From the Back Corner

       As I now sit in the Back Corner of the Training Room , and watch , I'm coming to realize that there are 2 things missing from our Beloved Volunteer Fire Service , Training and Communication , As a Past Chief , I now relaize that once you leave Office you become a Nobody.I found it a harsh reality the next day , and becoming one of the "guys " is even tougher , you really do not fit in and when you offer advice it's frowned upon .

        Training is the number 1 key in our service , regardless and I like our New Chief's approach by asking each officer to take at least one Training Class or Seminar . But it needs to go farther we need to make our Firefighters do this also , once they do , they will see what outside training has to offer and what they can bring back to their Dept. I recently attended a Training Class here on Basement Fires , taught by "The Jersey Boys"  this touched on every aspect of what we do and it made you think , and the very next day our dept. had a basement fire and what was taught in that class and showed to us did happen as what to expect and how to attack it. So with this being said I implore the Firefighters who read this to seek out the Training and bring it back and share it with your Brothers.

        Communication , is subject that can be a good or bad thing , Too little makes people wonder what is going on , Too much makes people scared . So how you need to find a happy medium to where the communication flows down and back up . Once that flow starts it keeps everyone on the same page . The minute you stop communicating CHAOs becomes very evidident with in.

        To sum this up , I by far am no expert , but what I see from seeing different depts do the job , some have it down pat and others are getting there and then there are those that do not have it and have lost it and need to find.

FTM PTB