team building

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Permalink Reply by Cassie on October 2, 2009 at 2:47am

What type of team building? Specifically related to fire skills or just anything to build teamwork?

Just a few ideas off the top of my head:

1. Something involving team competitions... people's desire to win will almost force teamwork.

2. Rescue drills using each other. When we practice patient rescue from buildings at my dept... we don't have dummies, we have each other. So when you're lifting a fellow firefighter out a 2nd story window into someone else's arms... there has to be trust between the members of the crew, and the patient needs to trust the crew. Also could be good in rope work or something like that where you place your safety openly in someone else's hand.

3. A ropes course... did this more in young adult groups for team building, but it worked well. Essentially a variety of tasks that have to be overcome by the team. Involves lots of thinking and working together. There are places you can go that have high ropes courses, where all the obstacles take place up a ways....

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Permalink Reply by Trainer on October 2, 2009 at 6:30am

Do a water drill....break out into groups of 3 or 4; now you want to pick a hydrant and a short drive distance. Object is to drive(start timer) to plug, hook-up and spray water, drill ends when good flow from a handline is achieved, prize is bragging rights for the year. You'd be amazed what will happen, competitiveness is a great motivator, but watch for the cheaters, like putting an extra strap on the suction hose or over tightening the intake cover, they will do almost anything to win.

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Permalink Reply by msfirefighter0 on October 2, 2009 at 1:26pm

That would work..however we are out here in Hootersville..no hydrants...only dump tanks...HMMMMMMM

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Permalink Reply by Brian Evans on October 2, 2009 at 10:15am

The human knot, while it may be cheesy, we just did it in ROTC and it got everyone talking and working together. I would say dune under the right conditions it could be a nice team building experience.

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Permalink Reply by msfirefighter0 on October 2, 2009 at 12:53pm

OK..I give..explain the knot..and how it goes down. I like cheesy!

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Permalink Reply by Cassie on October 2, 2009 at 6:24pm

Have everyone stand in a circle. Then everyone puts one hand in and grabs someone else's hand (just not the person on either side of you). Now everyone puts their other hand in and grabs another free hand (just not someone next to you and not the person who hand you've got in your other hand). So, everyone is holding hands with two different people not next to them.

It's a big freakin' knot.

Now... undo it. Without letting go. It's interesting.

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Permalink Reply by msfirefighter0 on October 5, 2009 at 12:04pm

I love this cheesy exercise..will try it on our guys..should be fun.

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Permalink Reply by Hunter S Woldseth on October 2, 2009 at 1:30pm

You could have them do search and rescue drills and put the younger guys in charge. If you think the older guys wont play nice, tell them your doing this to see how well they do in a in charge roll. But dont tell the younger guys this, but encourage the younger ones.
Another is if you have drills nights have the younger ones teach the class, but give them all the materials they need to give a great presentation. This will accomplish two things one itll teach he younger ones something new and the older ones. And It just might impress the older guys they could give a good presentation. If I think of more ill let you know.

Hunter Woldseth

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Permalink Reply by msfirefighter0 on October 2, 2009 at 2:11pm

Great ideas..I will try one next week and let you know how it works.
thanks

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Permalink Reply by Captain703 on October 3, 2009 at 1:09am

One thing we've done in the past is that we packed up, turned out the lights and it was pitch black. We had to take turns hooking into one-anothers' packs using our buddy breathing connections on our packs. It was a really cool idea because we had to help eachother out.

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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd Chief Sharp on October 3, 2009 at 1:24am

A good team building drill that is also fun is to split into 4 teams of 3. With two engines about 300 foot apart you have two teams of 3. lay out 3 lengths of hose uncoupled and a nozzle apposing each other. You can either do this in SCBA packs or out. The object. couple up the three lengths of hose with the nozzle on and flow water first. You can put out a cone to aim at or what ends up happening is that the other team gets wet. Each team has to decide who's coupling which hose and who is on the nozzle. You dont get water until all the team is at the nozzle and you call for water. Good training for your engineers too. Great team building and fun.

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Permalink Reply by msfirefighter0 on October 5, 2009 at 12:08pm

I will put this on my list as soon as we get another engine.
thanks

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