How firefighters’ habits transfer from the fire station to the fireground
It begins in recruit school…the daily cleaning, the painting of tools, the routine of company “housework” that has to be accomplished no matter how exhausted everyone is from the work of the day. Once firefighters transition to station life, they may notice the routines around housework don’t change much. Ax-heads and halligan bars that are for decorative purposes only are polished regularly; apparatus compartments are emptied and cleaned when nothing in them was used; floors are swept and vacuumed in rooms no one walks in. It may seem ridiculous to do perform these tasks every shift when everyone is starving, spent, and ready to go home to their families. However, they are actually establishing beneficial habits that will serve firefighters well in their careers. It is through the routines of fire academy and station housework that firefighters learn that everything isn’t an emergency, but everything has to be ready for the next emergency. This is no small responsibility.
Urgency and Emergency
Emergency situations are ones where the firefighters’ actions can actually make the difference between life or death in the present moment. We firefighters love to believe 99% of what we do is in this category, but honestly, it isn’t. We ensure that urgent matters, situations where intervention is needed to reduce harm, do not become emergencies most of the time. For example, an engine may receive a call for an alarm activation. After arriving on scene, it is noted that the alarm system has malfunctioned. There is no fire. This is not an emergency situation. However, it is an urgent situation. If the malfunction is not repaired, a true emergency could occur if there is a fire and the alarm system does not activate properly. We all have to be prepared to address both urgent and emergency situations by working together and operating from a state of readiness.
The term “urgency” is used a lot in the fire service. Instructors and senior firefighters want new firefighters to have a “sense of urgency” in everything they do. What this means is do it well; do it now; and don’t putter around or be wishy-washy in your movements or demeanor. New firefighters will be told to “pick up the pace” when walking to a scene or getting equipment out of the truck. This is part of the sense of urgency.
New firefighters will quickly discover that everything in the station and on a scene needs to be done “right now.” There doesn’t seem to be a difference in how quickly the reports need to be finished, the dishes washed, the vehicles checked off, or the fire extinguished. This can feel overwhelming and may not make sense initially: these don’t seem like life-or-death issues. This sense of urgency exists around all of these tasks because it is your crew’s responsibility to complete them. If you are at a busy station, leaving tasks until later could mean they may never get done. Leaving dirty dishes in a sink, leaving fire apparatus low on fuel, and leaving reports unfinished look like laziness to the oncoming shifts. This can create tension if it happens often. Even worse, if vehicles are left low on fuel, if items are used on calls and not replaced or put back on the truck broken, you are leaving the oncoming shifts at a true disadvantage—one that may turn an urgent situation into a true emergency.
Know Where Things Are and How They Work
The repetition of cleaning equipment and apparatus pieces and performing inventories does more than just fill the hours when there is nothing to do. It is required because the activity itself is valuable. These actions help firefighters learn and remember where items are so they can be easily accessed during a call. If the cleaning and inventorying is performed with a more senior firefighter, there are opportunities for training and discussion to occur. For example, while cleaning and inventorying the driver’s compartment with the driver-pump operator (DPO) or a senior firefighter, a new firefighter can learn how different appliances fit together; what kinds of nozzles are on the truck and how they work; the different types of hand tools kept in the compartment and used by the DPO on incident scenes; what the DPOs preferences are in the use of adapters, appliances, and nozzles. After months of cleaning and inventorying in this manner, new firefighters will have developed muscle memory around the driver’s compartment and will be able to easily supply the driver with any requested item—even under the pressure of a true emergency.
Pride of Ownership
What else does all this cleaning and inventorying while working together accomplish? It creates a sense of pride of ownership for the crew. It creates a strong team because it allows all members to work together at the same level. Everyone can also see what the other members of the team know—that builds confidence. When each shift performs this way, it creates the pride of ownership for the whole station. This can move through the whole department. Or not. This is not easy. Shifts are long and hard. The constant sense of urgency can be mentally exhausting and leave people irritable. Physical and mental wear and tear can have a negative effect on your passion for the job. Chief Rick Lasky wrote a whole book about how passion is the one element that makes the fire service effective. Firefighters’ passion for the job allows them to push through, remain positive, and keep performing the tasks that build teams instead of waiting for someone else to do the work. Do the work! As a new firefighter, it will be important to ask more senior firefighters to help. They will be willing to help even if they grumble about it at first. Everyone loves to talk about what they know and love!
PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP: THE LOVE FOR THE JOB: HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?
Expect to Learn by Doing
The fire service is full of people who prefer to learn by doing; looking at books or watching videos isn’t enough to ensure proficiency in lifesaving skills. It may not seem like it, but the housework and the tool cleaning, the apparatus washing and the inventorying, the testing and check-offs that happen daily and weekly are turning you into a subject matter expert on your station and equipment. Your ability to find and use the correct pieces of equipment—correctly—lays the foundation for your career in the fire service. It also allows you to teach and mentor others as they come into the station. Firefighters are truly expected to be Jacks and Jills of all trades. The variety of tools and equipment we learn how to use proves this. Perform the daily duties thoroughly and with the knowledge that they are required to save lives—not just fill the time! These tasks are required to ensure we are all prepared to work together to serve the community when true emergencies occur.
Mandy George is a retired lieutenant in the Chesapeake (VA) Fire Department. She has a master’s degree in emergency and disaster management, a master’s degree in professional writing, and an associate’s degree in emergency medical services. She is also a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NRP) and a Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (VAOEMS) Education Coordinator.
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