Staying Positive

[lfdp44]

My level 1 instructor told me that the key to sucess in the fire service is to stay calm and stay positive any tips?

[baileydonk]

Boy, that was an open-ended question - don't quite know how to respond. I'll pass on my favorite advice from my Training Officer, though:

"Treat your body like it is the most important piece of equipment on the engine, because it is. Without you, every tool on the engine is completely useless. The only tool more important than your body for fighting fire is your brain."

I'll add that the key to staying sane in the fire service is learning to not take things personally.

[kswartz79]

I'm about where you're at (still in fire school/academy, whatever you wanna call it). I don't have much experience to draw on, but I can tell you that every time I pull on my turnouts I feel a great, great amount of pride. Pride in myself, pride in our line of work and pride in my company.

Its just like our instructor told us... "People aren't exactly beating down the doors to be firefighters." Have pride in the fact that we're doing a job that's GOT to be done, but no one else wants to step up to the plate. Not only are we out there doing it (sometimes at 2:00 AM), but there's nowhere else we'd rather be!

Anyway, stuff like that is what keeps me positive. Positive thoughts make positive people! In a bad mood? Smile, and the next thing you know, you'll actually BE happy.

Sorry that got long winded... hope this helps you somewhat. Good luck!

[baileydonk]

Its just like our instructor told us... "People aren't exactly beating down the doors to be firefighters."

Where do you live? Around here, I'd say people are beating down the door. Not to volunteer, but for paid positions people are lined up around the blocks and camping over to get in their applications.

[pfd4life]

My level 1 instructor told me that the key to sucess in the fire service is to stay calm and stay positive any tips?It's good advice, though your still a squid in the fire service, bu tI'm not ragging on you, I was there once too. It can be very hard in this job, if your a vollie, carreer or somewhere in between, to keep your head up at times. If it's from a nasty call, you or someone else doing somthing stupid, an officer beating on you or whatever else it may be. You WILL run into those who think they are god's gift to this line of work, when they couldn't be any farther from it, some may just not tolerate fresh blood and new ideas well. Don't let it ever get to you, or where it bothers you or aggrevates you. Don't ever let anyone break you in this line of work. No matter where you are, or what your doing...keep your head up, and check your ego at the door. As for keeping calm..it comes with time. It really took a good three years for me to be able to just be able to flip the switch to just shut off the emotion, but keep the adrenaline flowing and develop my SA. I have six years in now...and I'm really starting to develop as a FF. Looking back as to where I came from, and where I am now it's been an amazing change. If you run with a busy enough company you'll eventually get this way too. I guess the last bit of advice I can offer is to never lose your head on a scene...ever. What starts bad, stays bad.

[thomas15]

Besides being in it for the right reasons, I think the most important thing at first is to learn as much as you can and try everything. If someone shows you how to do something that you already know, listen and thank them anyway because sooner or later they will teach you something you don't know and rehashing the basics never hurt anyone anyway.

Take state or county classes as often as you can. Go the extra mile and you will become very useful to your company. As I'm fairly new to the fire service myself, I agree with the statement of a previous poster who mentioned about pride in the service. We have had several major incidents lately including structure fires and MVAs. One of our MVA rescues was particurly bad, very complex. We all had our jobs to do and it was a sucess. Yes, there was stress but when it was over there was a real sense of accomplishment and pride. It wasn't too long ago when all I could do at a scene like this was just watch, now I get dirty with the boys.

Everyone has their strong points and their weak points. However, you will be amazed what you can teach yourself to do. I have a good friend that will not put on SCBA or climb ladders but he is a great ground support guy and he is on his way to being a good pump operator. I, on the other hand want to be where the action is but not everyone is that way. Don't limit yourself though, you never know when you get the call and no one shows up. Training is everything.

Think about it though. Someone's house is on fire and they cannot help themselves. They are at the mercy of the fire co. Almost anyone could be a firefighter but only if they put out the effort. There is very little if anything that someone without training can do to put out the fire. But we get the call, turn out ready to do what needs to be done and get to work.

Many years ago my house was on fire. All I could do was stand and watch. I was so thankfull that there were guys in my town willing to get out of bed and come to my house in the middle of the night. Most of them had years of service and many hours of training and they put out the flames very quickly. This is why I'm a fire fighter.

[F52Westside]

There is an article called, It's All About Attitude By Scott Thompson and Eddie Buchanan, in the other trade magazine that might help. Then there is this one which I just found in my saved stuff. My Lt. uses this one alot, I don't think he got the saying from this, rather he heard it in one of his classes that he has taken.

ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
Have a Great Day ... Unless you have other plans?


( Tucson ) Barb

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

[kswartz79]

Where do you live? Around here, I'd say people are beating down the door. Not to volunteer, but for paid positions people are lined up around the blocks and camping over to get in their applications.

York, PA. It's about 30-45 minutes north of Baltimore.

I was talking about volunteers, but if I were to venture a guess about the job market around here... I'd say it's fairly good.

As far as the door being beaten down... classes at our county fire school have been cancelled due to lack of interest, and my essentials/FFI class was almost one of them. Point being, I could understand where our instructor was coming from when he told us that.

[PFDFIREDOG]

we have a level 1 course going right now at our department and i want to say 43 started the course and they are half way done with it and there are still 34-37 still in it, I could be off but not by much, our department alone after this course finishes up we will have approx. 23 level 1 FF (all of which is from the new level 1 )and we have in level 2 is 6. Our roll call is 40 Senior members and 5-6 juniors. Oh by the way our by-laws limit us to 40 senior members, we must be doing something in this BEATING DOWN THE DOOR TO BE A VOLUNTEER ? We're an awesome department and people know it. Its all about the attitude with in the department that makes or breaks people from wanting to join. If theres alot of political BS going on the people on the streets know it gets out, no one wants to join. There will always be political BS but if you can keep it to a minimum everything runs a lot smoother

when I fisrt got on in 98 if I remember correctly there were 14 on the department, we broke up the GOOD OLE BOY CLUB, the GOBC'ers quit we have an awsome chain of command system in place now (we have 2 ex-military and 1 current) which helps with this. The favoritism that happens is stopped ASAP. Every one is held accountable for their own actions and all punishments are carried out no matter who it is i.e. officer,ff, or the guy with the most years.