The Mentor Book

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Permalink Reply by Scott Thompson on March 10, 2008 at 11:03am

The Mentor Book
Six years ago when I became the training chief in Lewisville, Texas, Chief Lasky was in the process of obtaining information from our senior members to be passed on to our younger firefighters. One of my first projects was to come up with a way to organize all of the information that had been collected and put it into a Mentor Book. Looking back, I guess you can say that the Mentor Book has really become the foundation of our mentoring program and is sure to be something that will be passed from generation to generation in our organization. It is Phase V (passing on information and experience) of our mentoring program. We give this questionnaire to all of our members with 15 years of experience or more, regardless of rank. We place their reply in a book and place a copy in each station. Every new hire is required to read this book during their orientation period.


Lewisville Fire Department
MENTOR QUESTIONNAIRE
GOAL: In an effort to capture as much information as possible from our senior members, our mentors, before they leave us, the Lewisville Fire Department has developed the "Mentor Questionnaire." You are being asked to take a few minutes and share your KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES, and TRICKS OF THE TRADE, with our new Firefighters. This information will allow us to pass along your experience and our Department's heritage to our newest and future members.
INSTRUCTIONS: KEEP IT SIMPLE! You don't have to answer them all but it would be greatly appreciated. They can be typed or hand written. Don't worry about misspelling or grammar. Those haven't saved any firefighter's lives, but maybe with this you can!

Name:________________________________ Rank:_________________________


QUESTION 1 - (Apparatus, Tools & Equipment)
What can you tell us about our apparatus? Are there any with special needs or "quirks?" Any with safety concerns that you would like to pass along? This can also apply to equipment on our rigs such as extrication equipment, generators, saws, tools, etc. Is there a rig you like best and why? Is there a rig you like least and why?

QUESTION 2 - (Calls, Incidents, Experiences or Problem Buildings)
Are there any Calls, Incidents, or Experiences that you would like to share? Whether for historical purposes or more importantly, a call or incident that provided you with a "Lesson Learned" type situation that may help a new Lewisville Firefighter. Are there any buildings that you are concerned about? The type of building that when you think about it you find yourself saying "I hope we never have a fire in that place."

QUESTION 3 - (Lake Lewisville or Dive Operations)
Is there anything specific about Lake Lewisville or our Dive Team Operations that you would want to share with a new Lewisville Firefighter? Any hazards or safety concerns that would help keep one of our members out of trouble?

QUESTION 4 - (Department History)
Can you provide us with any information regarding our Department's History? Anything you would like to share with future generations of Lewisville Firefighters? History regarding our firehouses, apparatus, personnel, incidents, etc?

QUESTION 5 - (Your Wisdom and Thoughts)
Is there anything that you would say to a new Lewisville Firefighter that would help him or her stay healthy and safe throughout their career?