothing is gained and the recruit’s frustration level rises. At this point, no progress will be made, and the training division may have to intervene.
A Visionary
Mentors must have an idea of where the department is going—not in terms of years but in terms of what is going to happen next in the department. Are you getting different thermal imaging cameras or nozzles soon? Is an engine due for replacement in a few weeks? Don’t spend a lot of time teaching about something that won’t be part of the department by the time a recruit’s probationary period is up. Vision doesn’t mean mentors have to see far into the department’s future; they simply must have enough insight to see the end of a recruit’s training period.
The challenge you face may not be finding current members with these qualifications. Your biggest challenge may be getting good firefighters to take the job and encouraging them to commit the time and effort to do the training. If you’re in charge of the training division, you may have to put on your sales hat to accomplish this task.
DYNAMICS FOR SUCCESS: PICKING THE MENTOR
The training division has now determined what qualities it seeks in new mentors. The next challenge is recruiting the firefighters willing to “teach” and not just “tell” the probationary firefighter.
I heard the term “functional firefighter” used soon after I entered the fire service. I was naïve and thought we were all functional firefighters and wondered, “What’s a nonfunctional firefighter?” I was told the answer was plain and simple: “Functional firefighters work.” They wear out gear—they don’t outgrow it—and they don’t show up after the apparatus leaves the station. They wash their gear out of necessity, not because it’s getting dusty or someone borrowed it. They can talk about fires they have been in and not the ones to which the station house responded. Functional firefighters have a good perception of the job and themselves. They are aggressive but not dangerous; they know their limitations and work up to that limit constantly. Check the pockets of functional firefighters, and you will probably find extra door chocks, worn gloves, and a working flashlight. They may also have a short piece of rope and a universal tool of some kind—in other words, no fluffy stuff.
The opposite of functional firefighters would be “theoretical firefighters.” They have read and studied about everything functional firefighters have done. The only problem is that they haven’t actually done it. Theoretical firefighters usually start out a training session with, “I read about this once,” or “I saw this done at a fire once.” Reading and studying firefighting are great, but they’re no substitutes for actually doing the job.
Functional firefighters know all the key components of your command system. They can tell you what their area of responsibility is at a fire and probably the responsibilities of those around them, too. Functional firefighters will not judge probationary firefighters around them prematurely. The functional firefighter’s attitude may well be, “Treat them like professionals unless they prove otherwise. Give them a chance. It’s a tough job.”
The functional firefighter’s exterior may appear a little rough. In spite of that, when you’re selecting crew members for a tough job, the functional firefighters seem to get picked right away.
SCOPE OF THE MENTOR’S JOB
You have now defined the training division’s goals, determined mentor qualities, and selected the few best suited for the mentor job. Defining the scope of the new position lets the mentors know exactly what they are expected to do. Be sure to put all expectations in writing; explain them as well. Regardless of whether they’re called “firefighter/mentors,” “teachers,” “coaches,” or “field training officers,” the job’s the same. They must be advocates for the probationary firefighter. All mentors should know the period of time for which they will be mentoring and when the required evaluations are due. Clearly explain the scope of limitations that will be placed on new members before the first recruit starts.
Spotting a problem early in a new recruit is the best way to correct it before things get out of hand. To avoid any legal issues later on, always act in accordance with your department’s/city’s standard operating guidelines. A mentor who pays attention will see slight changes or problems in the early stages. Act on them early, and avoid problems in their future.
The mentors must have the patience to answer lots of questions. They should explain all services the fire department provides, keeping in mind that some services are for the firefighters themselves and some for the public they serve. Preparing a list of mentor responsibilities provides a safe, protective environment within which recruits can learn and ask questions without the fear of being judged or ridiculed.
THERE WILL BE PROBLEMS
Regardless of how well prepared mentors are, some problems will arise. Time and experience may eliminate some of them, but the better educated and prepared your mentors are about the formal probationary training program, the easier their job will be. They will be better prepared to answer questions from the new recruit and also from the members who think the program will never work. The antagonist or skeptic may keep questioning the program and how it works, but being polite will reinforce your professionalism and the credibility of the mentoring program.
A good mentor doing the job correctly and aggressively will have problems, just as do conscientious firefighters in other positions in the fire department. Firefighters are not born; they are made—or, in this case, trained. Mentors are always on the job, and their rookies will scrutinize them all the time. It may be at a fire or at a false alarm, but the rookies will observe how their mentors act, what they did, and why. Did the mentors follow the department’s standard operating guidelines? Why or why not? The “big picture” will have to be broken down into individual jobs and responsibilities for the rookies so they aren’t overwhelmed. The depth of the mentors’ training, their explanations, attitude, work ethic, and professionalism will all be seen through the eyes of the probationary firefighter.
During the first face-to-face meeting between the probationary firefighter and the mentor, they determine the easiest way to stay in contact with each other and establish times to meet and talk. If they don’t see each other often, the mentor should e-mail, call, or page the probationary firefighter. Confidentiality is very important. If rookies ask questions, mentors should not run back to the station and say, “Do you want to know what dumb questions they asked?” If they don’t feel comfortable talking with the mentors, they won’t do it. During the initial meeting, the mentors should establish a few priorities. This may relieve some of the probationary firefighters’ initial anxiety and get them on the road to achieving maximum results.
The mentor should explain which tasks should be learned right away. These jobs must be nonhazardous, easy to learn, and helpful in making the fire scene run more smoothly. Such tasks might include how to open and close a hydrant properly and change SCBA bottles. A good starting point might be tricks for washing and reloading hose. The recruits should become involved in some action, even if it’s just a little, to get them excited and start their adrenaline flowing.
Functional firefighters who have done a particular job a lot usually teach the tricks of the trade. (That’s why only “functional firefighters” are picked for mentoring, remember?) A few tricks of the trade can be demonstrated right away to make the recruits feel they are part of the crew. They’ll have to be shown everything, but not all in the first week or at their first fire. The mentors/functional firefighters should take their time and do the job correctly.
Mentors should limit personal comments. What they relate on fire-related issues are simply their opinions. All the mentors’ decisions should be based on the department-issued standard operating guidelines and procedures. Mentors are to set the example, take the high road, and do the right thing according to department standards. Mentors must maintain their credibility by admitting mistakes when they occur, and then move on.
EVALUATE THE PROGRAM
After the first class of probationary firefighters has graduated, the program should be honestly evaluated. It’s imperative to get feedback from the firefighter graduates. A list of written questions works well. Responses should be anonymous so that the graduates can answer all questions honestly. Be sure the questions cover the entire program. Let the graduates know that their honest answers will improve the program and that the data received may influence curriculum changes for the next class. No program can move forward in a vacuum; get input, and review it carefully. You may have some ideas on what succeeded or failed; compare them with the areas noted by the probationary class. Use the data received from the preceding class to make the next class more successful.
The final process in evaluating the program is analyzing the challenges the mentors faced—what worked well, what didn’t, and why. Were the evaluation forms valuable or impossible to fill out because they didn’t accurately reflect the program? Were the forms too vague? Was all the information received satisfactory but not specific enough for the program’s chief evaluator? Was any area too much work for one person? Should a new recruit switch mentors during the program or continue with the same mentor?
Careful and honest scrutiny is needed. Outside help should be brought in, if necessary. This professional could look at the program and highlight areas for growth and opportunity. Honest evaluation will turn a good program into a great program.
LET’S NOT FORGET
Depending on your department’s specific entry requirements, most recruits have already run the gamut of testing and questioning. They navigated their way through the city’s job application; took psychological and physical exams; and sweated through an agility test, a written test, and an oral test. They passed a criminal background check, have a current driver’s license, and know their social security number. They aren’t perfect and won’t be either, but they are in your fire station and are willing to try. Give it a chance to make it work. The recruits’ training officer may be their first contact with a firefighter, and first impressions last a long time.
If you have been a mentor, a trainer officer, or an evaluator for awhile, and your attitude is giving you trouble, get out of the program. Take a rest. Even good functional firefighters need a break. It can be frustrating work, especially if the probationary firefighter isn’t working out.
Taking on the job of a mentor and committing yourself to constant scrutiny and questioning isn’t for everyone. But those individuals who dedicate themselves to teaching others are sure to leave their mark on the fire service, one good firefighter at a time.
PAUL G. LANDREVILLE is a 16-year veteran of the fire service. As a former training captain, he spent three years as officer-in-charge of probationary firefighter training. In addition, he spent time in probationary firefighter program development and mentoring new firefighters.
