It’s about them, not you.
It’s about them, not you. Regardless of your rank, years in service, responsibilities, or apparatus assignment, the core mission for all firefighters is unwavering: to save lives and protect others. The very moment you as a firefighter begin to place yourself above others is the very moment you lose the ability to do this job well. You may have the skills and experience, but the people you swore to protect during your badge ceremony deserve your best. Doing this job halfway is a sure sign that you no longer care about them; you only care about yourself. The citizens deserve your best, as do the people you work with and your family. It’s about them; not you! Show up every shift with the intention of saving lives. Sometimes the people you swore to protect don’t make it, but you must know that you did everything you could to better their situation. You left it all on the scene and no room for doubt.
- Dear Probie
- Is the Probie Ready for a Fire Call?
- Do the Grunt Work
- Editor’s Opinion: Under the Influence
Do the little things well.
Great firefighters do the little things well and continue to do so throughout their career, regardless of their rank. You can be great at every aspect of this job, but unless you are great at the little things, it doesn’t matter. The little things at first may seem pointless and mundane, but over time you will be better for having done them. Your character, your integrity, and your attention to detail will all improve if you do the little things well. For example, when you fill up the water jugs, dump them out and fill them back up with fresh water and ice. Don’t be the guy who intentionally decides not to do this, because this little thing is a reflection of you as a person and your mentality. It goes back to putting others first. Regardless of how minor or pointless it may seem, the little things, when done well, will make you a better firefighter.
Some examples include:
- Refilling water jugs.
- Washing the rig.
- Taking out the trash before being told.
- Carrying a pen or marker.
- Waking up early to put the dishes up.
- Putting the wheel chocks back up for your driver.
- Getting the wrinkles out your bed sheet in the morning.
The list above is not exhaustive. There’s an endless number of little things a firefighter could do, and the best firefighters do them well, even if no one is watching.
Leaders lead.
Leaders lead; period. A leader doesn’t merely have seniority; a leader can be a first-year firefighter. Great leaders place a high standard on others and an even higher standard on themselves. If someone wants to be a leader, they must choose between mediocrity and excellence. Mediocrity is choosing to remain the same day in and day out and expecting others around you to pick up the slack. Excellence is setting the bar high for everyone, including yourself, and keeping the tolerance bar low. Mediocrity owns the fence.
A battleship turns slowly, but given enough time it will change direction. Leaders understand that change takes time and that consistency makes all the difference. Impactful leaders must be willing to be judged and mocked, because mediocrity doesn’t enjoy the presence of excellence. Show those around you that you care about them. Ask their opinion. Give them a voice. Hold them accountable and ask them if they would do the same for you. Everyone leads differently, but if there’s one thing that all leaders must do, it’s to empower and lift others up. Train with them, encourage them, clean the station with them, share your life with them, and make it your mission to put them first.
The best job isn’t always the best
Being a firefighter is the greatest job in the world, but there will be times it isn’t. It’s 3 a.m., you’re dead asleep, and you’ve had a slow, typical, can of corn shift. All of sudden, the box drops and you get toned out to an unresponsive and not breathing two-year-old boy. The nightmare starts to play out in your head while you’re running to the engine and only worsens as you roll out of the engine bay. On the way there you are hoping that it’s not as bad as you’re thinking it’ll be. You arrive on scene to a single-story home with a child’s slide sitting in the front yard. You grab the med bag and stumble out of the engine and walk with purpose up to the front door. Stepping inside, you see a lifeless little boy in his mother’s arms, and she’s looking at you and counting on you to bring this little boy back. You don’t. This is the part of the job that you don’t usually hear about when they hire on. You will have great days; you will fight crazy fires; you’ll cut open cars with wickedly awesome tools; and you’ll save lives. Some days you will see the worst of what this world has to offer. Understand that it’s okay to care. It’s okay to not be okay. Reach out to someone, anyone. Firefighters are human, too. The best job isn’t always the best.
Be the early bird.
The early bird does the work; the late bird receives the credit. Be the early bird. Show up early and do something productive that will benefit your upcoming shift. For example, do a precheck on the apparatus that you’re assigned to that day. Check the fuel and oil levels in the generator, extrication unit, chain saw, gas powered fan (and anything that is applicable). Open the doors of the apparatus and make a mental note of all the equipment and their locations. Look at the psi level in all the spare air bottles. If a bottle doesn’t show as being full, top it off. Don’t be that lazy guy who thinks 4,000 psi is good enough. Do things the right way. Lastly, go ahead and check the medical bags. In doing these things, you are ensuring that your apparatus is ready to go before the shift starts. It will also keep you from feeling rushed when you do your actual truck check around eight o’clock. This will also get you into the habit of being a self-starter, which will benefit you greatly in your career. Be the early bird.
The late birds might talk about you while they sip their coffee, but you’re improving yourself, so just keep it up.
Find a good mentor.
Find a good mentor. A good mentor is not only good at their job but is also someone who is willing to help you in every aspect of your life. A good firefighter is merely a good person who happens to be a firefighter. Find someone who is willing to get dirty, sweaty, and stinky training with you. Find someone who is willing to answer all your “new guy” questions. Find someone who cares about the job and people. Find someone you would want to be like five to 10 years from now. Find someone who is willing to take you under his or her wing and teach you everything that person knows. Find someone who is honest with you and will hold you to a higher standard. That person, that mentor, is like gold.
If you are missing the mark in a certain aspect of the job, a mentor will continue to work with you and train with you until you get it right no matter how long it takes. A mentor will believe in you as a person and as a firefighter. Find a good mentor and be picky about it.
Work harder than everyone else.
Work harder than everyone else. Be the guy who trains with his gear on, because it sucks; embrace it. If you go an entire shift without sweating, then you have failed yourself. We don’t become firefighters on the fireground, we become firefighters on the training ground. A good rule of thumb: spend half an hour working out and the other half doing some type of fire-related training. One hour of physical activity per shift over a year’s time is 121 hours. You will progress in your ability to do this job if you are consistent. Do something every shift. There will be times when you’ll be the only one working out or training, and this will put a target on your back. Be a walking dart board!
Work harder than everyone else, knowing that you will be ready when the box drops. Lives are saved when seconds are saved. Do your job!
Passion without action is dead.
Good firefighters are passionate about their crew, their station, their rig, their gear, their uniform, their citizens, and the job as a whole. However, a truly exceptional firefighter transforms that passion into tangible actions, recognizing that passion, while crucial, remainsutterly useless when left on its own. Passion must work alongside action; one cannot exist without the other. You may be passionate about being a fireman, but when it comes to having to be a fireman, are you able to do your job? Conducting extensive research and reading fire related books about topics like pulling a hoseline or throwing a ladder on the C-side of a structure is great, yet the ultimate question remains: can you do what it takes when doing your job is the only option you have? Doing your job could be the difference between life and death; it often is. Passion will get you started, but action gets things done. Passion without action is dead.
The best way to develop passion is to be around others who are passionate.
The best way to develop action is to be around others who take action.
Be careful with whom you allow to influence you.
It’s okay to suck.
You’re four months in and you suck. It’s okay, You’re six months in and you suck. It’s okay. You’re eight months in and you suck. It’s okay. Do you suck less than you did yesterday? If you get better every shift, then you are making progress, even if you still suck. You aren’t supposed to be the best in the world. You’re just supposed to be the best you can be. That’s what counts.
Do not compare yourself or your abilities to anyone else. If you’re better than someone else, it doesn’t matter. If you’re worse than someone else, it doesn’t matter. The only person you should compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. The only mindset you should have is: “I will not quit until I have become the best fireman that I can be.” Your work ethic or drive shouldn’t be wrapped up in the thought of you being better than someone else. Mind your own business and get to work! You should suck when you’re new, but don’t stay there. Improve your knowledge, your skills, and your passion. Better yourself in some way every single shift (even if it’s in a small way).
If someone else is struggling, recall when you struggled with the same task. Be the guy who stays out there in the engine bay and trains with them until they no longer suck. No matter how long it takes. It’s okay to suck, but it’s not okay to stay that way.
Have fun.
James Michael Muller said: “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.”
You made it! It’s your first year and you have somewhere between 25 and 35 years to go. Have fun and make the most of every time you get to walk through the doors of the station. Step into that engine bay, cook dinner with your crew, hit the ground running when the box drops, laugh around the dinner table, fill up the rig in the company of your crew…these are the moments you will remember. The fires will come, and runs will, too, but at the end of your career it will be the things that don’t seem important now that’ll end up being most important to you in the end.
You have the greatest job in the world and from this point on you get to decide what you’ll do with it. Have fun, work hard, and remember: you are supposed to be here.
Hayden S. Creecy is a firefighter with the Jonesboro (AR) Fire Department.
