chew on this

[CaptBob]

I just received this e-mail from a training officer friend:

I spent a good part of last week interviewing Medics in the North Bay. I can tell you that there were some very polished candidates that are going to be trying on that shinny badge for the very first time.

As a Medic myself, it is very easy for me to spot a Medic who obtained a Paramedic license as a means to a Firefighter's Badge and on the flip side I can recognize a "box" Medic who is looking for the "Pay days and four days". If your eyes don't sparkle when you are asked why you want to be a Firefighter, you need to question your career path. Yes 70% of what we do is medical, but the other 30% will weed you out. You really should know how many stations and how many engines, population, blah blah blah... Ask any Firefighter how many fires the Department ran last year. We all know. Show your interest in being a Firefighter. Now you're dropping a nugget. Put a note in your script "my face and eyes should light up when I talk about fire".

A good Medic is a dime a dozen, show the panel you will be a great Firefighter/ Paramedic you'll get a badge.

Captain Anderson

[Hawg4248]

Thanks for the info.

I have always thought that I would be looked at wierd if I expressed an intense interest in firefighting. I would love to become a medic one day but ALL I want is the fire experiance. Im 28 and was just accepted into an academy in AZ, any advice on how to propel myself above the 18 and 19 year old guys that I know are it better shape than me?

Thanx in advance

[CaptBob]

Sure

Thanks for the info.

I have always thought that I would be looked at wierd if I expressed an intense interest in firefighting. I would love to become a medic one day but ALL I want is the fire experiance. Im 28 and was just accepted into an academy in AZ, any advice on how to propel myself above the 18 and 19 year old guys that I know are it better shape than me?

Thanx in advance

Fire Academy

The purpose of this chapter is to keep you from repeating the errors others
have made keeping them from gaining a badge.

Just because you passed the physical agility doesn’t mean you are ready for the fire academy. Whether you agree or not, the physical agility has been watered down to be politically correct. Departments know this. So, the training division is going to put you through the wringer to make sure you can do the job before you go on line.

Showing up at the academy is not the time to start getting ready. You need to be in shape and hit the ground running. I often get calls from candidates asking what do I do now? They have been let go from the academy. It’s tough enough getting into and academy. Keeping it can be a challenge. More on getting into shape and the agility here: http://www.eatstress.com/agility2.htm

“The worst mistake is to have the best ladder at the wrong wall.”

It’s not just the physical part. You have to pass every segment of the academy including the final test to demonstrate you can function in the field. It’s not uncommon to have a group of candidates let go in the final two weeks of the academy because they can’t master ladder throws, repel or operate the equipment. More than one candidate has been let go because they couldn’t start the chain saw, operate the jaws or struggled on the drill ground in the final test.

Nothing will **** of the training staff more than you telling them a better way to do something. How you did it in your FF1 academy, reserve or other department. The only task you need to focus on is how they do it in this department. Training divisions are their own kingdoms. This is not a democracy! You have no time or opinion.

It is devastating to be let go, especially if you have already been through a college fire academy. You have been dropped as your classmates are getting dressed up in their class A uniforms (about the only time they will ever wear it, except for funerals) heading for their badge ceremony.

It starts with instructors from the academy taking you aside and pointing out the problems you are having. If you don’t improve, they will meet you again with other members of the training staff and document the meeting. The writing is on the wall if things don’t improve. Candidates that get to this point start to panic. This can affect their other skills. Things they already know and have mastered become difficult. Instead of dropping back and taking a different mindset, they start to panic and withdraw. Too many candidates in this situation would rather go below and fall on their sword before they will ask for help. This is the time to ask for help, extra training, and check in with those who have gone before them. I usually get the call after they have taken the option to resign instead of being fired. My first question is why didn’t you call me earlier? Well, I didn’t think it was that bad.

Here are some of the incidents where candidates were let go:

A candidate shows up at an academy overweight even though he knows they will run 3 miles a day, he can’t. Result. They run him into the ground the first week.

Another candidate is given an order to get a Philips screwdriver from the toolbox. After several minutes at the toolbox, he admits he doesn’t know what a Philips screwdriver is. Hard to believe. Oh, I forgot, they have dropped the mechanical aptitude from the written and added in psych questions. Result: Lack of mechanical ability cost this candidate a badge.
Even though this candidate had been through two academies, he starts having trouble with ladder throws. He has done this successfully 100’s of times. But, now he starts doing a mind screw on himself. It gets worse. He is counseled. Then again. Result: Booted from the academy. The good news is we worked with this candidate, regrouped, he got in better shape, worked out a reasonable explanation, accepting the blame, why it happened and would never happen again. He was picked up by another agency and is wearing a badge.

Another recruit knew he had to lose weight for the academy. He did not reach his goal. His weight caught up with him trying to hump hose up the tower with a SCBA. Result: Got his marching orders because he didn’t have the wind to complete this tough academy. Good news again. Regrouped, lost the weight and convinced a department with an easier academy he would be an asset.

Trying to come back and rejoin this candidate’s academy too early after a drill tower accident only made the injury worse. When the recruit could not keep up and refused to accept the opportunity to go through the next academy was let go. Another one of those, why didn’t you call me first beauties. Even a lawsuit did not regain a chance at a badge.
A candidate did call me when he was having problems repelling off the tower.

He would get upside down just before the net. A little mind drill exercise corrected the problem.

[Drjmilus]

Muscle maturity

Hey, Hawg 4248!

In your post, you talk about these 18 and 19 year old being in better shape than you. They may be more svelt than you, but the truth is, physiologically, they have not reached muscle maturity at 18 or 19. That doesn't happen until 26 or so for men. That's when real strength can begin to be built. Some of the strongest guys I know are in their late 40's and early 50's. Don't knock your age... it's just not necessary. Hard work over time, training properly will build strength.

Keep working hard!

Dr. Jen
www.fireagility.com
www.backsafegolf.com

[MedicsWife]

My husband is in an academy and he is in his early 40's.....he is in better shape than many of the guys there.

My DH does weights, a LOT of running and pushups

Good luck...

[Hawg4248]

Thanx for the post's, that really changes the mindset.


Thanx again,

Rob(Hawg)