I can vividly recall the advice my dad gave me when I came on the job in October 1975. He retired as a district chief in Toledo in August of that same year. For several reasons, I will not relate his exact words or even the context of his acumen. I will tell you that I followed his advice, and here I am today-older, fatter, and wiser-very much because of guidance and mentorship.
To me, first impressions are the most important. I could give advice to young “cubs” concerning studying, learning, and following all the safety rules. My advice is more simplistic and comes from 30 years of watching firefighters come up through this wonderful profession.
I supervised my last recruit class in 2001. On the first full day of training, I told the recruits that the worst thing that could happen to them would be to get off on the wrong foot and be labeled “lazy,” a troublemaker,” or some other negative name. I suggested they could avoid this by “being the first”: the first up in the hosebed to load hose; the first at the front door, masked up and waiting to follow the officer or more seasoned firefighter inside; the first up after dinner to start the dishes; the first at work every tour of duty … (you get the idea).
–John “Skip” Coleman, deputy chief of fire prevention, Toledo (OH) Department of Fire and Rescue, is the author of Incident Management for the Street-Smart Fire Officer (Fire Engineering, 1997) and Managing Major Fires (Fire Engineering, 2000). He is a technical editor of Fire Engineering and a member of the FDIC Educational Advisory Board.
Question: What advice do you have for rookie firefighters?
Ron Hiraki, assistant chief, Gig Harbor (WA) Fire & Medic One
Response: Your reputation started when you applied for the job. The day you walked into the fire station to file your application, people noticed how you were dressed and acted. This observation increases in frequency and intensity over time. Your reputation is made up of your integrity, attitude, manners, how hard you work, and how you react when you make a mistake. My mom always said, “Honesty, a smile, and a clean shirt will take you a long way.” When you have a good reputation, other people will go out of their way to help you, even if you aren’t the smartest, strongest, or fastest.
The year after probation is your best learning opportunity. Keep studying, practicing, and learning. When you complete that first year of probation, some of the formal pressure is off. However, you are still new enough to ask questions and veteran firefighters to share their experience with you. Learn something about your profession every day until you retire. Read trade journals and textbooks, attend classes, and ask questions. I publish “Ten Minute Drills” for each shift in our department. The members think I am drilling them. Actually it’s my way of drilling myself and learning something new each day.
Make one little improvement to the station or fire department each shift. It doesn’t matter if you clean out a compartment or create a new lesson plan. The fire department won’t grow and improve if everyone is satisfied with the status quo.
John Salka, battalion chief, Fire Department of New York
Response: Now that you are on the job, get into it! Getting into it means studying, reading, learning, and absorbing as much information about your department-its history, members, customs, and traditions-as you can. All are part of the organization’s past and will play a part in your future and that of the department.
Listen up! You don’t learn a single thing by talking; when you listen to your officer, other firefighters, and citizens, you will learn. Make a conscious effort to limit your talking and maximize your listening. Since you are a new member of the fire department, most of the other firefighters don’t care what you think anyway, so pay attention to what they are doing and saying, and learn. Don’t get me wrong: Everything you see and hear in the fire station will not be correct, but you must be listening to figure out what advice is good and what is bad.
Don’t sit down until told to do so. There are hundreds of jobs and tasks that can be done in every fire station. There are dozens of tools and pieces of equipment you can and should be looking at, operating, and cleaning. There are probably several apparatus that can be looked at and examined; the list goes on and on. The last thing anyone in a fire station wants to see is the probie sitting in the kitchen with a cup of coffee.
Pay attention! You need to stay focused on everything you do, EVERYTHING! Even small mistakes can have tragic results. When you are working or operating a tool or other piece of equipment, stay focused on what you are doing, not on what’s for lunch or where you will be going when you’re finished. Raising ladders, operating power saws, using hydraulic extrication equipment, advancing a hoseline, and making searches are all dangerous tactics that need your full attention.
These small bits of advice, coupled with your own common sense and values, should serve you well and help make you become a productive, safe, and enthusiastic firefighter in your department.
Bobby Halton, chief, Coppell (TX) Fire Department
Response: If I had any advice that I could be sure of, it’s this: Always look for the good in others, and be nice. Remember to say “thank you.” Ask questions when you don’t understand. Try once a day to kiss your family and hug your friends. Work hard. Laugh a lot. Be good. Be grateful for your family, your friends, your life, and your opportunities. Be a friend. Be you.
Gary Seidel, chief, Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department
Response: Firefighters are different from most workers in the United States in that there’s a much greater chance that they may not return home from work at the end of the workday or that they may suffer an injury that may forever change their lives.
No matter how firefighting changes, searching and rescuing trapped persons and suppressing fires will remain a dirty “hands-on” occupation that requires aggressive, daily, real-life training with a strong focus on our safety. That is the reason our training academy was designed to be mentally and physically challenging.
We have one mission-planning to protect and acting to save. A firefighter is expected to perform 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This takes a maximum commitment. Anything less, you’re letting yourself down and, more importantly, you’re letting your fellow firefighters down. We do not tolerate this. You had better be willing to accept those expectations. Finally, you must be able to perform under stress in emergency and nonemergency situations. In other words, you must be able to “walk the point.”
The badge you received symbolizes courage, integrity, honesty, dedication, loyalty, and the willingness to perform in emergency situations. Current members wear and retired members have worn this badge proudly. We expect you to carry on this tradition.
During your probationary firefighter training, you had to ask yourself, “Is this for me? Can I cut the grade and be one of the best? Am I willing to give it a maximum effort?”
I guarantee that every firefighter working in your fire station wants to see you succeed; all are willing to give you all the help you need. It’s up to you.
Leigh Hollins, battalion chief, Cedar Hammock Fire Rescue, Manatee County, FL
Response: My personal advice to rookies is probably similar to what most line chiefs would say. However, the one thing I would do that is probably unique is to provide the rookie and each person on the shift with a short article “Firefighter New Has Rights!” by Charles Brush (Fire Engineering, June 2002; access it at emberly.fireengineering.com). This article contains the best advice I have ever seen.
Christopher J. Weir, EFO, Division chief, Port Orange (FL) Department of Fire & Rescue
Response: Mentoring a probationary firefighter establishes the foundation and course of the career. We seasoned veterans should take advantage of this golden opportunity. In this day and age, we need to stress to probationary firefighters that the fire service is evolving in many exciting directions, that there will be numerous opportunities and challenges, as well as peaks and valleys, in their careers. We should no longer tell rookies to stand in a corner and keep their mouth shut and their eyes open. Today’s rookie wants and should be entitled to ask questions without conviction. Perhaps it would be beneficial to ask the rookies questions about the innovations and the technologies they learned about while at the fire academy. This would help them feel a part of a team instead of an outsider. Yes, rookies should observe and earn respect from veterans. However, we must include them and treat them as family and make sure their questions are answered in great detail. Without providing the positive tools for their first year of growth, rookies may become part of the negative crowd whose members spread gloom, doom, and rumors, which is a situation we all have learned and is hard to reverse.
Jeffrey Schwering, lieutenant, Crestwood (MO) Department of Fire Services
Response: My advice to a rookie firefighter is the same advice my father and grandmother gave me when I was a kid: “The good Lord gave you two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk.” Rookie firefighters are ready to save the world when they graduate the academy, but our job is about much more than putting out a fire in a burn tower.
The Fire Academy is where the basics are learned. You can dress up in a uniform and turnout gear, but you’re not a firefighter until the members in the house say you are. From the day you walk in the door for the first time, you’ve joined a second family-filled with tradition, brotherhood, and continuing education-that should be respected for the rest of your career. Always strive for knowledge about your job, which is changing daily. We don’t have as many fires now, yet we still lose more than 100 firefighters per year. Ask yourself, why?
The fire service is not just another job. We are called at the worst time in an individual’s life to handle a situation, a time when most people would turn away. We must be professional, caring, and loyal not only to the public we serve but also to our brother and sister firefighters, our families, and-above all-ourselves. Listen to other firefighters, your company officers, and your chiefs. They will help you learn the most important rule of all: Be safe so everyone goes home.
Craig H. Shelley, fire protection advisor,Saudi Aramco, Ras Tanura, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Response: My advice to rookie firefighters is fourfold.
(1) Listen and watch. When arriving on-shift, you can learn a lot by listening. I remember that when I was an FDNY probie, I would get in early and go to the kitchen. The on-duty crew was there, usually talking about a recent fire. “How did you get to the roof?” one firefighter would ask another. The response was always a learning experience for me. What problems were encountered, and how were they overcome? It created a mental picture for me that I could draw on when confronted with a similar situation. Watching how others did things also taught me a lot.
(2) Enjoy. We are blessed to be part of the greatest profession in the world. Every day at the fire station is an adventure that is worth enjoying. There are times when others on the shift may be in a bad mood or down in the dumps. Don’t let that affect your enthusiasm. I remember enjoying coming to work so much that I would arrive two hours early. Even the mundane chores such as cleaning the tools every morning was enjoyable. Remember, enthusiasm is contagious.
(3) Never stop learning. Every situation, whether routine or response-related, is a learning experience. Use these situations to complement your book knowledge and make yourself a better firefighter.
(4) Pass on your experiences and knowledge. Mentor someone else just as you have been mentored. Once again, I repeat that we have been blessed to be a part of this profession. Share this “blessing” with the next rookie.
Freddie Fernandez, battalion chief, City of Miami (FL)Department of Fire-Rescue
Response: Getting started in the fire service is an exciting time. Going from training to the real world is a challenge that should be met with enthusiasm and energy. Rookies need to work hard in all areas of the job. Familiarization with the apparatus and inventory is paramount to a good start. Every tour of duty should begin with a thorough review of all the tools and equipment on each unit in the fire station.
Transitioning from book knowledge to practical experience is best accomplished by seeking out mentors. Company officers and senior personnel are always willing to assist a hard-working rookie with the right attitude and a thirst for learning. The initiative to form this relationship should be demonstrated by the rookie with hustle and hard work in all routine areas around the station and on the fireground.
Rookies should set goals during their first year; written goals should be set daily, weekly, and monthly. These goals should be measurable and attainable. Begin with the locations of tools on the truck, for instance, and then progress to learning more complex aspects, such as advanced rope practices or working with hydraulic tools. Each month should provide increasing challenges and expanding areas of development. The first year sets the tone for the rest of the career. Getting off on the right foot will pay off in a long and rewarding career.
Bobby Shelton, firefighter/EMT-I, Cincinnati (OH) Fire Department
Response: As someone who works at a college that has a fire science program and helps in the training of fire recruits, I am always excited to see new people come on the job. I appreciate the zeal, dedication, and humility they display.
My advice is as follows: Don’t let the zeal, dedication, and humility you had when you started wane. There will be obstacles to your progress. There may be apathetic senior people or officers. It may be a fire administration that appears not to have your best interest in mind. It may be a lack of initiative in training-the list goes on and on.
Don’t let those things impede you from progressing. Do what you can within the framework of your organization to keep yourself in top-notch condition mentally. Learn all you can from those around you. Humility goes a long way. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Sometimes senior people assume you know because you just came out of rookie school. Don’t try to fake anything. If you don’t know, say so, and then listen and ask questions so you can do whatever the task is properly and proficiently.
Remember that learning never stops. I once had a person tell me that I was wasting my time attending all of the schools I have over the years because everything I needed to learn I learned in rookie school. WRONG! Avoid people who think that way. Go to any school you can. Learn as much as you can. The more you learn, the more of an asset you are to your company, your coworkers, and your department.
Finally, be a person of integrity. Do not violate your principles for anyone. Work hard, stay zealous for the job, be dedicated to the job, stay humble, and learn all you can. And you will have a long fulfilling career.
Thomas Dunne, deputy chief, Fire Department of New York
Response: Stay focused and stay in shape. Activity levels in the fire service tend to be somewhat sporadic. Even in the relatively active departments, it is possible to go several tours without getting a difficult first-due structural fire. Furthermore, many medical responses will prove to be routine or unwarranted and will not provide the tremendous satisfaction of saving a life.
Never allow yourself to view any aspect of your job as “routine.” The most dangerous fire and the most challenging medical response you will ever face may occur at any time in your career. Read, drill, and study your job. Maintain your edge during the slow times so that you are not caught off guard when something big happens. Be assured that something very dangerous is inevitably going to confront you.
Your physical conditioning is the foundation on which all of your skills are built. The extreme physical stress of firefighting and the exhaustion of 20 responses with no sleep are factors that can literally kill you. What you eat and how you exercise may well determine how long you can function as a firefighter.
In short, make the most of your career. Enjoy every minute of it, but remember that there is life after the fire department. Do all that you can to ensure that it is a healthy life.
Raymond L. Van Marter, deputy fire marshal/fire training coordinator, Ocean County (NJ) Fire Marshal’s Office
Response: Rookie firefighters should remember that they are new to the organization and are not eligible to the same rights and privileges of veteran members. You earn things in the fire service; they are not given to you because you want them.
The fire service is rich in traditions, and rookies must understand and embrace them if they want to succeed. They should never stop learning. Firefighters who complete basic training and then think they know it all are a danger to themselves and to others.
They should learn from their mistakes and those of others. They should study each line-of-duty death that occurs. We can learn from them all and hopefully will avoid the same mistakes or dangerous situations in the future. I would wish them good luck and a long, healthy career in the fire service; welcome them as members of our family; and let them know we are always here for them.
John M. Swan, firefighter, St. Marys Fire Department, Georgia
Response: Learn from your mistakes! With firefighters dying at alarming rates, the fire service is in desperate need of cultural change. Only you can change this trend. You can start today by eating more healthfully and partaking in regular exercise. When at work, live by the 200-percent rule-be 100 percent compliant 100 percent of the time.
Not all line-of-duty deaths can be prevented. However, many can. I challenge you to change this appalling trend. You must live a more healthful lifestyle. If you are a volunteer, this will be easier because you can choose meals to reflect this lifestyle. If you are on the job, request healthful meals on shift. When you move up in seniority, plan more healthful meals for the shift, and encourage your recruits to live this lifestyle. Be the example.
Always wear all of your PPE. Always wear your seat belt. Do not take unnecessary risks. When that seasoned vet sitting next to you says, “Real firemen don’t do things that way,” just smile and say, “‘I’m just trying to do everything I can so everyone goes home in one piece.” When firefighters take unnecessary risks, they not only place themselves in danger, they also place every firefighter in danger. When you make “rank,” enforce the rules and regulations, and teach your recruits the 200-percent rule. Lead by example.
Dustin R. Miller, lieutenant, Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department
Response: The fire service has undergone many changes, evolving into what has become one of the most time-honored professions of our modern era. Certain qualities hold true. They include integrity, or the adherence to a code of moral or ethical values; a willingness to lay everything on the line for the true and just cause; and discipline, or the training that corrects, molds, or improves moral character, striving for excellence through training and standards with composure during demanding times. Finally, there is courage, a mental or moral strength with an ingrained capacity for meeting strain with fortitude, to risk everything for a total stranger, as our profession and character demand. These and other timeless qualities we have held close are attributes rookies should strive to nurture within themselves and others.
However, we must also recognize that we are constantly progressing. It has been, and forever will be, that the next generations of firefighters must achieve a gentle balance between tradition and progress to meet tomorrow’s demands. This great responsibility is both an honor and a burden. The security of our profession depends on our ability to preserve the past while preparing for the future. Above all, embrace this responsibility by becoming not only better firefighters but also better people.
Mitch Brooks, lieutenant, Columbus (OH) Division of Fire
Response: Always do your best, and don’t settle for just getting the job done. Remember, your whole career will be about proving yourself, no matter what your seniority number or rank.
As a rookie, you should be the first one to volunteer for job assignments, and you should always be willing to learn your job and help others with their jobs.
Firefighters will not volunteer information to rookies unless they know that the rookie is willing to heed their advice. Show the veterans that you want to learn, bug them for knowledge. Stay in the books. Just because you graduated the training academy doesn’t mean that you know the job.
Finally, never sacrifice safety for a shortcut. Your goal should be to protect your fellow firefighters and yourself and the citizens you are sworn to protect.
Ross A. Baker, firefighter, Washington Township, Dublin, Ohio
Response: Stick with the three “R’s”: readin,’ ’ritin,’ and ’rithmetic.
Readin’: Read everything you can get your hands on. There is so much information out there. Many people have different views and opinions. Read them all, and then go out and experiment with and train on them. You might find a better way of doing something. Not everything works for everyone, every time. Understand why we use certain tactics. Go beyond knowing how to use them; learn why we use them to achieve the effects desired. Become intimate with your equipment.
Read and understand fire behavior and building construction so that when you get out there you can put a name with the situation.
Read up on history. Understand where we get some of our terms and the birthplaces of some of our tools. Know how things have and haven’t worked from past experiences.
Read why firefighters die. We keep killing ourselves, and it doesn’t seem to be anything new that’s reaching out there and grabbing us. Arm yourself with knowledge; don’t be caught by surprise. Those who don’t anticipate often tend to repeat history.
Read your department’s standard operating procedures and EMS protocols. Know what’s expected of you.
’Ritin’: Write in a journal. Keep training memos or afterthoughts of incidents; record what worked or how it went. Just because your crew or department thinks everything’s going all right doesn’t mean you can’t better prepare yourself for the next “Big One.” Critique your personal actions, and always try to find something to improve on. Writing will also help improve your EMS reports and prepare you for more paperwork as you climb that promotional ladder.
’Rithmetic: Be a good pump operator. Understand water movement and friction loss. Know what your equipment can do and what it really should be doing. Don’t be someone who gets water and then waits for the thumbs up or thumbs down. A good nozzleman isn’t worth anything without a good pump operator. Remember, those guys are counting on you to make them look good. Ensure continuous and proper water to keep them safe and the operation flowing smoothly.
Go back to school, whether it’s for a degree or a specialized field this job encompasses. Learn everything you can; make every day a training day. This is a great journey; enjoy it. Don’t just be good at this job-be great at it!
Steven M. De Lisi, deputy chief, Virginia Air National Guard Fire Rescue, Sandston
Response: The fire service isn’t just about lights and sirens and excitement; it’s about tough, dirty work when you’re cold and wet. It’s not just about glory; it’s also about pain and suffering and attending the funerals of your fellow firefighters.
The fire service isn’t about making rank in the shortest time possible; it’s about paying your dues, knowing your job, and knowing how to take orders before you can give them. It’s not about blaming others when things go wrong; it’s about taking responsibility for your own actions.
It’s not about complaining when someone calls at 3 a.m. for a toothache; it’s about realizing that too many people have no one to call for help but the fire department. It’s not just about looking toward the future; it’s also remembering where you came from.
Being a firefighter is not just about macho stuff; it’s also fixing a little girl’s bicycle tire and knowing she trusts you because of who you are. Never violate that trust.
It’s not just about returning from a call without suffering an injury; it’s knowing that your safe return to the fire station was the result of deliberate actions you took to protect yourself and your fellow crew members, not just luck.
Always remember that the fire service is not just a job but a lifelong commitment of selfless dedication. Anything less is a disservice to yourself, your department, and your community.
William Carey, sergeant, Hyattsville, Company 1, Prince George’s County, Maryland
Response: Be honest with everyone.
Make your family the priority. You can be a firefighter only for so long. Invest in your family first, then the department.
Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Many times you will discover it is the quiet “brothers” from whom you will learn the most.
Don’t “chase” fire. Don’t transfer from house to house, looking for shifts full of working jobs. Fires will come. Be content running quality, not quantity.
Find your niche. It used to be that a firefighter could be a “jack of all trades,” but as time passes and technology increases, that is almost impossible. Find one area (building construction, specialized rescue, hazardous materials, for example), and immerse yourself in it.
Have a healthy “release” for all of the mess with which you will have to deal. Try to keep your life and the job fun.
The wagon and truck drivers make or break the company. Learn your area early.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and play with the tools. Not asking is another way of saying you don’t really want to know.
Wear your gear, your bottle. So what if you get teased? Those guys won’t be there to take care of you later in life.
Remember what Mark Twain said, “A man cannot live without his own approval.”
Lance C. Peeples, instructor, St. Louis County (MO) Fire Academy
Response: Keep your eyes and ears open, and your mouth shut-unless it’s to ask a question or warn of imminent danger.
Ed Herrmann, lieutenant, City of Boynton Beach (FL) Fire Rescue
Response: Never, ever lose the excitement and respect you have for your job right now. If you get bored or lose interest in the job, it’s because you allowed it to happen. You can learn something new every day you come to work, but take the time to learn all you can off the job also. Once you’ve mastered the basics, a wide range of studies including (but not limited to) paramedicine, building construction, strategies, haz mat, special ops, and eventually leadership/management will serve to keep you interested, motivated, and alive. As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power.” In our business, it’s the power to be there when it counts for the citizens we serve, the department and profession we’re a part of, and our families when we come home at the end of the shift.
Speaking of families, you have two now. Allotting time for each can be a difficult balancing act, especially as priorities change through the course of a life/career. Consideration, cooperation, and communication will help keep the peace on both fronts.
It should go without saying that physical fitness is also a basic necessity in facing these stresses.
Keep some sort of record of your career-pictures, videos, scrapbook, daily notes, or whatever works for you. You’re liable to look back after a couple of decades and be amazed at how far you’ve come, what you’ve been a part of, and how many people you’ve helped.
Robert M. Lassiter Jr., lieutenant, Levy Fire Department,
Jasper County, South Carolina
Response: Train, train, and train some more. It doesn’t matter if you are volunteer or career. With the way the fire service is changing, the only way to stay on top, and do it safely, is to train. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and learn something from every call you make. “Routine” calls can quickly change and become something that is anything but routine.
Gary L. Weiss, CFO/EFO, chief, Mulberry (FL) Fire Department
Response: First, listen to what everyone says, no matter if it’s war stories, jokes, or general firehouse talk. There is always a lesson to learn, and that lesson may save your or someone else’s life.
Start a notebook; when you learn something new, write it down. Keep this book, and review it often. It will act as a refresher for you, and some of the information can be used for company drills when you get promoted.
Finally, be part of the group, and enjoy the greatest job in the world. You are now part of the family; you will always be part of the family until you decide you do not want to belong. This family is as special as your home family. You will be spending one-third of your life or more with this family.
Brian Singles, firefighter, Hampton (VA) Fire Department
Response: To the rookie firefighters serious about making this a career, I say, “Welcome aboard.” To those here just for a regular paycheck, I say, “Get out and let someone who wants to become a firefighter take your spot on the roster.” We have both kinds of rookies right here in Hampton; some have been here for quite a while. There are both kinds of rookies in fire departments all across the United States.
To the rookie here to learn, I give the same advice I was given when I first became a firefighter: “Get all the training available to you every chance you get, whether it’s a state class or one in your local jurisdiction or right in the fire station.”
I tell all of the rookies with whom I have worked during the past 20 years to take what they learn from me and all of the other dedicated veteran firefighters with whom they have the opportunity to work during their first couple of years or so and then develop their own unique way of getting the job done. I had that same benefit when I first entered the fire service many years ago.
I have spent and will continue to spend as much time as it takes teaching the new generation of firefighters everything I know-to share the experiences I have had during my career and make sure that the rookies learn all the tricks of the trade so they can become safe and smart firefighters.
A wise old firefighter once told me, “If you think you have learned everything there is to know about firefighting and no longer think that training is still one of the best tools in the fire service, then it’s time to retire.”
Richard Royston, chief, Delhi Township Fire Department, Holt, Michigan
Response: It is important that you understand that you are new and have a great deal to learn. No training class or group of training classes can teach what several years of experience will help you learn. As a rookie, understand the importance of training. You are never too old or too educated to learn. Education is important. To make the most of your career, you need to learn the different approaches to different situations. You should realize that the fire service needs new fire service leaders. Be enthusiastic, and get excited about your job. Come to work with the idea that you are going to make a difference. Don’t be willing to settle for the status quo. Break the paradigms. Make a difference in your community through education, prevention, and service.
Matt Rettmer, lieutenant, Castle Rock (CO) Fire and Rescue Department
Response: Find a role model or mentor in the department, and learn from this person’s experiences, knowledge, and attitude. Attitude is everything in this job. Be positive in all tasks and projects, and know that your attitude will take you where you want to go. A negative attitude will take you where you don’t want to go. The most successful fire service people have great attitudes and have learned to balance the highs and lows of this ever-changing career. Learn the traditions of your department and of the fire service. Know and understand what those who have gone before us have done to make our line of work a profession.
Train, train, train. Train as if it were the real thing; this will allow you to be prepared for the unexpected. Believe in each other and the strength of the brotherhood/sisterhood in your department and the fire service. Have fun. Eat right. Get and stay in shape. Take care of each other. Be mentally ready to perform.
Tony Tricarico, captain, Fire Department of New York
Response: Make every day a learning experience. After 28 years in the fire service, I still learn something every day I go to work.
Read, read, read. Read your department’s written procedures for many of the types of incidents to which you will respond. Get to know them well. This is the way to organize the chaos on the fireground. Each engine, truck, squad, and rescue knows what the first-alarm assignment should be doing and where its personnel are supposed to be. This in itself is a stepping stone to accountability. It gives the chief in charge a “preincident plan” for certain building types and emergencies. He already knows what is being done and can start to plan for the next step. You have a position to fill. Be there. Know your SOPs. Know your job.
Second, read the many periodicals available to enlighten you about new products and procedures outside your realm. This is a great way to see what is going on outside of our own “little” worlds. You can bring to work the things you pick up in reading these articles and see if they have any relevance to your department or specific job. You never know what will work unless you try it.
Third, pick up some published books and read about the job. Many firefighters and officers have written books on firefighting, leadership, and other technical aspects of the job. Reading these books will give you information from members who have a wealth of experience and knowledge that you may never have been able to obtain were it not for their published works.
Ask questions. That’s what the senior members are for. They will pass on the information you cannot glean from a book. I cannot thank enough the people who have passed down information to me throughout my career. Even to this day, if I need advice, I call someone I respect and who has more experience than I and use him as a sounding board. I always walk away a little wiser, even if it’s not what I wanted to hear.
Know your apparatus, know your tools, know your job. I know, I said that already, but maybe it’s a hint that it is an important point.
Finally, keep the kitchen clean, be proficient with a mop, and get qualified on the floor-buffing machine. This is the greatest job in the world; the people before me made it that way, and the people behind me will keep it that way. Have a great career, “kid”; no matter how old you are, you’re still the “kid.”
Randall W. Hanifen, lieutenant, West Chester (OH) Fire-Rescue
Response: The job title is inappropriate. Today’s fire service is prevention, EMS, and special operations, with a little bit of firefighting. It is very important that you learn the basics of firefighting, but realize that your chances to use these skills will be limited. Therefore, it is even more important that I say again, “Learn the basics of firefighting.” Beyond these basics, it is important that you continue to train and educate yourself in the many disciplines covered by the fire service. It is important that you stay trained mentally and physically. Keep yourself sharp mentally through training and education and physically through regular exercise. Consider where you want to be in the future, and prepare yourself for it each day. Look to those you respect and figure out why you respect them. Ensure that not a day goes by that you do not learn something new about your profession, or at least relearn it. Do your part to show the public your professionalism. Finally, a bit of advice that was passed on to me when I started: “When you think you know everything about the profession, please retire.”
Dan Smits, shift commander, Calumet City (IL) Fire Department
Response: Continue your education through- out your career, and never think that you have seen it all. Increasingly, our fire departments are being hit with more responsibilities relating to weapons of mass destruction or other tasks that cannot be absorbed by others in our municipalities. This requires further education and, for many firefighters, the lack of hands-on experience will make decision making difficult at best.
Create a network of people who can help you with the struggles of the job. Seek information or advice from these people before you get in trouble.
Recently, I met some firefighters from France. They noted that American firefighters seem to lack discipline on the fireground compared with French firefighters. I could not deny that this certainly was an issue, since many of our NIOSH reports seem to point toward this factor’s leading to firefighter deaths. As a “rookie firefighter,” remember: Freelancing (operating on your own and without direction) on the fireground or in your career can only kill you or your career.
W. Nim Kidd, district chief, San Antonio (TX) Fire Department
Response: Love it or leave it. Like most rookies, I was nervous my first shift. One of the more memorable quotes I heard that day was, “Just remember, you joined us; we didn’t join you!” That has stuck with me more than anything.
You are not starting a new job; you have begun a journey that will take you down a path that no other career could ever rival. You are now part of a 200-year tradition that comes with pride, honor, respect, and responsibility. Since all generations are different, you will need to be a blend of old and new. Do your best to uphold the reputation of the American fire service. Be humble and, when necessary, bold enough to change things that are due for an overhaul. Always give proper respect to those who came before you. It is your job to do the least desirable tasks, be the first to start cleaning, answer the phone, greet visitors at the station, gear up for the demo, and help every other firefighter. Always be the last one to quit doing anything the crew is doing together. Never forget where you came from. (This will mean more with increased seniority and possibly rank.) Never forget how difficult it was to achieve your dream of becoming a firefighter, how long the process took, and how you felt when you finally received the acceptance letter from the department. Those moments are golden; they make you a better public servant.
James Mason, lieutenant, Chicago (IL) Fire Department
Response: The first thing is, you cannot learn this job by experience alone. It would take a lifetime to “see it all” like the firefighters of old. You have to take classes and study what is taught. Write down information presented in the classes, save it, and review the notes every once in a while so the information comes back to you. Going to fire service classes teaches you the learning experiences of others, things you may not personally see for yourself for decades. The perspective of the classes, along with fireground experience, will round out the education and make you safer.
Second, prior to your arrival on the fireground, study the size-up factors most critical for ensuring safety in the interior fire attack. When arriving at the scene, concentrate on these factors before going inside. How will the construction affect the building’s performance while burning? What is the occupancy of the fire building? Is it commercial or residential (single- or multi-family), and why be concerned? What is the life hazard? Is there a bona fide rescue possibility, or are the firefighters the only ones who can be hurt in this one? What are the location and the extent of the fire, and why be concerned?
Third, place your priorities in this order: family, fire department, and then finances. Being a member of the fire service is a beautiful job for many reasons. Make it your career, not a side job with fringe benefits, from the beginning.
Walter E. Jones, division chief, Rocky Mount (NC) Fire Department
Response: Be accountable!
Jerry Calabrese, captain/field training officer, Westminster (CO) Fire Department
Response: The work ethic of a rookie firefighter is vitally important to the success of the rookie as well as the department. During our 12-week academy, we stress work ethic. It is true that good written scores are important, but the effort put forth during physical conditioning and the drill activities are also important for success. We track our rookies on a six- and 12-month basis to ensure that the company officer has completed the basic skills packets. We also have the instructors complete an appraisal on each rookie during this period, to ensure they are adapting to the job.
The firefighter’s job is not always an emergency; it involves daily activities such as driving the EMS victim’s automobile to the hospital because the individual has no way to retrieve it. By filling up the tank of a vehicle low on gasoline or providing shelter to stranded citizens during a blizzard and feeding them the crew’s dinner during his first year, the rookie learns the true meaning of wanting to help someone.
Ralph Bensing, safety officer, Jermyn (PA) Fire Department
Response: Sometimes the hardest part for you is the downtime, when the bells and whistles are quiet. Take this time to learn your equipment: what’s inside your automatic nozzle, how your SCBA works, where everything is kept on your rig, and what the heck a Detroit door opener is. Then, when called into action in an emergency, you will be on the same game plan as the rest of your team.
William P. Sullivan, captain, Malden (MA) Fire Department
Response: Take the time to learn. Pursue fire service education, training, and experience from the first day you report to work until your last day on the job. Like your fellow firefighters, your ability to collect, understand, retain, and apply the information you receive in the classroom, in the drill yard, on the fireground, and even at the fire station kitchen table will directly impact the safety, efficiency, and professionalism of your company.
A fire company, like any “team,” is only as strong as its weakest link. A new firefighter is a weak link. How long you remain the weak link is up to you.
“Time on the job” is important in every firehouse. What you do with your time on this job is what really determines how well the firefighters and fire officers accept you. Understand that it will take a lot of time and effort to learn your new job. It seems that some new firefighters think they gain time on the job the same way a dog ages. After probation is over, they walk around as if they have seven years in. After three years, they “talk” like seasoned 20-year veterans. You will be much better served by doing the very best you can to “walk the walk” and keep the talk to a minimum. ■
