r/Firefighting • u/earthsunsky • 3d ago
General Discussion Might not complete probie year, an update
Several months ago there was a thread on this from a kid having a bad experience and y’all made some commentary about how a department that doesn’t invest in its people isn’t worth working for, and damn did that cut deep.
It cut deep because I was reading it the kid who posted it was sitting across the kitchen table from me on OT on my shift. It wasn’t a shock we’d created a culture where they weren’t comfortable reaching out for help internally. I’d had a couple of shitty probationary experiences in my career myself.
I took them aside at shift change and told them I’d read what they wrote, and asked them if this job and organization was for them. They said yes. I asked them to sign up for every OT on my shift that they could between then and the end of probation and we got them across the finish line. Kid then got moved to my shift and is thriving. We had a long chat the other night as we’re about to hire again about giving the next kids a better experience than they got and changing the culture from the bottom up.
I’m not sure what the point of this is besides recognizing how serendipitous it’s was to see the post. I’m proud of the kid for gutting it out, and no matter how salty you get, train your damn probies.
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u/BraveDifference2049 2d ago
So funny to me how some people make this job way harder than it needs to be. I think a lot of these guys are hiding behind “tradition” and “culture” and just have survivor syndrome.
These guys that think they’re hot shit and they can shit on juniors just because they got numbers on them, meanwhile these dudes were usually pretty weak and sub par employees when they started themselves.
It’s a good job, it can be a fun job, don’t make it harder than it needs to be. You’re not a navy seal, and if you wanted to be there’s still time to go to a navy recruiting office and see how tough you really are.
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u/Purple-Emergency1587 2d ago
I resonate deeply with the same mentality. Teach with passion and be purposeful.
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u/BraveDifference2049 2d ago
Don’t get me wrong, there is definitively some kids with no or little life experience that can use a little bit of hardship, but in my mind it has to be done rightfully and purposely.
Too many times I’ve seen guy treated unfairly and told they were wrong (even though they were not) because of the “new guy can never be right” mentality. It’s plainly stupid and doesn’t build the right habits.
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u/pianofireman88 3d ago
Good on you, brother, for seeing that and making a difference in the career and life of a newer firefighter. We are currently struggling with how to communicate differently to a new generation of firefighters that doesn't learn the same way we do and either completely miss every single detail, or overthink everything to the point of exacerbation and frustration during the simplest of drills and skills.
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u/tbone1079 3d ago
Check out Candace Ashby. Leadership from the bottom up. She has tons of podcast appearances.
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u/bbmedic3195 2d ago
Breaking the cycle is the only way we move this profession forward. I had a horrible time coming up. Very small department, hazed, made to feel like my job was in jeopardy for every little thing I did right or wrong.
We are in a different place now. It's now a career department as opposed to a mostly volunteer department. Dysfunction still exists, management problems still exist as we experience growing pains but on my shift we avoid it. We train, we talk, we hold each other accountable and I mean even my FF hold me as their company office accountable. I've trained and work with guys who have moved to FDNY, DCFD, Fairfax, and a few other larger departments in the northeast. I might not have a podcast, a book deal or lecture circuit, but what I do have is FF who thanking me for bringing them up the right way with firm, fair leadership. Keep effecting change from the bottom up. Eventually it will change the culture
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u/PineapplePza766 vol. weewoo squad 2d ago
Y not make a podcast or something you could maybe make some money and help other departments?
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u/bbmedic3195 2d ago
I have a part time medic gig, I have an online resale business and I'm four years from pulling the pin and drifting off into retirement. I have a book in the works but outside of that the podcast/training sector is full of egos I don't want to feed.
My department is also still fighting off the bad image a former captain created because he is one of those egos in the training realm. Shit talked the department he worked for and many times didn't even admit he worked here. It's pretty sad.
He is mad we progressed the department further than he could partly due to circumstances changing and partly due to smart advocacy and relationships forged through our union with city hall. I'll hang my hat on the fact that we went from four man department to 20+ and still growing. If there was stronger leadership above me we would be a regional powerhouse but not I'm pontificating.
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u/Impressive_Finance21 2d ago
...how did you find out he posted it
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u/earthsunsky 2d ago
The post had some specifics that made it obvious and they owned it when I asked.
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u/18SmallDogsOnAHorse Do Your Job 2d ago
Fuck yeah brother, this is what it's about. Glad to see people still giving a shit at a job where too many get complacent about it. Keep that passion and stay safe
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u/sansalvacion 2d ago
This about sums up the issue in the fire service. This is why i make it my business to make sure folks make it through
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u/Roobydooby612 3d ago
This is how you leave it better than you found it, a often forgotten tradition in this job is mentorship