Solid Foundations

The early part of one’s fire service career is very important as it often sets the tone for the duration of their fire service career.  I am very thankful that I started my fire service career with a great department and I had many great folks to ensure I had a solid foundation laid at the beginning of my career.  The department, influential fire service members, and a little bit of initiative helped me to establish a solid foundation that is able to be constantly built upon.  Far too often folks don’t establish a solid foundation and it, unfortunately, shows itself at various points throughout their career.  These folks are forced to play catch-up due to the fact they are lacking the solid foundation.  This is not to say folks with a solid foundation don’t make mistakes or make a few wrong turns along the way.  Rather, the solid foundation usually facilitates easier correction of mistakes and prevention of repetitive mistakes.  This post will identify how to build solid foundations that support our efforts to keep the fire service efficient and effective.  As is the case with many fire service initiatives, building a solid foundation requires individual, and group, efforts.

The individual needs to have a strong desire to gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities, which will make them a great firefighter.  If an individual strives to, and is able to, master basic firefighting skills, they will be able to fall back on these skills when all else fails.  Basic firefighting skills include: stretching and operating hoselines, deploying portable ladders, performing conventional forcible entry, performing searches, and performing ventilation.  It is often said, but cannot be overstated, mastering the basic skills of our trade will lead to consistently efficient and effective fireground operations.  This desire to learn must remain throughout their fire service career, as we should strive to learn something new everyday.

The individual should possess initiative.  Initiative will allow the firefighter to “step up” and be more than just a face in the crowd.  The initiative will also ensure the firefighter is an advocate for themselves and it shows the other firefighters that they desire to be a great firefighter.  The individual should be open to feedback from other members.  This feedback may be positive or negative and the feedback received should be used to reaffirm good habits and reform bad habits.

The individual should also learn to perform self-evaluation periodically to examine their own actions and determine what improvements can be made which will make them more efficient and effective.  The individual should strive to remain focused on doing the right thing, all of the time.  If an individual strives to do the right thing every time, and makes decisions in the best interest of the citizens they serve, fellow firefighters, and the fire service, then they will remain focused.  Maintaining this focus throughout their fire service careers will likely assist them at any level they may reach.

Other members of the fire service can also assist in building a firefighter’s solid foundation.  It is imperative to positively influence new members of the fire service to ensure the fire service keeps moving forward, while maintaining our focus on efficient and effective service delivery.  Leading by example is one of the most important things a fire service member can do, which will positively influence new members of the fire service.  When setting expectations for a new fire service member, ensure that your own actions, and attitude, reflect the expectations that have been set.  Whether realized or not, new members will take note of this and it will influence their opinion of the folks showing them “the way”.

Consistency is essential while building a solid foundation for new firefighters.  Expectations and standards should remain consistent and should not be sacrificed for any reason.  Sacrificing expectations and standards will breed a subpar product.  While it may be easier, for the moment anyways, to sacrifice expectations or standards, it’s actually doing an injustice to the citizens, other firefighters, the fire service, and the new member.  As everyone is well aware, performing subpar in our trade can have dire consequences.

As is stated above, feedback must be provided to the new member.  This feedback should be given to improve the new member and to recognize the positive efforts they are making.  When critiquing the new member’s efforts, it is important to provide possible solutions, or suggested corrective actions, to areas of concern.  Simply bringing the concern to light, and not offering positive direction, is not effective in assisting to build a solid foundation.  Likewise, feedback should be sought from the new member to ensure effective techniques are being used to build the solid foundation.

New members should be shown how, and taught why, when learning about the fire service and fire service skills.  This is more important than ever due to the generational change within the fire service.  Explaining why will provide validation to the information and techniques being taught to the new member.  It is also essential to ensure the new member understands where “we”, the fire service, have come from.  Without the efforts of those who have come before us, the fire service wouldn’t be where it is today.  This should give the new member a new appreciation, and respect, for those who came before and the principles and values that the fire service was built upon.

Building solid foundations for today’s fire service is dependant on the efforts of new fire service members and established fire service members.  It cannot effectively occur without strong, and committed, involvement from both parties.  Solid foundations help provide knowledge, skills, and abilities that will assist members in the firehouse and on the street.  Failure to build solid foundations in fire service members will likely cause the fire service to stray from our mission and decrease our efficiency and effectiveness.  Nobody who truly cares about the fire service, and all that it stands for, will allow this to occur.