Annoying trainees

[psychospitfire]

This weekend, my little rural department was hosting the Part 2 training for our department as well as a few other surrounding communities. There was a 17 year old junior from another town that seemed to think he knew everything that there is to know about firefighting, even more than one of our lieutenants. Everyone was basically ignoring him and rolling their eyes whenever he made a smart-mouth comment, but I couldn't take it anymore. When one of our senior firefighters was demonstating how to do a certain hose roll, the brilliant little 17 year old kept barking orders and making suggestions about what was getting done wrong. I snapped. I said "Could you please shut up? I think he knows what he's doing." Well, the look on his face said it all. He immediatly stopped with the commentary, and I got congratulations all around from the people there.

I, myself am a female junior firefighter, but I know my place. Don't get me wrong, we do have our capabilities, but I know better than to question a senior member when he obviously knows what he's doing.

[firefighter26]

...another pup gets a smack on the nose with a rolled up news paper...

[Adze39]

Nice way to stand up to the pup!

Keep up the good work!

[jaybird210]

Psycho (or can we call you Francis?),

That is by far the best way to handle those chumps. However, your instructor should've done that, instead of letting him go on and on, and disrupting the class.

Kudos to you for stepping up!

[CaptainGonzo]

There is "one of those" in every crowd... it must be a NFPA requirement....

NFPA standard 2003: staffing and training of know it alls and morons.

Every fire department in North America, whether it be volunteer, paid on call, combination or career must have a minimum of one know it all or moron. Said know it all/moron is required to disrupt classes, make comments about everything they know nothing about and be a pain in the butt in general.

This is followed by NFPA standard 2004: staffing and training of persoonel to deal with know it alls and morons.

Every fire department in North America, whether it be volunteer, paid on call, combination or career must have a minimum of one person to deal with know it alls or morons. Said person detailed to deal with the know it alls/morons is required to be a member of the IACOJ BMI division and carry a rolled up newpaper designed to apply a corrective whap upside the head of said know it alls and morons. :D

[FireSarge]

i am guilty of that...

i was at a training and we just went over in class what they were doing and when i saw something wrong i pointed it out...

my LT told me that the guy had been doing it for 15 years and didnt want to learn to do it the right way after doing it for that long so just keep your comments to yourself...


so if you have problems with whats going on dont knock the guy doing it but let an officer know and see what he says about it...but dont make it look like you are trying to knock it say you were taught that this is how you do it would you like me to demostrate..


it shows that you knwo your place but would like to put a little edge on what the rest of the "pups" should know

[Bones42]

NFPA standard 2004 Wow! I finally meet one of the NFPA standards! ;)

[StayBack500FT]

OH MAN!!! I HATE KNOW-IT-ALLS!!! I just go right up to them and tell them how much better I am than they are and how I could do all the stuff they're doing along time ago, and how much better I do it than them or anyone else for that matter. I also tell them that I'm faster than they are and I am better looking too...I'll tell you what, I don't take anything off of a Know-It-All...I put them in their place, which (of course) is below me because I'm soooo much better than them and I'm not afraid to tell them so. You can tell a Know-It-Allthe first second they walk into a room....probably wearing some flashy, attention getting color....rambling on like a fool....ALL THE WHILE...thinking they are experts!!!! I just go up to them and tell them to stop being redundant.... ...and tell them that I can do whatever it is they're talking about...because I'm better and faster...and much better looking... ...Then I give them advice on how not to be a Know-It-All...so they can be more like me...chicks dig me you know.. Know-It-Alls................SHHHEEESSS SHHHH!!! :mad:

[Airborne]

This is true in all faciets of life. Even if you know the guy is way wrong, you should reserve your comments, and when you do have your chance to speak use tack. Let them know where your comming from, tell them you where taught a diffrent way and that you are wondering what way is the right way. Don't let them think that you are trying to show them up, or make them look bad, and you will be fine. Keep in mind that the male ego needs to be stroked coutinuesly, or else there will be trouble.

[jaybird210]

when you do have your chance to speak use tack.

Tacks are too small. They might not even feel 'em. Gonzo's rolled-up paper is much more suitable.

[CaptainGonzo]

Originally posted by jaybird210


Tacks are too small. They might not even feel 'em. Gonzo's rolled-up paper is much more suitable.

A rolled up newspaper with a few tacks embedded within the leading edge is a sure fire atention getter!

[Anyway]

I hate know it alls... When I get one in class, I just simply tell them that I was out doing all the things I am now TEACHING them while they were still eating peanut butter and jelly with their Mamas at the kitchen table.

That usually shuts them up.

But I will have to start bringing a rolled up newspaper with me to class.. :D

[lutan1]

Well done Captain Gonzo- I like your NFPA standard- I think they apply world wide, though.... ;)

Why don't you turn it around on them?

Ask them to step up front and demonstrate to the class- I've done this a few times and very quickly shown themself and everyone else that they really have NO clue as to what they're talking about.

It's a good way to quite often demonstrate the incorrect way and you can point out their errors:rolleyes: then move on to the correct way of completing said task....:)

[Bones42]

Ask them to step up front and demonstrate to the class I have done this also! Even once had someone who was as good as she said she was.

[lutan1]

Even once had someone who was as good as she said she was.

DOH!

Don't you hate that?!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[explr985]

I hate people who are like that.

[hfd66truck]

Since I am in the process of reading my Instructor manual (which explains why I am posting here...yawn), I believe they offer the follwing 2 methods to handle this situation.

1) Ask the troublemaker/know it all to keep his opinions to him/herself. Explain to them that others are trying to learn.

2) When one fails, ask the "gifted student" to perform the evolution him/herself. If they do it correctly, point out to them how nice it was to not be badgered while doing said task.

Since both of these were already posted here, you guys wanna take my test for me....;)

OPTION 3:

Have the largest member of the training class sit on said student until he/she is quiet. Preferably after eating beans.

I agree, whoever was teaching should have handled this as soon as it began...end of story. Part of teaching is maintaining control of the class/enviroment. :rolleyes:

Happy Easter kids.
Dave

[Shafer607]

Just a fact of life there is one in every class.And Captain Gonzo I love your new NFPA standard,and when I teach I usually do what Lutan 1 said about calling them up front and allowing them to make a fool out of themselves it usually works.I had and old wise Instructor once tell me when I first started teaching that if you give them enough rope they will end up hanging themselves!!!!!!!!

[jaybird210]

Originally posted by hfd66truck

Have the largest member of the training class sit on said student until he/she is quiet. Preferably after eating beans.

:D

Mr. VP, I would recommend submitting that to IFSTA for inclusion in the eighth edition!!

P.S. I just finished Instructor. It was worse than HazMat. :eek:

[EastKyFF]

I, too, hate it when someone who thinks they know it all jabbers incessantly during an event. It takes away from my opportunities to impart my knowledge to everyone else and PROVE that I really DO know it all.

Now everybody else stop posting, because my posts are the only ones worth reading.

[Adze39]

Originally posted by jaybird210
P.S. I just finished Instructor. It was worse than HazMat. :eek:

LMAO...nnooooooooooooooooooooo oooooo

If your written test is anything like the one in CT, well....all I can say is good luck to you Dave and anyone else. :)

And while you are trying to earn your "Instructor" patch, I'll be cleaning the lint off of mine. ;) LOL just kidding bro.

Dave, I thought you worked at the BCFTA? Or is that just First-Due? Or am I just losing my mind?

[lutan1]

Now everybody else stop posting, because my posts are the only ones worth reading.

hehehehe!!!!!:D :p :D :p

Now listen here son- I died in 4 world wars so you can be here today, and let me tell you that's no mean feat- I mean I walked 10 miles to school every day in the snow in my shorts, with no shoes on, not like you young ones today....

blah blah blah!:rolleyes:

?Someone once wrote on these forums some time back- you only stop learning the day you die!

Ain't that the truth?

[PuffyNPFD]

I graduated my proby class in 99' for my paid job. Out of 20 so far 10 have been hired, 2 have gotten on other depts., 1 died leaving 7 left. There has been 4 yrs since we finished school so it isn't even like we were in the same class. Out of the 7 there are about 3 "stars" who know all and have done all. This should be interesting because the last 7 are getting hired in July. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[SmokeEater661]

You give these kids a set of bunker gear, and all of a sudden they are ready to be chief. Some kids need to learn that what is done in the classroom in not how it always happens in the smoky dark. They need to learn that until they have met the dragon face to face and knocked him out, they're just going through the motions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The SmokeEater~~~~~~~~~~~~`

[EastKyFF]

You're on the dot, 661. As I heard it said, the older I get, the more I realize how little I know.

About two years in, I thought my fire service knowledge was peaking and that there was little left that I don't know. Ten years later, I know even less, it seems.