Editor’s Opinion
The first day of my probie year, there was no doubting who the fire dog on my shift was. With his thick New York accent and a walrus mustache to match, my first captain not only carried the knowledge of years of running fires, he looked the part. He was joined by the company lieutenant, who also sported a Long Island accent and his own walrus mustache, and taught me the value of being patient and listening to people when they’re having their worst day. Sadly. I was too young and cocky to realize the value of their experience until later.
Over the course of my career, the guys who carried the knowledge became pretty obvious. They weren’t loud about it, but when the tones dropped, they made it look smooth and you never saw a flicker of panic. When you asked them a question about anything, they not only knew how something worked, they had run enough fire and other calls to tell you exactly why. Smartphones didn’t exist yet, and that was fine because we had all the experience we needed on our shifts.
This morning I said goodbye to yet another firefighter from the lineage of true salt: the guys with the institutional knowledge who you’d have to break the bank to find in training or books. They’ve done their 30-40 years and they’re leaving the fire service to the next generation…me. The problem is, my generation, too, will be gone in the next five to 10 years, and the gap between how I learned and the next generation learned is rather large. Why do I think that?
As I write this article, I’m penning it on one of the greatest threats to our modern fire service.
The smartphone. At any point in my day, I can open up my phone and find any drill or skill on a myriad of platforms. I don’t know the people showing me that skill, where they work, how their rigs are set up, or what the buildings in their first due look like. I can find about a dozen videos showing me just as many techniques that I’ve never seen before. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve seen some great stuff out there, but I’ve also seen some pretty not-so-great stuff, as well. Water cans? They weren’t meant for basements that have a decent fire going. Have these folks ever tried making the push down a staircase with fire and no hoseline?
I’ve seen just as many people popping up in my feed that I know haven’t ever cared about certain aspects of firefighter health before…until it became popular.
The easy access of social media may have created some sources that might look pretty flashy and have some cool tricks, but have those tricks been tested in an actual fire? Do you run the risk of causing physical harm to those around you if you try and incorporate a training trend under live fire conditions? Should I be taking the advice of someone yelling in my face about mental health while chugging their fourth energy drink of the day? That way you pulled that line through an empty parking lot looked fast…is it going to pull that way through grass when I’m actually pulling it to a real front door?
You might not have the walrus-mustache officer who’s eaten more smoke than you’ve ever seen to lead you. You might be the guy or gal with the most time in at your house who is now being looked to for guidance on training or culture. Suddenly, there may be no gravelly voice around aimed in your direction to tell you an idea sounds, well, not so smart and why it’s not so smart. You know what? The actual hands-on basics they taught you will never steer you wrong.
When you step into the role of influencing those around you, remember that being tactically sound doesn’t mean watching a sexy, sparkly new idea every day. Steering culture or helping someone who’s going through a tough time? That doesn’t magically start the second someone is in crisis. The 60 seconds of something magical looking that we see on social media—we don’t always know what conditions it has been tested under, nor do we know whether its producer has been tested.
We’ve all heard it again and again—practice like you’re actually going to play. That line? Pull it to that front door. That person who looks like they need someone to talk to? Be the ear. Don’t expect that what you watch while you’re scrolling will magically work under pressure just because you watched it enough times. There’s plenty to learn out there on social media, but when it comes to being under the influence of others…those who correctly taught you the fundamentals should always be on repeat in your mind.
Stephanie White is a 21-year veteran of the fire service. She started her journey as a volunteer, and has been a career firefighter/paramedic in Virginia for the past 19 years.
Over her career she’s been actively involved in firefighter health and wellness while being assigned to some pretty great companies. She is currently enjoying the challenge that is spelling and writing while living the shift-work life.
Stephanie is the managing editor of Firefighter Nation.
