Make it your business to know your job.

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Permalink Reply by Larry Lasich on September 6, 2009 at 12:55pm

\\Startrant\\Word! I get completely nuts when I get "we don't need it 'cuz we don't have CAFS" when I suggest that we need a smooth bore on the high rise pack. The increasing level of I'm not sure, so I'm going to guess, at my PAID! department is really getting on my nerves.

I have a know nothing used to be wildland type that got promoted to Lt. Every flippin' day I have to listen to things like "I'd have no problem stacking 3 Vetter bags with no cribbing" and "We won't pull a 2 1/2 for interior, we'll shoot a Blitz-Fire into the house, because we WANT to upset the thrmal balance".

I wish that there was a Fire Department Office of the Inspector General that came in and evaluated departments from the outside because the cronyism and cover-ups that I see every stinkin day is making me hate this place.\\Endrant\\
Sorry for that.

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Erbe on September 7, 2009 at 9:06am

Amen brother, and I'll add this. NOT everyone can be a fire fighter, it's ok to suck, just go suck somewhere else!

Larry Lasich said:

\\Startrant\\Word! I get completely nuts when I get "we don't need it 'cuz we don't have CAFS" when I suggest that we need a smooth bore on the high rise pack. The increasing level of I'm not sure, so I'm going to guess, at my PAID! department is really getting on my nerves.

I have a know nothing used to be wildland type that got promoted to Lt. Every flippin' day I have to listen to things like "I'd have no problem stacking 3 Vetter bags with no cribbing" and "We won't pull a 2 1/2 for interior, we'll shoot a Blitz-Fire into the house, because we WANT to upset the thrmal balance".

I wish that there was a Fire Department Office of the Inspector General that came in and evaluated departments from the outside because the cronyism and cover-ups that I see every stinkin day is making me hate this place.\\Endrant\\
Sorry for that.

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Permalink Reply by Wayne Benner Jr on September 7, 2009 at 10:08am

I agree with all.. I recently made acting captain. Now I have only been a career firefighter for 6.5 years now but have been in the fire service for 8.
Im constantly on the computer or taking courese on my time off and $$$$$$$ researching material and learning. With the rank I have comes a lot of responsibilty and as I stated I dont have the fireground experince as my Sr brothers as fires are down. But as a Probie there shouldnt be any down time. After the probie chores as stated above are complete they should be outside and going through every compartment on their assigned tool-box (apparatus) and when their done with that go through the rigs.

The FD I work for does not get the run calls like big cities Im lucky to get 1200 a year and most are medicals however when the S*** hits the fan we need to be ready as the citizens who pay my wage expect the best from me and the firefighters.

As for the equipment options in the firehouse, I too have the problems. Larry tell your chief or Sr Officer to read NFPA 14. and then look at the NIOSH report for "One meridian Plaza" PFD.
The fire service tried to hang one of our own for speaking his mind openly this past spring.. However not once did the folks trying to hang him ever state their side of reasoning.... Maybe because they too have gotten too relaxed and dont research or keep up on the techniques used to do the job we are here for. Dont hate the JOB, its not the job thats wrong it the folks making rules who decided to through out commen sense and bring in non-sense..

Stay safe brothers as we can only count on each other to get us home safe..

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Permalink Reply by Joel Holbrook on September 7, 2009 at 1:20pm

AMEN!! have you been eavesdropping on us, we have been trying to embed this concept into our personnel for some time now, its a whole new brand of people entering the fire service, and we are gonna have to stand fast in our mission to make the message clear, "learn, love and LIVE your job" or get out!!

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Permalink Reply by Jay Schlossareck on September 9, 2009 at 11:02pm

It's the new and improved "I know but" generation of probies.
I keep thinking back to Ray McCormack speech at FDIC we are going safety crazy in the fire service so safe infact that it has made the fireground more dangerous. But yet the same fires are killing our brother firemen? How is that possible?
Maybe its the lack of BASIC activities that are killing and injuriing us. Do the bailout training fine, but also do the rapid deployment of the initial ATTACK line to the right place, the cordinated ventilation, rapid proper placement of ground ladders for egress, rapid aggressive primary search etc...
The fact of the matter is if I have learned anything in the fire service its make it your business to know your business... And do everything you can to share that information with the brothers around you. Even if they aren't as into the job as you are if you share enough information some of it has to sink in...
And I leave you with my favorite saying "Same circus different clowns".....

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Permalink Reply by Mark Wadsworth on September 10, 2009 at 6:32pm

The day you stop learning something is the day you should quit. It is truely amazing how many people do this job, but don't know what they are doing or can't do it. I agree that going back to basic firefighting skills is key, but there is always something valuable we can learn from each other. This site is the perfect example of ongoing training ideas and conversation. Good topic, thanks.

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