I just transitioned from software engineering to the fire service as an EMT/Firefighter; it's doable if you're interested! P.s. you will be asked to setup servers for them though
@@stevenbyrne5403 I got into my department because I was working as an IMO while in the Army and running with a volunteer department. I applied for the FD and the Deputy was tired of having issues getting computers fixed being in a remote station. So she selected me over the others because of that experience. It happens - I'm just glad I got my foot in the door.
I'm an old time firefighter and BACK IN MY DAY we didn't have such great information like this channel so accessible for masses to understand the service. Many thanks.
This was actually a fantastic video for new people. Going from the military to the fire service, it was a culture shock. The hardest part of my days at work isn't the actual job, but dealing with the various personalities. Something the academy should look into educating people on.
I mean my academy did drill it into us a fair bit but honestly it comes down to the department holding a high standard and the individual constantly self monitoring to maintain professionalism in every aspect, so the academy can try to help but it’s a lifestyle change that needs to be a conscious decision by the individual
Can you make a video about how to move forward after making a bad judgment call or mistake on a fire scene or EMS related incident? Perhaps addressing how to get over the fear or reluctance to make a decision, not wanting to making the same mistake again after a close call?
@@bdp65 yes I absolutely agree; however, what’s hard to overcome is the reputation that you may build from making a bad decision. It can seriously degrade your own confidence and the trust of those around you. Whether it be a bad medication error, missing a skill, or not recognizing serious conditions on a fire. These things stay with you and if they’re made early in your career, it can be very tough to shake. All of this is assuming the individual is trying to improve and grow as a professional of course.
Hey friend, There are a lot of dead squirrels on the side of the road because they didn't make a decision. Make a decision, stick with it, and let the rest sort itself out. After it's all said and done be accepting of feedback.
@@luisxgonzalez you will get nowhere if you consistently worry about your reputation because of a mistake. it was a mistake, or a bad decision. own it. you did it. and next time there’s a similar situation, handle it differently and own it too.
Outstanding! Clear, well and memorably categorized, and relevant to almost any team or workplace. It's always difficult when fresh not to be the obnoxious new guy, and a challenge when a veteran not to be the back in my day guy and instead become one or more of your better old guy types. We all in any line of work can benefit.
I am incredibly happy that a lot of the services around me are either strictly paid or majority paid fire. It really does help focus solely on being a firefighter.
Also the burnout can be the crab due to the surrounding. Leadership has to be accountable as well I was prob this 4 a while. My young guys were great they kept me charged up giving & getting our job on the top. That is what made me happy to be with the group. I m proud to say I learn everyday so I’m not in the day .. unless we can learn & improve. Just remember it’s a team & we all are human. Train like we work. God bless all of you stay safe 🚒🚑 🇺🇸
LOL. The back in my day guy! One thing I just could never stand putting up with is the guy thats been on the job for 30+ years and only drives/operates the truck. Problem is they have never had one minutes worth of formal training. "Back in my day you learned by watching". Dept. lets them operate an $800,000 truck without having a clue what they're doing. If the tax payers only knew the damage these guys do. You left off the list the chronic complainer. The person that starts whining a minute after the shift starts about how much time is left before they go home.
We had a crab / back in my day guy. At first he came off as a real asshole, but after a year on the crew with him he was actually packed with knowledge, experience and tenacity. He used to talk about counting his days so he could gtfo and not have to see any of our ugly faces again. He was actually great at his job though. The old angry back in my day guy isn't always a bad thing. He's still alive because he knows his job and those people are a wealth of information.
The crab can be ok and often brightens up and shines again when he/she has a good favour done for them and a friendly hand. Often they haven't seen that for a while. Add to your list the 'Me First' guy. He's always out for himself and has a story for everything, and likes to hang out with people he can exploit or people he can crawl up to. He's friendly, can work very hard and do a good job in the team, but it's all directed at his own benefit and not yours or the teams. He's a good actor.
Hey man, I'm a part of Philly fire, I really enjoy your channel. If you ever need info for it to bring more info together, I'm super down! Your channel is spot on and you're not in the old-school mentality.
#7 The new guy who back stabs everyone. We have a new guy, no experience, who lies about what everyone else does while trying to make himself look good.
As the new “old guy” on my department, I relish taking a back seat and watching and learning. I’ve got stories, but I hold them close to my chest. This posture earns much respect from younger members who are superior in current knowledge and practices. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
The only one I don’t agree with is the time off trade. Some dudes in the fire department don’t like paying back time off, it’s always an excuse “I gotta ask my wife” or some random ish.
This helped a lot this is why I’m joining the Fire Department I want to be able to trust my crew and i want them to fully trust me no hate just love and understanding and helping
After 3 months on the job my dad (who was a retired firefighter) ask me how are the guys I work with. I was so upset to tell him I had never met a group of guys that were so hell bent on being miserable. To make it worse the whole group only had 6-7 years on the job.
I work for an outdoor company that sells a variety of outdoor products in a brick and mortar store. The Categories of " that guy" and " go to guy" is directly applicable to every single staff i work with.
Love this list, very simple and to the point, like you said “firefighters talk/ask around” another reputation killer is the “lazy/bare minimum guy” especially if officers view or hear that about you. Doing a little extra goes a long way in the fire service. Thanks again brother
Wow you are just a killer and a blessing. I mean I am not in FF but for some reasons I am watching almost all your videos. I graduated from ADN RN but I feel like FF is amazing. I didnt knew there is other interview with the chief, anyhow its make sense since you will be working in the place and he/she will be your boss
Don't steal Don't ever forget you serve the public Don't ever get upset when the tones go off Don't be a shitty human Don't berate your peers behind their backs Don't be upset in your peers successes Don't revel in their failures
I am the vault at my station. Mostly I talk with the person, but sometimes I do forget what they said after awhile. Which is the number one reason I don’t repeat it 😂
Dass mee! That's why my former employer picked me for the Disciplinary Board. They knew nothing would leak. Best part is when some gossip guy would come to me and tell me about this or that -which I knew perfectly about- and I would look at them feigning surprise and say "really?"
Thank you for this video. If I could sum it up in just a few words it would be: Skills, Humility, Discretion, Generosity. Remembering and practicing just these four words could get us through most micro societies and society itself
I'm a new volunteer firefighter (been around for a year, but we require a physical before you can do much hands on stuff and I just got my physical 3-4 months ago. I can be the "doesn't know his job" guy sometimes, especially when it comes to rope rescue stuff and I feel like I need a little extra training in order to understand things and it is discouraging when others in my classes (like the rope rescue class I took) seem to understand things faster and I stand there watching trying to learn what's going on but I can't do it right by myself yet.
Also, there are a ton of back in my day guys who know they need to get out, but can't. Retiree insurance, or a few more years to s pension. We need to get those back.
Agreed It takes time to get used to each other . Yea I was that guy. too eager.. I got this .. They will let u know real fast .. We learned and made a great team , amen
I'm kinda new in the volunteer fire dept but I have this firefighter who thinks they know everything and they don't do anything they just hang around and he doesn't like to get dirty and then there's another firefighter who thinks he can handle it by himself he doesn't want to work as a team he's better than others
Can you make a video on how to put your bunker gear the fastest way and also tips and tricks you do when placing your bunker gear on or packing it. Thank you for these videos, they help a lot of people with questions and knowledge. Much appreciated.
If he doesn't, there is already a lot of these videos with some different ideas. Would definitely recommend watching some and then selecting what works best for you. Just maybe don't do the glove in mouth one, that's nasty.
Take my fire 1&2 tests in a couple days .. won't lie it's been pretty awful . Taken allot of wind out of my sails.. but absolutely looking forward to getting some actual hands on experience and hopefully put in some applications at paid departments , hoping to land a spot in Detroit!
It’s been 11 months … how did you do? Did you ever apply to the DFD? They’re always looking for recruits who fit these rules. This is a great channel to learn from. Good luck.
I was able to pass my fire1&2 hazmat ops. I did apply for Detroit , unfortunately was not able to pass the cpat. It was incredibly embarrassing but motivating to return to the drawing board.. currently on a volunteer department enjoying it and continuing my training. Hopefully make another run at a job soon!
@@cornbread144I’m kinda confused how you passed fire 2 but couldn’t do the cpat, is the cpat not a requirement for entry to the program up there? Or is MI fire 2 it’s own thing? My best advice unless you already got accepted is to take what you did for the cpat and recreate it, do it in chunks (ie do the stairs and dragging together one day and do two other parts another day etc) and put it together in chunks so you build yourself up, then do it all together and get better at it, if you can’t replicate the exact movements then find something that engages similar muscles and do it until it tired you out the same, just take it in steps and you will get there
@@shyowl3453 well no not exactly.. there is different academy’s here in order to receive fire one and two. I’m not sure you even have to belong to a department to attend. But in my circumstances I was attempting to join Detroit as a career and I took their testing and fell short.. I’ve tested a handful of times for other career departments and always failed written test. Been a volunteer and paid on call fireman for dual departments for couple years now. Been in plenty of structure fires, extraction whatever but still not good enough to be a “real fireman” idk my hats off to the career guys but as for me I’ll probably always have an imposter feeling about what I do because of it.. Ik you didn’t ask for my life story but is what it is
The toughest guy at the station I was a cadet at, ended up being the one who froze when shit hit the fan and I ended up having to jump in and do his job. Then he talked bad about me and contributed to me not getting hired at that station. A friend did an internship there and he found out that the guy was talking bad about me and could never really say why he didn’t like me. Just told people “I just don’t know about that guy”
This makes me think of a Confucious quote: None of us is smarter then all of us. So if you're an established lieutenant and you have let say a project manager engineer who has to do some work at your fire station, on your turf he might be a newbie but if you go on his turf you'll be the newbie.
I've been told as soon as you get to be a firefighter, be obnoxious with questions, make each firefighter want to pull their hair out as soon as you ask about a couple questions
New to your channel and like it. My problem I comment to much and this one needs details . Skip if you want. In the 90s working for a large gas utility street crew. One of the oldest Cast Iron systems in the country. I worked lots of off hr coverage on street crew. 3 workers covering 6 cities and towns between 4pm and 7am and made a hell of a lot of money. The first woman to ever be on crew with me was an experience. If you got called to an evacuation we went. You pulled up and each had a job and responsibility. Everyone went through the progression till foreman. Her job as lowest on totem pole consisted of. Immediately setting cones for traffic and fire extinguisher. Then pulling hydraulic drill with bit to drill holes. Pulling and setting airline to drill and starting compressor Then get cgi machine and also pogo and digging bar, sledge hammer, and tool to pull digging bar after it went to debt. All this was close and no problem doing it quickly. Backhoe operater position machine to be ready to move to digging position. Evaluate area for possible underground power, phone, water and sewer. Usually we knew what was in the area from experience. Normal str didn't wait for Dig Safe. Forman had to get filled in by service tech and determine area of broken main and services possibly venting manhole. Back then only supervisors had responsibility to notify local FD. FD always sat far enough away and in truck in case needed ( that was 90s and a fact ). So we pull up and 1 house being vented and getting to 15 percent heading down to 5perc. The worst period. She already is displaying the attitude of why did you bother me I was in bed ( serious). Slowly getting cones and extinguisher and then setting up. She probably could of done everything just in the period of time setting up. We still have to drill, bar, and test holes every 10 ft for 100ft. While I drill through frost probably 2 ft thick. Her and backhoe operator with sledgehammer pound digging bar 5 ft deep on every hole. Around 10 degrees but clear beautiful sky. Usually needed help pulling drill out of hole and backhoe operator helped. She started first hole 1 to 1 with sledgehammer then 1 for 2 then 1 for what ever. We are in frount of a bad situation and guarantee under frost the migration is huge. Well you can tell what the story was. Back then no UA-cam just your mind for picturing. I was only one that would work off hrs with her and other undesirables. I could have good talks without getting angry. Employees that got into str department were union qualified and nothing you could do but make them uncomfortable except first woman
honestly, about the crab, they may have serious mental issues, so it might have a reason. I am often in a "meh" mood too but I am always happy to teach some of the not so experienced folks or sometimes a kid shows up with their dad and want to see the trucks, always happy to see that.
Do's: Be first to everything..... arriving at work, to get the phone, picking up a mop and definitely on the truck. Say very little for the first little while until you get a feel for the dynamic. It doesn't bother me but it'll make your life easier Imo. Don'ts: you do not want to be a "one upper" at any point in your career but especially not at the start. If you're great at something, someone else will tell me.
Crab with an "expert" in medicine and labor issues... We have a nickel and dime, we've had the obnoxious new guy. Very lucky to not have the "don't know your job". But if there was a crab in my house, I'm it lol.
Tomorrow I am submitting my application to the VFD here in my hometown and can't wait to start. After I finish college in a couple of years I am going to be applying to become a State Trooper. My hope is that the combination of fire and law enforcement training will allow me to benefit the community in a bigger and better way, and to be able to make a positive difference in as many people's lives as possible.
So I would add, a killer is being a liar and a good trait is being honest in all things, accountability is one of if not THE biggest things imo, if you don’t know how to do something but be honest about it and ask? Then great we can work with that, if you aren’t physically capable of doing a certain task and need help to get it done then fine we can help right now and get you training to improve, if you messed up and are self accountable and tell the Captian right away, it’ll be so much easier than hiding it and it will likely work out better for you, but if you are the liar, if you can’t keep your word, if you manipulate people to get out of work etc etc, you will kill ANY chance of people wanting to work with you or wanting to help you if you need time off for emergencies or vacations. Honesty is such a huge part of this service and how you handle that can completely change your experience.
Im the vault guy whatever people tell me I keep it to myself when I introduce myself I try to be that guy who knows the area like I know the back of my hand. I know where 99% of where the hydrants are and so on I try to ease my way.
Re: discount guy. I have never been a firefighter, but I have worked for multiple restaurants and retail stores. Absolutely ask if the place offers a firefighter discount. Many places I worked offered discounts but didn't advertise the fact. But here is what you shouldn't do and this applies also to senior citizen, student, military, police, teacher, AAA, nurse etc. If the place doesn't you shouldn't get upset at the worker. You shouldn't complain that it is unfair that a different group you feel is less deserving gets a discount. Mention other business that do offer a discount. Also keep in mind the employee telling you that there isn't a discount probably has a paycheck much smaller than you. And convenience store clerk is in fact a more dangerous job than police officer or firefighter.
I applied to my local fire department three separate times. Denied each time. They need people badly but don't want to send anyone to be trained. I don't have the money to attend fire academy on my own. I work full time already and still paycheck to paycheck. It's ridiculous that they are putting the public at risk by refusing to hire people. I'm strong. I can carry people. I'm a former combat medic. I can handle myself if given training. But they just won't take a chance or something anymore idk. All of it removed my desire to be a firefighter, especially since I am qualified and in good shape. I'm in the process of becoming a police officer now, and I can tell you this, whenever I interact with fire services now in this town, they'll be treated like how they treated me 😁. I know for a fact if I hear they need help, I'll be moving about as slow as I can.
Hmm. Well, if you’re planning on a career in public safety, and openly admitting on the internet that if someone needs help you’re going to “move as slow as you can” because you’re resentful of the way you were treated by fire department staff…you should know that public safety isn’t a good fit for you.
Spent most of my time in VFDs, and I have seen all these guys! But! You forgot the one EVERYONE hates.....THE SPONGE! LOL The guy who "feeds" off everyone else, kinda like "The Nickle and Dimer" but different.
Hello I am very new on my local fire department. I don't want to be the "obnoxious new guy", but at the same time I want to learn as much as possible. When a fellow firefighter does something on a call that's not by the books (or how I learned) what would be the best way for me to ask them about why it was done the certain way without being annoying or condescending in a way? Hopefully that question makes sense and came out the way I intended in my head😂
Simply ask them back at the house why they did whatever it is you saw because the academy taught you to only do it a different way. B honest. And soak it all in! The men are expecting you to ask questions! Ask away! Never think or come off like you know it all! That will lead to problems bc there's always something new to learn!! Stay safe!
I find if you frame it positively people are more receptive, "what are the advantages to doing _____ _____ way?" is a great question to start the conversation. Starting the conversation with "I learned this in fire school." might put off some people. Your overall attitude is really the make or break, people want to teach the guy who's humble and takes instruction.
@@parkersweeney6891 @davidweis thank you guys so much! That's how I assumed would be the best way to handle it, but I want to make sure not to rub anyone the wrong way. I really appreciate your guys`s help
@@bw9851 stay humble, be a sponge and bring up stuff you learned in your academy in the training/round table environment. Our profession is constantly adapting and learning better ways to do our jobs so what you were taught might be different then what they learned 10 years ago. Just don’t lead with “well in my academy” haha good luck!
Hey I have a question! I have a conditional job offer for a department. I was told I was gonna go through tests and I’ve past all of them I just have a PAT and health exams. I’m worried that after all this there is a chance I will not get the job. Am I just over thinking it?
I’m new to the fire service, just got out of the academy a few months ago and I started as a volunteer at a local department 3 weeks ago, there’s a lot I’m still trying to learn and a lot of it is just life skills, but is there any advice I can carry into the job?
Hello sir! I was wondering if you could make a video covering some situation based interview questions? A department I’m applying for is doing only situation based interview and applicants are graded and ranked based on their answers
Did you ever had a guy puking in his mask? During my Divemaster course, the very morning I was giving a lecture on the dock about why you should not dive on a hangover one guy had puked in his reg. during the safety stop.
All valid, but very disappointing the list did not include #1 as Honesty and Integrity. If you mess up, fess up. Keep promises you make and don’t make promises you can’t/won’t keep. Take pride in what you do, but leave your ego outside the fire station.
Maybe this counts as the nickel and dimer but what really annoys me are people who always want to do everything and be the first on everything, and if another cool job shows up instantly switch to that job or whine when they don't get to do the coolest job. and then there's that everything in life is about firefighting guy ...
Hi I’m a 22 year old guy, I was born in cuba, but I’m currently living in America, I’m fit, my background check is clean, I know how to cook, I know about construction, mechanics, painting, I’m bilingual, I don’t have a problem with doing the dishes or mapping the floors, I’m also a people person and I graduated as an English teacher back in cuba but i don’t really Wanna do that for a living any more. Becoming a firefighter is my dream since I was a kid, I’ve been watching ur videos for a while and I think I can be really helpful for a fire department but I’m scared to start the process because they might rather hire an American guy over me even when I speak perfect English. What do u think about it I need some advice. Thank u for ur service, thank u for ur time a thank u for making this awesome content.
im not a fireman but just want to encourage you to go for it especially since it's a dream job for you. sound like you would make an excellent fireman in my opinion. if your english is good (obviously is as evidence by your post) there is no reason your nationality or where you were born should matter.
You just got to go for it bro, you miss every shot you don’t take. Maybe they might pick somebody else for whatever reasons. Regardless you can always re apply or try out for other fire departments. Point is don’t let the thought of “failure” sway you from not trying to be the man you want to be.
I'm seriously looking to be fire service, but I have to ask for this reason. the red that progressively gets further up your neck, is that something caused by longer expose to something or just something you deal with personally? very interested in joining a fire service and I've seen some of your vids on health defects of the service but this couldn't be one of them in some way is it? no offence intended just genuinely curious
I'm a software engineer, I have no idea why I got this recommended but these seem like very good tips for working in a team in general!
Yeah honestly this is applicable life in general.
I just transitioned from software engineering to the fire service as an EMT/Firefighter; it's doable if you're interested!
P.s. you will be asked to setup servers for them though
@@stevenbyrne5403 I got into my department because I was working as an IMO while in the Army and running with a volunteer department. I applied for the FD and the Deputy was tired of having issues getting computers fixed being in a remote station. So she selected me over the others because of that experience. It happens - I'm just glad I got my foot in the door.
I was going to say the same thing.
Same im just an Auto Tech but this came across my feed as well.
I'm an old time firefighter and BACK IN MY DAY we didn't have such great information like this channel so accessible for masses to understand the service. Many thanks.
I’m a new (middle-aged) volunteer firefighter in the town I live in. These videos have been super helpful. Thank you!
@dubelow She was our first bulldog. Made us fall in love with the breed. She was a special dog for sure. Now we have two bonded former EBD mill moms.
They said they got deeper pockets than you guys.......!!!
This was actually a fantastic video for new people.
Going from the military to the fire service, it was a culture shock. The hardest part of my days at work isn't the actual job, but dealing with the various personalities. Something the academy should look into educating people on.
I mean my academy did drill it into us a fair bit but honestly it comes down to the department holding a high standard and the individual constantly self monitoring to maintain professionalism in every aspect, so the academy can try to help but it’s a lifestyle change that needs to be a conscious decision by the individual
Can you make a video about how to move forward after making a bad judgment call or mistake on a fire scene or EMS related incident? Perhaps addressing how to get over the fear or reluctance to make a decision, not wanting to making the same mistake again after a close call?
Totally agree! Please do!
You’re always gonna make a mistake. No one is perfect. Best thing is to recognize it, learn from it, don’t do it again, move on.
@@bdp65 yes I absolutely agree; however, what’s hard to overcome is the reputation that you may build from making a bad decision. It can seriously degrade your own confidence and the trust of those around you. Whether it be a bad medication error, missing a skill, or not recognizing serious conditions on a fire. These things stay with you and if they’re made early in your career, it can be very tough to shake. All of this is assuming the individual is trying to improve and grow as a professional of course.
Hey friend,
There are a lot of dead squirrels on the side of the road because they didn't make a decision. Make a decision, stick with it, and let the rest sort itself out. After it's all said and done be accepting of feedback.
@@luisxgonzalez you will get nowhere if you consistently worry about your reputation because of a mistake. it was a mistake, or a bad decision. own it. you did it. and next time there’s a similar situation, handle it differently and own it too.
Outstanding! Clear, well and memorably categorized, and relevant to almost any team or workplace. It's always difficult when fresh not to be the obnoxious new guy, and a challenge when a veteran not to be the back in my day guy and instead become one or more of your better old guy types. We all in any line of work can benefit.
I am incredibly happy that a lot of the services around me are either strictly paid or majority paid fire. It really does help focus solely on being a firefighter.
Also the burnout can be the crab due to the surrounding. Leadership has to be accountable as well I was prob this 4 a while. My young guys were great they kept me charged up giving & getting our job on the top. That is what made me happy to be with the group. I m proud to say I learn everyday so I’m not in the day .. unless we can learn & improve. Just remember it’s a team & we all are human. Train like we work. God bless all of you stay safe 🚒🚑 🇺🇸
LOL. The back in my day guy! One thing I just could never stand putting up with is the guy thats been on the job for 30+ years and only drives/operates the truck. Problem is they have never had one minutes worth of formal training. "Back in my day you learned by watching". Dept. lets them operate an $800,000 truck without having a clue what they're doing. If the tax payers only knew the damage these guys do. You left off the list the chronic complainer. The person that starts whining a minute after the shift starts about how much time is left before they go home.
The fire service has a way of inflating heads. Some people turn into power trippers and get harder to work with over time.
A lot of people think that firefighters are overpaid, but recently a pole was taken...
...and they all fell through a hole in the floor.
We had a crab / back in my day guy. At first he came off as a real asshole, but after a year on the crew with him he was actually packed with knowledge, experience and tenacity. He used to talk about counting his days so he could gtfo and not have to see any of our ugly faces again. He was actually great at his job though. The old angry back in my day guy isn't always a bad thing. He's still alive because he knows his job and those people are a wealth of information.
The crab can be ok and often brightens up and shines again when he/she has a good favour done for them and a friendly hand. Often they haven't seen that for a while.
Add to your list the 'Me First' guy. He's always out for himself and has a story for everything, and likes to hang out with people he can exploit or people he can crawl up to. He's friendly, can work very hard and do a good job in the team, but it's all directed at his own benefit and not yours or the teams. He's a good actor.
Hey man, I'm a part of Philly fire, I really enjoy your channel. If you ever need info for it to bring more info together, I'm super down! Your channel is spot on and you're not in the old-school mentality.
thanks man! I will certainly keep that in mind as I'm always looking for input and more good info!
Former medic here and all of this applies to EMS also...have met all of these "guys".
#7 The new guy who back stabs everyone. We have a new guy, no experience, who lies about what everyone else does while trying to make himself look good.
That does not sound fun
We have one of those too, newest guy on the crew who thinks he's a DC
As the new “old guy” on my department, I relish taking a back seat and watching and learning. I’ve got stories, but I hold them close to my chest. This posture earns much respect from younger members who are superior in current knowledge and practices. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for sharing this. We all need to do more of this regardless of which field you’re in.
Thank you for these videos
The only one I don’t agree with is the time off trade. Some dudes in the fire department don’t like paying back time off, it’s always an excuse “I gotta ask my wife” or some random ish.
I revisit this video every few months to check myself and keep myself in line. Just want to be the best I can. Love your videos!
This helped a lot this is why I’m joining the Fire Department I want to be able to trust my crew and i want them to fully trust me no hate just love and understanding and helping
After 3 months on the job my dad (who was a retired firefighter) ask me how are the guys I work with. I was so upset to tell him I had never met a group of guys that were so hell bent on being miserable. To make it worse the whole group only had 6-7 years on the job.
How's it now ?
Welcome to the new world. We thrive in misery.
What do you mean?
I have begun to watch these videos to check myself and make some improvements.
This can be applied to the dynamics of almost any workplace.
I work for an outdoor company that sells a variety of outdoor products in a brick and mortar store. The Categories of " that guy" and " go to guy" is directly applicable to every single staff i work with.
Love this list, very simple and to the point, like you said “firefighters talk/ask around” another reputation killer is the “lazy/bare minimum guy” especially if officers view or hear that about you. Doing a little extra goes a long way in the fire service. Thanks again brother
We need more people like you describe as the "go-to's" in the fire service
Wow you are just a killer and a blessing. I mean I am not in FF but for some reasons I am watching almost all your videos. I graduated from ADN RN but I feel like FF is amazing. I didnt knew there is other interview with the chief, anyhow its make sense since you will be working in the place and he/she will be your boss
Enjoy watching all your videos. I'm going to school for paramedic/firefighter 🚒. Thank you for sharing all your information its very helpful.
me too! i am on my last few weeks of emt school, then voluteering over the summer then paramedic! How did it go for you?!
@@GuapoAJany updates?
Don't steal
Don't ever forget you serve the public
Don't ever get upset when the tones go off
Don't be a shitty human
Don't berate your peers behind their backs
Don't be upset in your peers successes
Don't revel in their failures
Your videos are awesome. I wish they were around when I first started. However, still applicable and helpful. Excellent work.
I am the vault at my station. Mostly I talk with the person, but sometimes I do forget what they said after awhile. Which is the number one reason I don’t repeat it 😂
Dass mee! That's why my former employer picked me for the Disciplinary Board. They knew nothing would leak. Best part is when some gossip guy would come to me and tell me about this or that -which I knew perfectly about- and I would look at them feigning surprise and say "really?"
Thank you for this video. If I could sum it up in just a few words it would be: Skills, Humility, Discretion, Generosity.
Remembering and practicing just these four words could get us through most micro societies and society itself
Good advice in general. Not in the services fields, but highly respect the jobs you guys do. Cheers!
All great points but, in many ways, apply to all walks of life.
I'm a new volunteer firefighter (been around for a year, but we require a physical before you can do much hands on stuff and I just got my physical 3-4 months ago. I can be the "doesn't know his job" guy sometimes, especially when it comes to rope rescue stuff and I feel like I need a little extra training in order to understand things and it is discouraging when others in my classes (like the rope rescue class I took) seem to understand things faster and I stand there watching trying to learn what's going on but I can't do it right by myself yet.
Also, there are a ton of back in my day guys who know they need to get out, but can't. Retiree insurance, or a few more years to s pension. We need to get those back.
Agreed It takes time to get used to each other . Yea I was that guy. too eager.. I got this .. They will let u know real fast .. We learned and made a great team ,
amen
I'm kinda new in the volunteer fire dept but I have this firefighter who thinks they know everything and they don't do anything they just hang around and he doesn't like to get dirty and then there's another firefighter who thinks he can handle it by himself he doesn't want to work as a team he's better than others
Can you make a video on how to put your bunker gear the fastest way and also tips and tricks you do when placing your bunker gear on or packing it. Thank you for these videos, they help a lot of people with questions and knowledge. Much appreciated.
If he doesn't, there is already a lot of these videos with some different ideas. Would definitely recommend watching some and then selecting what works best for you. Just maybe don't do the glove in mouth one, that's nasty.
I grew up with Jocko....and it still is a goof when I hear his name in random situations...😂
Take my fire 1&2 tests in a couple days .. won't lie it's been pretty awful . Taken allot of wind out of my sails.. but absolutely looking forward to getting some actual hands on experience and hopefully put in some applications at paid departments , hoping to land a spot in Detroit!
It’s been 11 months … how did you do? Did you ever apply to the DFD? They’re always looking for recruits who fit these rules. This is a great channel to learn from. Good luck.
I was able to pass my fire1&2 hazmat ops. I did apply for Detroit , unfortunately was not able to pass the cpat. It was incredibly embarrassing but motivating to return to the drawing board.. currently on a volunteer department enjoying it and continuing my training. Hopefully make another run at a job soon!
@@cornbread144I’m kinda confused how you passed fire 2 but couldn’t do the cpat, is the cpat not a requirement for entry to the program up there? Or is MI fire 2 it’s own thing?
My best advice unless you already got accepted is to take what you did for the cpat and recreate it, do it in chunks (ie do the stairs and dragging together one day and do two other parts another day etc) and put it together in chunks so you build yourself up, then do it all together and get better at it, if you can’t replicate the exact movements then find something that engages similar muscles and do it until it tired you out the same, just take it in steps and you will get there
@@shyowl3453 well no not exactly.. there is different academy’s here in order to receive fire one and two. I’m not sure you even have to belong to a department to attend. But in my circumstances I was attempting to join Detroit as a career and I took their testing and fell short.. I’ve tested a handful of times for other career departments and always failed written test. Been a volunteer and paid on call fireman for dual departments for couple years now. Been in plenty of structure fires, extraction whatever but still not good enough to be a “real fireman” idk my hats off to the career guys but as for me I’ll probably always have an imposter feeling about what I do because of it.. Ik you didn’t ask for my life story but is what it is
@@shyowl3453 but yes I definitely should prioritize the physical fitness , there’s no reason I should’ve failed cpat
The toughest guy at the station I was a cadet at, ended up being the one who froze when shit hit the fan and I ended up having to jump in and do his job. Then he talked bad about me and contributed to me not getting hired at that station. A friend did an internship there and he found out that the guy was talking bad about me and could never really say why he didn’t like me. Just told people “I just don’t know about that guy”
My new favorite channel
The fact the "doesn't know the job" guy got on at all gives me great confidence lol. I like the challenge of getting on, but it doesn't hurt LOL
This makes me think of a Confucious quote:
None of us is smarter then all of us.
So if you're an established lieutenant and you have let say a project manager engineer who has to do some work at your fire station, on your turf he might be a newbie but if you go on his turf you'll be the newbie.
I've been told as soon as you get to be a firefighter, be obnoxious with questions, make each firefighter want to pull their hair out as soon as you ask about a couple questions
Awesome video brother. Thank you for the content. I actually just discovered your channel this morning.🇺🇸🇺🇸🚒👨🚒 keep up the great work
Thanks and welcome!
@@mike_pertz good to be here and thanks again for the awesome content!👨🚒🚒🇺🇸
New to your channel and like it. My problem I comment to much and this one needs details . Skip if you want. In the 90s working for a large gas utility street crew. One of the oldest Cast Iron systems in the country. I worked lots of off hr coverage on street crew. 3 workers covering 6 cities and towns between 4pm and 7am and made a hell of a lot of money. The first woman to ever be on crew with me was an experience. If you got called to an evacuation we went. You pulled up and each had a job and responsibility. Everyone went through the progression till foreman. Her job as lowest on totem pole consisted of. Immediately setting cones for traffic and fire extinguisher. Then pulling hydraulic drill with bit to drill holes. Pulling and setting airline to drill and starting compressor Then get cgi machine and also pogo and digging bar, sledge hammer, and tool to pull digging bar after it went to debt. All this was close and no problem doing it quickly. Backhoe operater position machine to be ready to move to digging position. Evaluate area for possible underground power, phone, water and sewer. Usually we knew what was in the area from experience. Normal str didn't wait for Dig Safe. Forman had to get filled in by service tech and determine area of broken main and services possibly venting manhole. Back then only supervisors had responsibility to notify local FD. FD always sat far enough away and in truck in case needed ( that was 90s and a fact ). So we pull up and 1 house being vented and getting to 15 percent heading down to 5perc. The worst period. She already is displaying the attitude of why did you bother me I was in bed ( serious). Slowly getting cones and extinguisher and then setting up. She probably could of done everything just in the period of time setting up. We still have to drill, bar, and test holes every 10 ft for 100ft. While I drill through frost probably 2 ft thick. Her and backhoe operator with sledgehammer pound digging bar 5 ft deep on every hole. Around 10 degrees but clear beautiful sky. Usually needed help pulling drill out of hole and backhoe operator helped. She started first hole 1 to 1 with sledgehammer then 1 for 2 then 1 for what ever. We are in frount of a bad situation and guarantee under frost the migration is huge. Well you can tell what the story was. Back then no UA-cam just your mind for picturing. I was only one that would work off hrs with her and other undesirables. I could have good talks without getting angry. Employees that got into str department were union qualified and nothing you could do but make them uncomfortable except first woman
Retired one FD an few yrs ago and missed so much I am waiting for the final step for volunteer ff position.
honestly, about the crab, they may have serious mental issues, so it might have a reason. I am often in a "meh" mood too but I am always happy to teach some of the not so experienced folks or sometimes a kid shows up with their dad and want to see the trucks, always happy to see that.
Do's: Be first to everything..... arriving at work, to get the phone, picking up a mop and definitely on the truck.
Say very little for the first little while until you get a feel for the dynamic. It doesn't bother me but it'll make your life easier Imo.
Don'ts: you do not want to be a "one upper" at any point in your career but especially not at the start. If you're great at something, someone else will tell me.
Telephone...Tell a Firfighter... Word travels fast. LOL! All good points! Lead form the front.
The crab just needs a group hug and a tub of ice cream 😆
Crab with an "expert" in medicine and labor issues...
We have a nickel and dime, we've had the obnoxious new guy. Very lucky to not have the "don't know your job". But if there was a crab in my house, I'm it lol.
Tomorrow I am submitting my application to the VFD here in my hometown and can't wait to start.
After I finish college in a couple of years I am going to be applying to become a State Trooper. My hope is that the combination of fire and law enforcement training will allow me to benefit the community in a bigger and better way, and to be able to make a positive difference in as many people's lives as possible.
What about one upper guy!
They are everywhere
You mean cool whip? They top everything
This is so so soooo similar with the military.
Spot on! haha
Could you talk about good leadership and what a toxic station can be like why stations can get toxic
So I would add, a killer is being a liar and a good trait is being honest in all things, accountability is one of if not THE biggest things imo, if you don’t know how to do something but be honest about it and ask? Then great we can work with that, if you aren’t physically capable of doing a certain task and need help to get it done then fine we can help right now and get you training to improve, if you messed up and are self accountable and tell the Captian right away, it’ll be so much easier than hiding it and it will likely work out better for you, but if you are the liar, if you can’t keep your word, if you manipulate people to get out of work etc etc, you will kill ANY chance of people wanting to work with you or wanting to help you if you need time off for emergencies or vacations.
Honesty is such a huge part of this service and how you handle that can completely change your experience.
Im the vault guy whatever people tell me I keep it to myself when I introduce myself I try to be that guy who knows the area like I know the back of my hand. I know where 99% of where the hydrants are and so on I try to ease my way.
Awesome Video
Love the insight
I feel like a lot of these can equate to outside life as well
What do they say in our department? Telegram, telephone, tell a firefighter 🤣
Everyone at my job is a perpetual crab, but I work in retail! 😆
In Philadelphia the academy is 9 months
I learned how to shut up and not talk unless I was spoken to at the fire department
Thank you!
Whelp, I'm the vault-crab of BoH kitchen crews.
I just hope I'm not going to be the guy who doesn't know what he's doing.
If I hear the tones go off I'm running to the truck
Re: discount guy. I have never been a firefighter, but I have worked for multiple restaurants and retail stores. Absolutely ask if the place offers a firefighter discount. Many places I worked offered discounts but didn't advertise the fact.
But here is what you shouldn't do and this applies also to senior citizen, student, military, police, teacher, AAA, nurse etc. If the place doesn't you shouldn't get upset at the worker. You shouldn't complain that it is unfair that a different group you feel is less deserving gets a discount. Mention other business that do offer a discount.
Also keep in mind the employee telling you that there isn't a discount probably has a paycheck much smaller than you. And convenience store clerk is in fact a more dangerous job than police officer or firefighter.
Also under absolutely no circumstance should you state or imply that 911 response times could be effected by the existence or lack of a discount.
I applied to my local fire department three separate times. Denied each time. They need people badly but don't want to send anyone to be trained. I don't have the money to attend fire academy on my own. I work full time already and still paycheck to paycheck. It's ridiculous that they are putting the public at risk by refusing to hire people. I'm strong. I can carry people. I'm a former combat medic. I can handle myself if given training. But they just won't take a chance or something anymore idk. All of it removed my desire to be a firefighter, especially since I am qualified and in good shape. I'm in the process of becoming a police officer now, and I can tell you this, whenever I interact with fire services now in this town, they'll be treated like how they treated me 😁. I know for a fact if I hear they need help, I'll be moving about as slow as I can.
Hmm. Well, if you’re planning on a career in public safety, and openly admitting on the internet that if someone needs help you’re going to “move as slow as you can” because you’re resentful of the way you were treated by fire department staff…you should know that public safety isn’t a good fit for you.
@@mike_pertz Dang. Already got hired by the police. Just doing their training. Idc. Karma is rough. Anonymous account anyways lull
@@LeiSnows How old are we?
Spent most of my time in VFDs, and I have seen all these guys! But! You forgot the one EVERYONE hates.....THE SPONGE! LOL The guy who "feeds" off everyone else, kinda like "The Nickle and Dimer" but different.
Id be the goldfish. Forget everything in a few minutes
This is every single workplace.
Well put .
U should see the nursing profession
The saying is about lies and truth. A lie can travel around the world before the truth has its boots on. But good news and bad news works too.
Hello I am very new on my local fire department. I don't want to be the "obnoxious new guy", but at the same time I want to learn as much as possible. When a fellow firefighter does something on a call that's not by the books (or how I learned) what would be the best way for me to ask them about why it was done the certain way without being annoying or condescending in a way? Hopefully that question makes sense and came out the way I intended in my head😂
Simply ask them back at the house why they did whatever it is you saw because the academy taught you to only do it a different way. B honest. And soak it all in! The men are expecting you to ask questions! Ask away! Never think or come off like you know it all! That will lead to problems bc there's always something new to learn!! Stay safe!
I find if you frame it positively people are more receptive, "what are the advantages to doing _____ _____ way?" is a great question to start the conversation. Starting the conversation with "I learned this in fire school." might put off some people. Your overall attitude is really the make or break, people want to teach the guy who's humble and takes instruction.
@@parkersweeney6891 That's perfect!
@@parkersweeney6891 @davidweis thank you guys so much! That's how I assumed would be the best way to handle it, but I want to make sure not to rub anyone the wrong way. I really appreciate your guys`s help
@@bw9851 stay humble, be a sponge and bring up stuff you learned in your academy in the training/round table environment. Our profession is constantly adapting and learning better ways to do our jobs so what you were taught might be different then what they learned 10 years ago. Just don’t lead with “well in my academy” haha good luck!
Hey I have a question! I have a conditional job offer for a department. I was told I was gonna go through tests and I’ve past all of them I just have a PAT and health exams. I’m worried that after all this there is a chance I will not get the job. Am I just over thinking it?
You will never know if you don't go through the process. Keep doing what you are doing and you will get there eventually! Stay positive!
All i need to know is that they said they got deeper pockets than you guys
I’m new to the fire service, just got out of the academy a few months ago and I started as a volunteer at a local department 3 weeks ago, there’s a lot I’m still trying to learn and a lot of it is just life skills, but is there any advice I can carry into the job?
Hello sir! I was wondering if you could make a video covering some situation based interview questions? A department I’m applying for is doing only situation based interview and applicants are graded and ranked based on their answers
Get the book "Fire interview - the story teller method"
@@presidentcheese4645 thank you sir!
Did you ever had a guy puking in his mask? During my Divemaster course, the very morning I was giving a lecture on the dock about why you should not dive on a hangover one guy had puked in his reg. during the safety stop.
Haha I wonder if he learned his lesson
good vid
If you are a new firefighter and the "nickel and dimer" wants to trade time, doesn't saying no seem risky for your reputation?
All valid, but very disappointing the list did not include #1 as Honesty and Integrity. If you mess up, fess up. Keep promises you make and don’t make promises you can’t/won’t keep. Take pride in what you do, but leave your ego outside the fire station.
I would love to know how you guys run!
Thought I was gonna have to pause the video and give you an injection of Benadryl. Never seen hives like that on you before.
It's the same for every job really 😅
Maybe this counts as the nickel and dimer but what really annoys me are people who always want to do everything and be the first on everything, and if another cool job shows up instantly switch to that job or whine when they don't get to do the coolest job.
and then there's that everything in life is about firefighting guy ...
Hi I’m a 22 year old guy, I was born in cuba, but I’m currently living in America, I’m fit, my background check is clean, I know how to cook, I know about construction, mechanics, painting, I’m bilingual, I don’t have a problem with doing the dishes or mapping the floors, I’m also a people person and I graduated as an English teacher back in cuba but i don’t really Wanna do that for a living any more. Becoming a firefighter is my dream since I was a kid, I’ve been watching ur videos for a while and I think I can be really helpful for a fire department but I’m scared to start the process because they might rather hire an American guy over me even when I speak perfect English. What do u think about it I need some advice. Thank u for ur service, thank u for ur time a thank u for making this awesome content.
im not a fireman but just want to encourage you to go for it especially since it's a dream job for you. sound like you would make an excellent fireman in my opinion. if your english is good (obviously is as evidence by your post) there is no reason your nationality or where you were born should matter.
@@thomasdemay9805 thank u man
You just got to go for it bro, you miss every shot you don’t take. Maybe they might pick somebody else for whatever reasons. Regardless you can always re apply or try out for other fire departments. Point is don’t let the thought of “failure” sway you from not trying to be the man you want to be.
Eyy I'm that guy! Lol
I'm seriously looking to be fire service, but I have to ask for this reason. the red that progressively gets further up your neck, is that something caused by longer expose to something or just something you deal with personally? very interested in joining a fire service and I've seen some of your vids on health defects of the service but this couldn't be one of them in some way is it? no offence intended just genuinely curious
I really hope I'm not going to be the guy who doesn't know his job...
There is NO vault in the Fire Service....! :)
all of those exist in almost any profession.
🚒👍