Testing the Waters

I just got finished reading this post by The Lonely EMT and she raises some good points, as is her custom. I was going to leave her a comment with some other things of the same ilk which I have learned or developed over the years, but I realized it would get kind of long (for a comment anyway) so I am going to break my 'fast' and have my first EMS/Fire related post in a very long time here.
 Linda writes at length about things we volleys do to maitain a level of 'combat readiness' in order to answer the call and we all have some sort of 'system' we each use. Some systems don't work all that well, but they keep getting used anyway. I know one EMT who will not run a call unless she brushes her teeth, but this same EMT never grabs her wallet (with her credentials) when she runs out in the middle of the night.
 I have my 'things' that I always do or never ever do, as applicable. I do many of the quick response tricks that Linda mentions such as considering what I am doing at the moment and what I will have to do if the tones drop. I often make "Go/No-Go" decisions in advance. If it is at a time when most would expect me to respond (holiday weekend when they know I'm in town) and I need to take myself out of service, I usually call someone and make sure they know I'm unavailable for the next hour and get them to cover the initial response minutes. We (my crews) are in the habit of casually sharing our personal schedules, so that others know if we are in town, having a family party, or otherwise unavailable. If any of us have had a drink, it takes us out of the game, so we let others know that in advance.
 Then I have my 'habits".
 During snowstorms or heavy rainstorms I bring my tunrouts in the house and have them ready to don, so that I don't have to do it in the Engine bay or on a roadside. During the winter months I keep all the temperature sensitive EMS stuff like NPA lube, Oral Glucose, and a few other odds & ends in a small zip lock bag inside my EMS coat which hangs by the door in the house. That way they are all ready to go, and warm. Ditto my steth.
 I have one of those rechargeable LED drop lights that hangs on the book case next to my bed. For late night calls I turn that on and it does not disturb the wife when the pager goes off and I flip it on. I carry that light through the house so I don't need any other lights on and it gets me out to my truck safely. It gets REALLY dark here too, just like at Linda's place. Oh and I ALWAYS have a flashlight in my pants pocket, 24/7/365, as well as in every coat pocket, especially in winter.
 My pants are always laid on the floor next to the bed, my shirt is underneath the pants, and my fresh socks are laid out flat across the tops of my boots. I could always find them in the dark and get them on correctly before I had that drop light. (Ironically I did not get this habit from the fire service, I learned it from all my back country hiking and camping. You need to locate all your gear and operate it in the dark in case he weather blows up in the middle of the night, especially in the winter.)
 I always have at least one bottle of water in the truck that I can sip from to clear my mouth and help hydrate on the way to a call, especially in the middle of the night. In the summer I keep a six-pack in the back seat, and in the dead of winter I keep a bottle by the light switch of the door I leave the house from.
 Some folks sleep with their socks on. I have trouble with this even when it's really cold in the house, but if I KNOW we are going out that night, I will do it on rare occasions. Yes, there are indeed nights when I KNOW we are going out, mostly due to weather.
 I keep on open type satchel in my truck that was given to me as a business promo. It was useless for business, but great for the Fire work. It has two outside pockets that are perfectly sized for my hi-band and low-band portable radios. the main pocket holds my EMS hip pack that has the basics (B/P cuff, stop-clot, steth, a couple of 4x4's, some band-aids, shears, Pulse-Ox, Glasses, pad, pen, etc), a pair of work (mechanics) gloves, small camera, ERG book, a stretch hat, and yet another flashlight. The other pockets have similar odds and ends like a multi-tip screw driver, some extra pens, and things of that sort. I call this my 'officers bag' and it's nice because when I respond, I climb in the truck and can turn on the radios without removing them. When I get to the station, I grab my turnout bag and this thing, which sits on the floor next to the seat. Everything I need is in there and it has worked perfectly for me for several years now.
 I also keep an old scanner in my truck that is always on. This scanner has our EMS, Fire and police 911 frequencies ( check your state, federal, and local regulations on this one). For me this is a HUGE safety tool. While on the way I can hear what dispatch is getting and giving all the involved agencies. This can either speed up my response, slow down my response, or completely change the manner in which I respond. I have two Fire Houses (out of 3 in my department) that I can get apparatus from. The details of the call will often dictate which way I turn, and what I get. We all know that the "Rollover with entrapment and fire" can very often be reduced to a 'property damage only' call after the first cop arrives on scene and gives an update. I like to know whats going on. I am not going to risk my life for an overheated car that somebody driving by called in as a car fire with entrapment because he/she saws steam and people sitting in the car. Knowledge is power. Conversely, if the dispatch was for 'chest pains' and I hear an update form PD that includes "CPR in progress' then yes, I am going to step it up. The scanner allows me to make intelligent decisions and act in a safer manner, based on the risk.
 Let me finish up by pointing out something that Linda alluded to, but I'll be more blunt. You have to think about your responses and analyze what you have done in the past in order to find ways to do things better, faster, and safer in the future. For instance, I almost never answer a call in the middle of the night without peeing before I leave (I'm getting old and the bladder does not work like it used to). I have also conditioned myself that on a late night call when I can't seem to clear my head and wake the hell up, I drive intentionally slower, much slower in fact. Being groggy makes me a hazard to myself and others. There is no sense in getting there quickly only to find yourself confused. So I slow down and give my brain time to wake up.
 Although this doesn't apply to most folks, it will for some. I respond for some special type calls outside my district where I work with other teams like Swiftwater rescue or Wildland Search. Obviously in the warmer months my swiftwater gear bag is in the truck, but not the winter months. Likewise, I seldom have my wildland gear in the truck because I own a room full of equipment and the gear is all specific to seasons and other requirements. So seasonally I have a couple of specialty bags or backpacks already loaded and sitting in my den near the back door. One bag is configured with the most likely general use, the other bag has the additional stuff I might need in that season. When I get to the staging area I pull from one pack to tailor what I need in the other pack. This could be maps, clothing, sleeping bag, ice axes, snowshoes, crampons, stoves, food, climbing aids, and a whole bunch of other things. The point here is, all this gear is in packs, ready to throw in the truck and in clean, working order. When I get a call for the rare search, I don't have to spend a lot of time finding gear or risk forgetting a key item (like a flashlight or GPS unit). I also have EMS kits configured for all occasions. For back-country wok I have a small carefully packed kit that includes a lot of stuff I would NEVER have or use on the street like over the counter meds, moleskin, a suture kit and such like. I have a small EMS back pack configured for what I might need to assist a wild land firefighter.
 Lastly, for the 'once every two years' long running incidents where I know I will be living at the firehouse for several days I have yet another gym type bag that I keep in my bedroom closet. It has my spare EMS pants, a second pair of boots, and it ready to have my toilet kit and the other odds and ends thrown into it. We generally have warning for these events like floods and hurricanes, so I just keep it handy and ready to fill while I am doing my other storm prep work. It acts as a trigger or reminder that I should get that stuff together in a bag as part of my preparation.
 Thinking about what could (or will) happen, and preparing for it is the name of the game. So do yourself a favor and think about it a little more than you already have. I bet you come up with some time savers that also make you a better and safer responder.
UU

THE BEGINNING OF THE END PERHAPS

 I've had a lot of bad jobs over the years that make me reconsider what I am doing here in the Fire and EMS Service. As I tell the newbies 'Some folks are just not cut out for this stuff, there is no shame in admitting that when it becomes apparent to you.' Perhaps it's time to listen to myself.
 This last storm took more out of me than I think I had to give. The total devastation of property, livelihoods, and infrastructure in every direction around us was more than I could handle.
 In previous posts I showed some of the videos to give an idea of what was going on, but the truth is, they don't even begin to give you an idea. Two weeks on and many folks are still getting power back and re-connecting with the world. I don't care what the media, the politicians, or the utilities might tell you, the fact is a lot of folks have been left on their own because they are cut off from any real hope. Fortunately, those folks are like most self-reliant Americans and have done what needs to be done to care for themselves and their neighbors up to and including rebuilding roads on their own.
 Last night was the first real night of actual rest I've had in 2 weeks. No I have not been out playing hero every day and wearing myself out. I have been trying to balance home, work, and Fire Service responsibilities without a hell of a lot of luck. Every night I lay in bed conflicted by what I WANT to do (be out there helping), and what I have to do (go to work and be a good boy). I work in a small city that had no real impact from the storm, but I live in the hills. The folks at work have no idea how serious the conditions are just 30 miles west of town, and they really don't care. Last night I took my wife out (who is depressed and exhausted from all the family stuff she has been juggling) and we had a couple of beers, listened to some good bluegrass, and enjoyed the company of good friends and family. We returned home relaxed and I managed to get in 10 hours of sleep. I don't do that unless I am really sick or really drunk, neither of which applied here. I had finally relaxed for just a few hours.
 I came down to my desk and thought I could finally get a good blog post off, but every time I began, I just couldn't start thinking about this stuff. We are two weeks along and many of the critical repair project are pretty much where they were two weeks ago. The rain we had on Wednesday erased much if not all of the work that had been done. You might have heard about the flooding in PA and Binghamton, NY, but not a word was said about how it delivered a second blow in our area. Mentally, this was like being kicked in the head while already laying on the ground after a heavy beating for us.
 Take a look at this Associated Press video which was shot on Monday night of the hurricane 8/29 I think, just a few hours after the water started dropping. These guys were tired, but had no idea it had only just begun and would go on for many days after and they would start all over in ten days. Yes, all the evacuation sirens in this area were sounding off at 0600 on Wednesday 9/7/11 all over again and the evacuations began again as water flowed down Main St. in 4 different mountain villages.

I think I am done handing this stuff. I got into this, and stayed in it, to help people, my neighbors, but I have learned that we are constricted by our leadership. In my county this is a severe handicap. Although our leadership is not corrupt as far as I know, they are simply bureaucrats whose first order of business is to keep their jobs. They showed no courage or leadership in my eyes during this event. In fact, my personal opinion is that they willfully abdicated responsibility and virtually abandoned their posts. Of course, their press releases, when they did come out, made them sound like miracle workers. It was all bull. The people and the small towns they were supposed to help,  were on their own. The County leadership was, and remains, a house of cards. Witness this:

The reporter in this video rode her mountain bike up the road the day it was opened for foot traffic, three days after the storm came through.
 I was speaking with a Chief in a mutual aid department where I went out to help last weekend and he said "Yeah it was a bit hairy that night and I was gonna give you a call along with some of your other guys to see if you could come out to help with the Swiftwater work when it dawned on me that we were cut off and you couldn't get here anyway." He didn't really know how many rescues they did through the first rain period, just going from job to job like they were cellar pumps.
 I'm disgusted and burned out. I am re-evaluating what I am doing with my life. I don't think I can deal with the bullshit anymore. It took me all day just to get up the energy to write this post, and the only thing that is getting me through it is having some good bluegrass playing in the background to keep my conscious mind occupied.
 I've suspected for a while that I may have some of that PTSD stuff that they say builds up over time. I think this last event just pushed me over the edge. I have all the symptoms, short temper, mood swings, inability to concentrate, depression, the need to be alone, etc.. It's possible that I need a change of scenery. It's also possible that I'm done.
UU

I'm Tired

I'd like to say "WE are Tired" but I can only speak for myself. This past week had has plenty of work for everyone from linemen to EMT's. We've all been putting in more than any of us thought we could, especially the trained volunteers. The storm damage in my district was bad, but not terrible. I don't consider being without electric for 6 or 7 days a big deal. Tiresome yes, but just an inconvenience. The districts just up the line in our regular mutual aid areas saw almost total devastation. Main connecting roads through the mountains have been cut in half, isolating parts of the county. The statistics show it best, stating that this type of flooding should only occur once every 100 to 500 years. It was the worst natural disaster to hit our County in recorded history.
 So why am I tired? Well, it's not so much the 'why', but the 'what' that is wearing me out.
I am tired of politicians getting in front of every camera available to tell the voting public how hard they are working, when they can't supply us with the materials or resources to do what needs to be done.

 I am tired of these same politicians that can't use their 'on air' time to get critical information to the general public about what is going on, how they can help, and what is needed.

 I am tired of hearing people come into shelters telling us how rough they have it because they don't have hot water, electric, or cable TV. The sit at the shelter and whine when they could be helping a neighbor who has REAL problems clean out the mud from their home.

 I am tired of news crews sticking cameras in my face looking for a story while I am just trying to do my job.

I am tired of getting 7 good clean hours of sleep, only to wake up exhausted from my dreams.

I am tired of driving my engine over roads that may give out from under it at any time.

I am tired of the tourists that don't understand simple signs that say "LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY" or "ROAD CLOSED".

I am tired of tourists that feel it is more important for them to get good pictures of ruined homes and livelihoods than it is to get the hell out of our way and let us do our job.

 I am tired of seeing my brothers and sisters in the service working 20 hour days and not having been home to take care of their families and damaged homes in over a week.

 I am also tired of seeing other 'brothers and sisters' who could easily give up some of their spare time to put in a 12 hour shift to let some others check their families and get some sleep, but instead turn a blind eye to the need.

 I am tired of road crews that drive around downed trees and lines because "this is not 'our road'".  Take 5 damned minutes and top the tree and open the road making it safer for EVERYONE.

 I am tired of walking around with a lump in my throat from seeing all the ruined lives and homes.

 I should also mention what lifts me up and gives me hope.
 I am encouraged by relief workers that know their job, work tirelessly and always manage a comforting smile and supporting words for those truly affected. (You can usually recognize these folks by the bags under their eyes and the tired expressions when they think nobody is looking.)

 I am Encouraged by the citizen volunteers that step and and offer to do any task and don't walk away when they realize it is hard work. They stay there, get the job done and move on to the next task. (You can recognize these people by the sweat stained shirts and the constant upbeat attitude and smile on their faces.)

 I am encouraged by the Civil Engineers and equipment operators who are faced with incredible challenges and are stepping up and making it happen, pulling off engineering marvels of reconstruction I would have never thought possible.

 I am encouraged by Volunteer Fire Chiefs and Officers that have stepped up and worked non-stop  for 8 days to do whatever could be done to organize communities and help their neighbors. Never turning a person in need away, and never losing patience, in spite of all the "help" they were getting from the politicians.

 I am thankful to Be'la Fleck and the Flecktones who could have understandably canceled their concert in the heart of the devastation and instead worked to make sure they could put on the show and turned it into a benefit for the victims. On top of that, they invited all the first responders and their families in for free. What a great night and welcome respite from the carnage. Be'la and the band came down on the floor after the performance and spent time sharing stories of their own losses in the Nashville earlier in the year, as well as listening to the stories of those affected here and now. They truly are a fine bunch of gentlemen and spoke with us like old friends.

 Here is a slideshow of the area showing some of the damage. The stuff further up the mountains doesn't appear here because those areas are still being opened up.

I spent a 12 hour shift out in the heart of these areas yesterday so that some of their crews could attend to their own families. This is the third '100 year flood event' those folks have seen in the last 5 years. Most came back to work as soon as they could, some never left the station. It was strange to pull in and report for duty when the first question they asked us was "what can we get for ya'? Did you eat yet?" Their hospitality was ingrained, I guess. We came out to help them and they were making sure we were comfortable and well fed. Just amazing.  Anyone who came into the station could not leave without being asked "Is there anything else we can do to help you?" Yeah. we worked hard doing cleanup from the previous days 'relief drops and public distributions", but they treated us like family. We helped distribute RED Cross supplies, give directions to Federal Workers, find sources for odd requests, and generally make ourselves useful. We put their station back into normal response mode before we left for the night. We came home very tired last night but feeling good about a hard day of meaningful work. I should have known it wasn't over, we were driving back to our station around 2100 and were flagged down by a LEO who inquired if we could assist with a cardiac emergency. We did the initial workup and treatment for a lineman in his truck that could barely remember what day and time he had come into work. An odd call in another district that brought together responders from 4 agencies, including an off duty State Trooper/RN/Paramedic who happened to be getting gas for his generator. One final example of people working together without boundaries.
 It's been a long eight days, but I've had it easy and God was good to me and mine. Many of the people I've talked to and worked with over this week will takes years to recover, some never will.
UU

Grey Fox, In a Nutshell

 Well, first I have to apologize for not posting from the festival as I had hoped. The wireless connection did not work for the first day or so and by the time it got fixed, I was into full festival mode and didn't have much time available. I took only a few quick pictures, but this might give you and idea of the site size.

 What you see here is a shot from the main amphitheater looking out over the camping area. That large tent on the right is a shade tent so you can watch the main stage (off to the left) while staying out of the sun. The large tent in the middle is a food concession tent, and beyond is the camping area.
 Here's a shot of the main stage taken in the early morning before anybody is up and about:

Off on the left side you will see a large tent where they feed the staff and the entertainers. The Green Room is also over there on he left.
 First let me start out by saying that on this particular weekend I collected several memories that will last me into the nursing home phase of my life, and I don't say that flippantly, I had a sore jaw from smiling so hard for so long.
 As it goes with these things, it started off slow. At the initial briefing I could see we had an ample staff, many returning from last year and some new faces. Many were from the clinical side of the health care business and I knew that the tent would be well staffed, but I also knew we wouldn't have a lot who would easily go out roaming and looking for problems or patients, which is what I prefer to do. Clinical folks like to stay in the Clinic, EMS folks like to be out on post. My partner from last year was doing an overnight and we wouldn't be working together much this year, so I found a FNG and we walked around as I gave him a tour, explained what to look for (folks doing dumb stuff) and some of the tricks (you can sit in the VIP section while you are walking around) and how to scout for the good parties to return to after the duty period. He learned fast and when my daughter arrived I left him to his own desires. I was looking forward to spending some time with my little girl who was also volunteering this year with the drink stand crew. Since she's been married we haven't had much time together. Little did I know we would wind up just having a blast together.
 Medically speaking we saw just what I had predicted in a prior post. Each night we had one or two hopelessly drunk folks that required some attention because they were puking too much, dehydrated, or unable to ambulate. In one case we arranged a transport for an old gent that was incontinent after ingesting a lot of alcohol and THEN deciding to try some pot after 20 years of abstention.  He did some puking too. OK, a lot of puking, and all that stuff combined with his meds to wreak havoc with his system.
 My turn on the overnight looked to be quiet even though it was Saturday night (the last night to party) We had buttoned up the Medical tent and I was just settled into my chiar to doze when a guy came in all frantic stating that "We CAN'T wake her up, we don't know what's wrong, it looks REALLY BAD!" I poked my head out back and told the boss we had a worker. He came out an asked a few quick questions while I and my partner collected the bags and loaded the golf cart (the preferred mode of transport in dense population areas). The 4 of us got off in the cart and were moving as fast as we could follow directions, part the crowd, and see where we were going. I was riding backwards and was trying to don my gloves as we flew over the hillocks in the hayfield that was now home to about 6,000 people. We arrived and found our patient in a tent which was filled with a full sized air mattress. This was a new sensation for me, like working on a waterbed. The Boss went in first with my partner and realized all at once that a) this patient was critical, b) this patient was a friend of his, and c) we needed ALS right away. He crawled out and gave me the nod as we switched places, he went into ICS mode, calling security to get a rig on the road and giving a quick Sit Rep. My partner and I worked on the basics: Breathing adequate but shallow, pulse 126, b/p of 135/88, posturing, possibly post-dictal, jaw clenched HARD, blood residue on the cheek, possibly bit her tongue, and she had paticial hemorrhaging, which we took to indicate a possible brain bleed. All in all, things didn't look good. We could not get a med list from her drunken husband, but we knew that there was a list somewhere. What made us really concerned was that we were repeatedly assured that she had no been consuming and alcohol or drugs. She was very health conscious and did not drink. It took 2 of us to do a B/P, one to hold the arm straight and the other to take it. Her arms would fold right up when we let them go. ALS arrived, we extracted her on a long board and we loaded quickly.
 Turns out she had hyponatremia (look it up, you should KNOW this) and was in a coma. In her efforts to avoid dehydration, she had hydrated herself right into a seizure and coma. First time I have ever seen that. 48 hours on I got word that she had come out of the coma and was expected to make a full recovery with no neurological deficits.
 After I went 'off duty' at 0700 we were headed back down the hill form breakfast when a call came over the radio for a male, unconscious, at the main gate. We were already mobile, so we took the call. He had had a seizure and was incontinent to bladder and bowel. He was embarrassed and denied any LOC, but the witnesses said that he was out for a full minute. He had a lump on his head where he hit the side mirror on his car (and broke it clean off) but wanted to RMA (AMA). It took us a half hour to convince him to go in, but we finally succeeded,
 All in all a fantastic weekend with wonderful music and people. I got to have dinner one night with a Bluegrass legend (look for a future post on this, funny story) and build on our friendship. I had some priceless time hanging out with my little girl and my son-in-law, and I witnessed some events that I will remember for a long time. As a bonus (as if I needed one), my Bluegrass legend friend has offered to take me on as a personal challenge to teach me how to play the 5 string. He offered me 4 or 5 hours of his time and promises he will have me playing the darned thing before he is done with me. Now I LOVE this man and have listened to his music since I was a kid. There are thousands of people around the world who would give anything to have just one hour with this guy. I fully understand what has been offered me. But on the other hand I realize that after 32 years of varying attempts, I couldn't carry a tune with a wheelbarrow. I told him as much, but he seemed resolved. I also told him that if I were the one to break him and he failed, I would feel terrible. He seems unconcerned and has high hopes. I warned him. My daughter tells me that my son-in-law kind of set this whole thing up because he wants me to play with him. She says I'd be a fool to let it go by. Smart girl. OK, I'll play along. Even if I come out as the same idiot as I went in, I will still have spent a few more hours with someone who changed the course of Bluegrass music and I both admire and am amazed by.
 Here's a shot of Bill giving a workshop on Friday. He does one on Saturday also and a stint on the Master's Stage as well. Bill is around 73 and it still amazes me to see him light up when he sits down and begins to share what he has learned. 

 I returned home from the festival, took a shower and got a 4 hour nap (having only an hour of sleep in the past 36 hours. I was on duty with my Squad on Sunday night and hoped for a light night. The EMS Gods were against me. I went to bed at 2300 for the night and the pager went off at 0000. We had a fire on the mountain that kept us out until 0530. Normally fires are easy duty for EMS, but I was assigned as the EMT to stay with the crew on the fire. We had 800 feet of near vertical climb to get to the seat of the fire. It was so steep that we went up on hands and knees, clawing all the way. You could not stand, nor could you sit. you would either slide or fall down. Three quarters of the way up. when I got to a point that I could keep an ear on the crew, I dug in. Somebody needed to hold onto the hose to keep it from sliding back down the mountain. I dug out a seat belay and settled in for about three hours and helping relief folks climb up the hose line, watching fire progression (below us, above us, and to the west of us).
 When we finished up, I had enough time to grab a shower before heading into the paying job, where by the way, I was a little useless during the day. Somehow I figured out that I had gone 60 something hours with only 5 hours sleep.
 So now you have an idea of why I haven't posted in a week. Aren't you sorry you asked? I should have been working on my pick rolls tonight, but instead I thought I should get this one up for you. Also, for Linda, I got your message and I understand how life changes direction. We'll get it together, just a little further down the road. Right now I just need some recovery time. Oh BOY do I need to recover.
Be Safe, B Sharp,
UU

Sleep Working

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!
 The high pitched internal "beep" on his pager, which indicates the proper pair of coded tones have activated it, goes off. Not that he needed another piercing loud noise, because the rest of the tones and the distinctive 'warble' are now coming through the speaker, as if to wake him completely. Before the tones start, his legs are swung out of the bed and he reaches, in the total dark for his socks and pulls them on. With his right hand he reaches for a small battery powered fluorescent light and turns it on while at the same time his left hand finds the belted section of his pants and flips them open so he can pull them on. Before he stands to pull his pants up, he pulls his boots on but does not waste time with the zippers, he can do those while he is driving. He stands, pulls up, and fastens his pants and belt. His right hand grabs the pager out of it's charger while the left hand grabs the cell phone, both hands working independently and in unison, he slips them both on his belt.
 He grabs the little light and carries it with him so that he has no need to turn on other lights to find his way down the stairs. His wife and dog, lay undisturbed and he likes it that way. Down the stairs and through the den to the side door, he slips on a coat, flips a hat on his head and is out the door. Five steps to the truck and he slides in, shuts off the light and flips it into the back seat. As his hand comes back around, it hesitates long enough to turn on the fire radio, the police scanner is already on and he listens for the first arriving Officers to give their report to dispatch. He grabs the wheel with his now free right hand and turns on the EMS radio with his left. He wants to know, as soon as possible that they have an ALS rig on the road in case it's needed. He has no idea what time it is, and he doesn't really care. It doesn't really matter. He's rolling to yet another job.
 At this point he finally begins to awaken some with the effort of thought and decision making: which piece of apparatus to get, what tools might be needed, who is in town and also responding, which gear bag should he grab when he jumps out of this truck and into the rig, and what the hell time is it anyway?
 He flips on his blue light as he rolls down the driveway, hoping his neighbor down the road will see it and not waste time starting his own truck, he slows at the neighbors house and the Captain jumps into the passenger seat. They confirm the details of the dispatch information with each other, but don't talk much otherwise during the 2 minute ride to the station. They listen to the various radios for further information.
 When they arrive at the station, there is no conversation about tasks or who will do what, it is all automatic and each performs his pre-programmed motions learned through countless repetitions over the years, and each knows what the other has already done, and what will be done next. Disconnecting umbilicals, opening doors, calling in to Dispatch, all done without a single word of coordination. Within another minute, they have made the transition to the Engine and the Captain drives while he gets his gear on and operates the radio.
 They are about a mile out from the station, with another two miles to get to the job when they get the call on the radio that they have been canceled and put back in service.
He looks at the clock,  which reads '2:58AM'. He looks out the windshield as the Captain swings the truck around and says "Well, I guess we could call that another practice run". The Captain, looking over his shoulder for traffic before he pulls back on the road just replies "Yes, that's probably a good way to look at it, we could use the practice". "Yup", he replies in a dead pan manner, "You can never get enough practice". They look at each other and smile and don't say another word until they get back to the station.

Be Safe, Be Sharp, Be Good,
UU

More Good News

 Last week I posted a piece about the Wilmington, Vt Fire Department and what a fine job they did in a recent Live Burn training evolution held over a couple of days. That post generated an awful lot of hits (the most I've ever had on a single post) and I started thinking about the fact that 'good news travels fast'. I was also thinking that we don't really make a point of highlighting Departments that are doing more with less because they have always done more with less.
 The fact is, not every Department is located in an area that has resources, or a State or Province that can bring resources in. The better Departments are those that see the need for quality training and figure out a way to make it happen with what they have. So I started looking around and I found the following video. This video, at just over 9 minutes, is worth the watch. It shows what a group of small Departments can pull off when they work together. As always, there is someone with a vision and the drive to pull it all together.
 I don't know anything about these guys and gals that I didn't learn in the video, but I have to give them huge credit for the training they put on, and the learning that obviously takes place. While you watch the video, I'd like you to take note that they have no fancy simulators or even a burn building available, but they found a way to make the training happen.
 From what I can see, these guys really have it all together.

 If you have a Department Training video or story or video that shows good training, done with minimal resources, please send it along. I think we could all benefit from what you know.
Be Safe, Be Strong, Be Well,
UU

A Blessing

 If you've read the past few posts you know that it was a trying and painful few days for my Department family and me over the last week. I have a wake to attend today, and a funeral tomorrow before the final healing and sorting process can begin.
 They say God doesn't give us more than we can handle, but on more than a few occasions I have come to question that theory. I think there is a chance that this time God overdid it a bit this time and might have felt a little bad about it, because he threw something in to help me deal with it.
 Just 25 hours after we finished up that bad call and only 2 hours after the CISM session we had a bad storm come through and wreak some heavy havoc. I was so wiped out that I had taken the night off and slept through most of it because I needed the sleep badly. I was exhausted. We gad about 10-12 calls during the overnight and more calls started coming in when the sun rose and people discovered the damage. I grabbed a few calls before going to work because I knew the crew had been up all night and just went to bed, or off to work.
 All simple stuff requiring a report, or blocking off a road and notifying the power company or DPW. The last one was yet another "trees and wires" call and I headed up, but couldn't find anything as I crept up the main road searching the overhead. I swung around, came back, and still found nothing, so I pulled into the driveway of the address that was given to get my truck off the road and do a foot search. That's when I saw it. In the driveway, which was around 100 feet long, there were 5 or 6 20 inch diameter maples toppled over in every direction. A detached garage was blown to pieces, wires, power poles, and stuff all over the place.Two cars were fairly flattened. There were 2 houses served by this (formerly) nice driveway. I couldn't even see the houses. These folks got clobbered.
 I got out, walked up and was greeted by a gentleman walking down to meet me. After getting the basics covered (the houses are ok, nobody hurt, no smoke or fire, nobody with medical issues, etc) I went through the normal safety cautions like "Don't touch any wires until the power company gets here, take lots of pictures, call you insurance company" and also explained that as this was on private property, there was not a lot the Fire Department could do beyond ensuring the residents safety.
 I was about half way through the spiel when the fellow lifted his hand and said "I get it, everybody's fine, we're cool here, we just wanted to make the notifications and get the power company here to cut the power and get us on the 'list'. I am retired from the FDNY and I know the drill. There is no rush here."
 My eyes must have given me away. I looked at him and thought "FDNY, really? He looks like he's younger than me! Retired?" He offered a little more "I was forced out at 3/4 retirement after I broke my back working on The Pile for a month. It was the second time I broke my back, and they forced me out. A lot of guys went out after 9/11."
 Soon the Chief showed up and I gave him the rundown. The bottom line was that the situation was stable and with everybody out working, they would have to wait until the power company got there to get things started.
  We called dispatch and gave them the report. The Chief left for the next job and I started to leave myself when the fellow asked me which way I was going and if I could just give him a lift down the road to get some coffee at the market. "No sweat" I said, just hop in.
 So down we went and in that short drive I learned that he was a Lt. with Rescue 3, had 18 years in, and lost a lot of friends. He was mustered out and went through a bad bout of alcoholism, divorced, got dried up, 'fixed' himself, found a new love, and life is now good for him. He's been living in our town for 8 years. He misses the Service though, and 'hanging with the crew'.
 He asked me about our Department and I just said that it is probably a lot different than his experience, but we suffer our pains. I mentioned the tragedy that we were currently dealing with and he instinctively began to talk to me like a Brother who had worked by my side everyday. Sharing some short stories and metaphorically putting his hand on my shoulder. It was amazing how much we talked about in just 10 minutes.
 I dropped him off at home and on my way into work I gave the Chief a call and told him the guys story. I knew that we should be able to do a little more to help this guy out, and I also knew that the Chief (who spent 2 weeks on The Pile) would feel the same way.
 The Chief made some calls and got things rolling, he got a power crew to expedite over and get the power cut off, then he called some contractors to go over and scope the job and get them some quotes. Later that day, he called in a dispatch for a public service call for a non-emergent structural collapse and got a crew there to help remove some of the trees, open the driveway, and get the 1 car out of the collapsed garage.
 I stopped in the following day to check progress, and we chatted a little more. I invited the guy to come by the station anytime. For his part, he was very grateful for everything we did and impressed by our crew. I assured him that what we did for him were things that we are not 'supposed to do' and asked him to keep it a little quiet. We were just taking care of a Brother, it was no big deal.
 My short conversations with this Brother probably did more to help me through this week than anything else I tried.
 I'll stop by and check on him later today and bring an application with me. Our Department could always use a few more 'support members' and I think our young folks could learn a lot from this Brother. I know this old guy did.
Be Safe, Be Sharp,
UU

Rough Week

Yeah, it wasn't really good for us around here the second half of this week and as a result I will be attending a wake and a funeral over the holiday weekend. (See previous post and associated comments.)
 Last night we had a CISM session. Now let me say that after all the ugly jobs I've been involved with I have learned a few things about stress, grief, emotions, and all the stuff that comes along with the heart wrenching jobs. I am certainly no expert, and you should absolutely not take what I say as a guide. However I have learned that we each have our own best coping mechanisms. My suggestion is that you find what works for you and use that whenever you feel the need. My personal experience supports most of the psychologists research, to whit: Drinking alcohol to excess doesn't help anything, exercise does. Talking to a trusted peer helps a lot, getting it out is important, and you need to do it with a protected source so that you feel totally comfortable.
 CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) works for some, but I can tell you that it doesn't work for me. I am too inhibited to cry and talk in front of those who I must also lead. Every time we do one of these, I walk out feeling exposed and that doesn't help me much. None the less, it might work for others, so I support the process because the important thing is that my people get whatever they need to get them through whatever they are going through, and that they can get 'it' in whatever format works for them. So we use a combination of CISM, peer support, and various ad-hoc methods (drinking beer around a campfire, coffee at the deli before work, bullshitting after drills or work parties, whatever). We call and check in with each other to see how we are doing.
 So I survived the CISM session last night as did everyone else. It was the first time for a lot of those involved in the job, actually I think there were only 3 of us in the group who have been through this before. The rest were all newbies to the process. The session took more from me than I got out of it, but I hope some of the youngsters found it helpful, especially my son. He witnessed, on this call, the first of his peers to die as he watched. He lost someone who was his closet friend all through grammar school, middle school, and a good solid friend through High School and into adulthood. Three days on, and I don't think it's really hit home for him yet.
 As for me, I started my personal flavor of CISM this afternoon by leaving work early and doing this...

It's a 3 minute drive from my house, and a mile and a half hike in from the road. No people, no noise, (no fish), and nothing to do but think and sort things out.
 It works for me. In fact, It worked so well, I might do it again this weekend.
 I'll miss you Woodchuck, it was an honor to know you and watch you grow into a man.
Be Safe, Be Strong, Be Sharp,
UU

When Firefighters Cry

When Firefighters cry, it is without shame.
When Firefighters cry, it is not because they could not do more, but because there was no more that could be done.
When Firefighters cry, it is a visceral and painful cry that creates an actual muscular pain within. It comes from deep within their soul.
 When Firefighters cry, it is not because they didn't do their best, it is because their best wasn't good enough...tonight.
 When Firefighters cry it is because they understand, better than most, how unfair life, or death, can be.



There are days, not many, when I hate this job. Today is one of those days.
UU

Long Enough

"How long have you been doing this?"
 Every time he gets asked that question, he either looks at the ground, or off in the distance and just says quietly "Long Enough."
 Usually the questioner senses the immediate change in his demeanor and changes the subject, sensing that they either hit on something he wishes not to discuss, or perhaps they are afraid of the answer they might get to the next question.
 Truth be told, he is actually expecting that next question, but it never gets asked, at least not yet. On the day he does get the second question, he'll answer that he's been at it long enough to loose that swagger that you are issued with your first EMT or Firefighter Certification. He's been doing it long enough to know that all you can do, is the best that you can do. He's been doing this long enough to know that you can see something new at any given moment and you have to handle it. He's been doing this long enough to know that he will never see it all. He has been doing this long enough to laugh at those who claim they have 'seen it all', because he knows them for the fools that they are.
 He's been in this long enough to know that the pain of somebody else's tragedy can take a long time to ease. He's been doing this long enough to know that life is nothing like a TV show. He's been in this long enough to know that some die even when you think they'll make it, and some live even though there is no hope for them. He has been doing this long enough to be humbled by the complexity and resilience of the human body, as well as how frail it can become at times.
 He's been doing this long enough to know that making judgements about people and their life situations is both wrong and a waste of time because mostly, you can never really know what their situation is, or how they got there, and any judgements you make will likely be terribly incorrect.
 He's been doing this long enough to learn that laughter, especially in the back of the ambulance, is a precious thing and can have great healing powers.
 He's been doing this long enough to know that he is just a cog in the system and that his purpose is more to provide comfort than treatment, but both are important.
 He's been in this long enough to believe that the greatest invention of the 20th century was home smoke detectors and he can't understand why everyone doesn't keep them installed and working.
 He's been doing this long enough to have made friends with many of the ghosts that haunt his nights, but he is still working on some of the others.
 He's been doing this long enough.
UU

Volunteer Fire Departments 2.0 (9 of 9) Respect

This is part 9 of a 9 part series. You should have read the preceding parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three,  Part Four, Part Five , Part Six, Part Seven and Part Eight, before moving onto this one. Today's subject is Respect in the Volunteer Service.
 One would think that this subject needs not be addressed at all in this series. I am here to tell you that in many cases, it is a necessary part of the discussion. I know that we all believe we have respect for each other and treat others well, but the plain fact is that I have seen otherwise.I have seen Departments that don't respect their members, Officers that don't respect those under, or over, them, and Members that don't respect each other.
 It's easy to point at the stand-up guy or gal who sets a good example, takes all the training, helps the newer folks, and is dependable. We all respect THAT person. But what about the member that makes mistakes, doesn't learn too quickly, pulls the occasional dumb move or says the wrong thing that makes the rest of us look bad? What about that "Department Whacker'?  The guy with all the lights and stickers on his car, the embarrassing bold statements on his T-shirts ("My job is to save your ass, not to kiss it', or "I save lives, what do you do?"). Do we respect that guy or do we make fun of him? Respect has a lot of facets, and takes a lot of forms.
 I'm not implying that we each need to love one another (that can cause some different problems, which I have seen in a few agencies), what I am trying to point out is that we DO all have to work together, and we have to do that when it counts the most for others. If we can't work together on a committee, how the hell can we expect to do it when lives and property are on the line and we only get one chance to get it right the first time?
 Using myself as an example here, I can tell you that there is one member I work with that I would never invite over to my house, try to spend time with, or advise somebody to look at as an example. That persons life choices are poor (in my opinion) and he does things that I would never consider, and frankly I do not respect him as a neighbor. However, he is a good firefighter, has given many years to the Community in his own way, and he has earned my respect on that level. I never argue with him and I never criticize him in front of others. I treat him with respect, even though it is very hard sometimes because of the things he does to hurt people when he gets mad. For me, if he does the job, he gets the respect for doing the job.
 I think (I'm not positive on this) that where we make a mistake is in making judgments and deciding how to treat people in general based on things they do that don't matter to the Fire Department.We are not running a society, we are running a business.
 The best practices here which I have collected are these:
 Separate the personal feelings from the business of the Fire Department. Leave the personal stuff at home and leave it out of all decisions made at the Fire House. Make this part of your culture.
 Treat your co-workers with respect. This means the Department has to leave personal alliances and friendships, AS WELL AS RELATIONSHIPS, outside of the decision making process. Your written rules, regulations, and procedures will help you with this in a big way.
 You have to work as a group to maintain equality for all. Decisions, elections, incentives, and everything else should be performance based.
 Respect has to come from all directions, both up and down the chain of command. If your governing Board does not respect their front line personnel enough to get them proper gear and keep it in working condition, you are already on a downward spiral.
 If your Chief Officers do not respect the Line Officers enough to take their input on the fire ground, you also have a big problem.
 If your Line Officers do not listen to their members and address their concerns in a MEANINGFUL manner, you have a big problem.
 These are the things you need to look at and attack as a team. Although I placed this subject last, in truth, if you don't start with a certain level of respect, you are going to have a hard time making any improvements in all those other areas we talked about. The respect that the other person may not be right, but he deserves to be listened to is a good start. You also need enough respect to realize that the other guy just might be more right than you are and be able to change your mind. (By the way, I have earned more respect for changing my mind, based on a good discussion, than by winning arguments.)
 When you provide effective and meaningful training, it shows you respect your members time and needs.
 When you offer timely and predictable recognition, it shows you appreciate the time, effort, and skill your members provide.
 The list goes on, but the point is that putting all the other stuff together in a cohesive package shows respect both for the needs of the Community and the needs of the members. Treat others with respect and they will respond in kind
 So that's it, the best compilation I could formulate with my writing skills on the big fundamental issues facing the Volunteer Service as I see them. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll do a summary post or not. I may go through and re-read it all and see if it is worth putting it all together. But for now, these 9 posts are 'it'. I have gotten a couple of comments and a few emails telling me that the reading was worthwhile, so I hit my low end goal anyway. However, I'd still like to leave the door open for any of you who would like to post some better ideas or debate those things I put forth. I have seen a lot of promising things in our volunteer Departments and a lot of heart. I know we do the job now, but I also know we can do it better, and with less effort if we get our act together.  Every Department has strengths and weaknesses and a big part of the job is identifying both so that we can make improvements. Let's break that old adage: "200 years of tradition unimpeded by progress" into tiny little pieces and move forward, shall we?
Be Well, Be Safe, Be Sharp, and look good doing it,
UU

Volunteer Fire Departments 2.0 (8 of 9) Recognition

This is part 8 of a 9 part series. You should have read the preceding parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three,  Part Four, Part Five , Part Six and Part Seven before moving onto this one. Today's subject is Recognition in the Volunteer Service. As I mentioned in an earlier post, these posts will get shorter and shorter as we near the end of the series because each uses the points that were presented earlier and builds on them. With only 2 posts left, this will be the shortest yet.
 You may well wonder why I am including Recognition in a series that addresses the Major Challenges in the Volunteer Service. If you are asking that question, then I obviously need to explain some things I have learned.
 Many people are naturally generous. either with their time, their money, or both. However, those same folks will be very wary of donating anything if they believe that their donation is not needed, or not appreciated.
 Every Volunteer is a DONOR to your Department. The Department's job is to recognize this on a regular basis, whether formally, informally, or in a public way. Most (or at least many) do not want or need recognition to continue to do their jobs. In fact, many get embarrassed when they are singled out. However, put people in a position where they believe they are taken for granted and their attitudes take a downturn. So we need to walk the line here and make sure folks know that we value them.
 Many Departments have some sort of annual event where they recognize many of their members for length of service, special activities, service of note, or any other list of things. This is good and it builds morale. The only downside I see to this is that some get left out if they are just a middle of the road member. The guy or gal that is there a LOT of the time, but never holds an Office or does anything 'special'. These are our Grunts. The workforce we come to depend on day in and day out. Where would we be without those folks and how do we recognize their value?
 First and foremost, create a culture where members feel free to recognize each other in an informal way. Walk up to a member after a tough call and let them know that you appreciate the simple fact that they were there and doing their job well. "Hey man, I was really glad to see you at the pump panel when I went in. I like knowing that you have my back." You'll always get a smile and know you made somebody feel good. Peer recognition is a very strong thing. I can say for myself, that when I have the respect and appreciation of my peers, I don't really care what anybody else thinks. These are the guys and gals I work with that depend on me. If they trust me then I feel like I have earned something very valuable.
 Second, I have seen that Departments which have a standard recognition program have a very high morale, in general. For instance, I know one Department that gives 'optional equipment' to members when they reach certain milestones. When they are voted in as a probie, they are given two t-shirts and a hat. When they complete their Firefighter One, they are given a new set of Bunker gear, when they complete all the requirements for their probational year and become a full member, they are given a leather helmet. Their standard program is written down and the requirements are clear, when you earn it, you get it. So if you see one of them on a fire scene, you can tell by how they are dressed where they stand in the Department. This creates a certain drive for members to stay on track and earn that 'stuff'. The psychologists will tell you a lot about why something like this works, but all I know if what I have seen, and this works. It comes back to having things well organized and planned, while being consistent in your treatment of your members and getting away from doing things on a whim. It's a business, so run it like one. You can't give them a raise or a bonus, so give them a job shirt.
 Third, recognition of your members in the public eye will not only do well for that member, but also for the entire Department. Getting out press releases when appropriate can go a long way to providing good PR for your Department, the individual member involved, and all the other members. Everybody likes to see one of their team get put out in front and recognized when they deserve it. Even if you just put a congratulation note on your message board on the Fire House, it makes a difference for people. And it's all free, you just have to DO IT. Also, don't forget to always nominate some of your members for the County, State, Regional, or other awards that are available out there. Many of these awards go wanting for candidates. One year, members in my Department were awarded 3 plaques by the regional EMS council because there were few nominees and we took the time to write up the nominations.
 Bottom line: Tell your people you appreciate them. Do it sincerely, and do it often. Make it your Culture, get EVERYBODY to do it, not just the Officers and Organization. This all leads into our next and last subject.
 Coming Up: RESPECT

Be well, Be safe, Be sharp,
UU

Volunteer Fire Departments 2.0 (7 of 9) Organization

This is part 7 of a multi-part series. You should have read the preceding parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three,  Part Four, Part Five  and Part Six before moving onto this one. Today's subject is Recruitment in the Volunteer Service.
 Thousands of words have been written on this subject by many authors and organizations. I will not repeat those words here. My readers are smart enough to go seek that material out and review it if they need to. There are tons of good ideas and programs already in print and ripe for the taking. I do suggest, that if Recruitment is an issue in your Department that you indeed go and look at many of these great resources.
 No, instead, in this post I will try to focus on why some Departments have little trouble with recruitment while others suffer long and hard for each new member they gain or old member they retain.
 We all know the excuses reasons that recruitment is so difficult: The training requirements, the time away from family, the current trend for many folks to work long hours or multiple jobs just to make ends meet, as well as all the hurdles people throw up for themselves such as "I am not the 'emergency type'", "I could never fit in with that crowd", "They are a tight clique, those guys are", "I don't have any experience with that sort of stuff", and "I can't afford it, either the time or the money". This last refers to the misunderstanding that each responder buys their own equipment. I know this is wrong (or it should be), but if we don't correct that minomer, they will go right on believing it, won't they?
 So the first secret I have learned from watching good Departments is this: If you want to recruit, signs, newspaper ads, and campaigns are fine, but if you really want members then you have to get out there and talk to people. Answer their questions, show them how things work, put them at ease. Do a little hand-holding (Easy folks, this is a metaphor). You can't just say 'Hey come on down to a Department meeting the first Monday of the month', you have to offer to pick them up, bring them there and introduce them around. make them feel comfortable, let them know what they can expect. Everybody has apprehension and most folks won't tell you what their concerns are, you need to guess well, and give them enough information to feel at ease. Emphasize where your Department is flexible (such as the types of jobs they can choose) and where you have strict requirements. Being open, honest, and informative helps prevents those false starts and misunderstandings.
 The next glaring secret I have seen is having all those other things that we talked about in the proceeding posts: Having a solid Organization, good and effective training, making good use of your members time, and all those other things, make members feel welcome and valued. This is key: if people are giving their time, YOU need to SHOW them how valuable that time is to the Department and community. NEVER ASSUME that they know this, keep reminding them. In my Department, I never do a call where somebody at some point does not say "Hey, thanks for coming, nice work", or something along those lines. It just good business and a nice habit to get into. It's easy, it's free, and it DOES mean something. It means somebody realizes you dropped what you were doing and came to help. Even if you did very little, you did show up ready to work, and that means a lot. Think about that on your next call.
 I mentioned doing all the other things previously discussed, but I want to focus on training. Most folks who stay in this business do so because they like it. They like helping and being good at their job, that takes training. I know that many Departments think they already spend too much time training, but I am going to point out again that if you have good solid, productive, and meaningful training, your members will stick around longer. I know of 2 Departments in neighboring towns. One Department added a retirement incentive plan (LOSAP) for their Volunteers and several members from the second town transferred over to the other Department because of that plan which their Department did not have. Several folks who joined in later years chose the Department with the retirement plan. Well, over time it became clear to many that the Department with the retirement plan didn't offer much else, whereas the second Department had an outstanding training program that was ongoing and consistent. These days there are several members in the retirement Department trying to transfer over to the Department that has regular training because it is a better performing group, more active, and has interesting and regular training. The Department with the retirement plan is known in the area as largely lacking in skills and calls regularly for mutual aid on routine calls, whereas the Department with the good training is called to assist them and many other Departments in the area because of their proficiency. They are widely known as a crew that "comes ready to work". Incidentally, this Department had to put a moratorium on new members last year because they had more people coming in than they could handle with training and gear requirements. Nice place to be, isn't it? Too many new members. Everybody in the County wants to know what "their Secret" is. Well, I just told you.
 This post is short, because it's simple: Treat People right, Let them know what they can expect, and do what you promise. That's it.
 Now if you have some recruitment secrets, please post a comment and let everybody know what works for your Department. People are always looking for ideas, and many hands make light work.
 NEXT UP: (after an intermission) Recognition
UU

Volunteer Fire Departments 2.0 (6 of ?) Organization

This is part 6 of a multi-part series. You should have read the preceding parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three,  Part Four and Part Five before moving onto this one. Today's subject is Organization in the Volunteer Service.
 When someone Volunteers their time to the Fire Department, it SHOULD be understood that it is a two-way street. The person putting up their time is offering it freely, but they maintain certain expectations, and they have every right to do so. The Department therefore, has an obligation to make good and effective use of that donation of time. Nobody would want to see a monetary donation be squandered on trivial purposes, neither should a Department squander the most precious of all donations: TIME.
 Every Volunteer member deserves to know certain things about their standing in their Department. This may seem to go without saying, but in many Departments, it is not so clear as one might expect. Over time, we tend to take this 'donation of time' for granted and waste quite a bit of that time.
 Everybody deserves to know where they stand, what is expected of them, what opportunities are open to them, and what they can expect from the Organization. With this in mind, it becomes very important for each Department to be properly organized. This means they will have a clear set of operating guidelines where members can look up information they lack. Everything regarding the operation of that Department should be written down (see the post on Communications).
 Fire Departments have always been considered a para-military type of organization and as such have a 'chain of command'. Departments I have seen that function well will rely on this chain of command as second nature, there is never a question of who you need to speak with when you have a question, concern or complaint. Departments who allow their members to work around this system undermine themselves without even realizing what they are doing. Why would a new member go the his Lt. when he knows the Chief can and will always fix his problems for him right away? Does that Chief realize he just shot himself in the foot? Probably not. But he did, and at the same time he undermined the authority of all HIS line Officers. So presenting a proper and formal Organization is important, but making that structure a way of life takes everyone's effort and participation.
 This may seem like a simple and short point, but think for a minute about every transgression you have seen that subverted your organization's structure and then think about the effect it had on morale and cohesiveness. Every slip in that structure makes a crack in the wall, and eventually the wall comes down from it's own weight. So having a good Organization and having everybody work within that system only makes you stronger. If the system does not allow for proper operations, change the system, don't work around it, FIX IT. All those little adjustments add up over time. Eventually, you will have a solid working system.Don't forget to include your disciplinary system in that structure. People need to know where the lines are and what can be expected when they cross that line.
 At this point in the series, some of the post subjects are beginning to overlap with others, which just shows how it all ties together. Is it no small part of having a good organization that you have tied in your training, communications, and leadership to this structure. It all goes hand in hand. The most impressive Volunteer Departments I have seen really have their act together on this score. They have things clearly organized and even if something falls through the cracks, it eventually gets covered BECAUSE there is such a good method of Organization in place. Problems and holes become apparent much more quickly in a good organization
 The best practices I have seen in this area are hard to find in most Departments because it is so deeply embedded in the culture. It is all tied together by the structure and the fact that there is a well defined organization is often overlooked or hidden.
 Good Organization provides for sharing the load. Time is important to volunteers and when a Department demands too much of what individuals have available, those individuals become burned up and eventually fade away. having folks that serve on only a few committees or assignments makes it easier on everyone instead of having just a few do all the work. It also helps to admit, when necessary, that a Department CAN"T always do EVERYTHING and they may have to let some things slide. Fund raising or  parade participation may have to take a back seat until people volunteer for those positions.
 The point here is this: The better you Organize your Department, the easier things go for everyone. If you have things clearly defined so that members can answer their own questions, you have given every member the power to help the Department grow, survive, and thrive.
NEXT UP: RECRUITMENT
UU
(THE NEXT INSTALLMENT WILL DEFINITELY BE DELAYED DUE TO SCHEDULING AND A NEWLY ACQUIRED INJURY WHICH AFFECTS MY ABILITY TO TYPE.)

Volunteer Fire Departments 2.0 (5 of ?) Training

This is part 5 of a multi-part series. You should have read the preceding parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four before moving onto this one. Today's subject is Training in the Volunteer Service.
 Although training is a basic requirement within the Fire Service and would seem to be a given no-brainer, I have seen a HUGE variation in how the basic entry level training requirements are handled around the country.
 This wide variance ranges from a very strict standard within a Department of precisely what Training and Certification is required before a member may respond and participate, all the way down the line to Departments that rely almost entirely on "On the Job Training". In most states where each Department has the authority to set their own Training Standards, this is entirely legal. The hitch will come in when there is an accident and a legal review is undertaken to see what training the members who were involved had, who did the training, and was it up to National Standards? See, here is the big rub. Departments can set their own standards, but when they are judged in Court, it will be against the NFPA standards. One would think it would be smart to just use NFPA as your Department Standards, but that is seldom the case for all Departments.
 Volunteer Departments face a lot of challenges to get their members trained PROPERLY. First there is the lack of QUALIFIED Instructors, then there is the issue of scheduling around a Volunteers schedule, then there are the (some will say) oppressive requirements that never seem to end for additional training and re-certifications. (I touched on several Department Instructor Issues in this post.)
 If your Department is blessed to have some Qualified Instructors to make your training happen, count yourself very lucky. Most Departments don't. In this sense, when I say "QUALIFIED" I am speaking in a very strict sense. An Instructor should have Certification (preferably Pro-Board) as a Fire Service Instructor (FSI) ONE in order to deliver instruction of material which was already developed. If an Instructor is to write and deliver their own classes, they should be Certified at the FSI TWO level. (I wrote  little about my FSI experiences here.) If your Instructor is going to develop CURRICULUM, they need the FSI 3. If any Instructor is delivering materials on behalf of an agency, they need that agencies "Authority to Teach" for that particular class (this would be State and Federal Training Center Courses). In my State, you cannot get "Authority to Teach" for any State classes unless you are on the payroll as a State (SFI), County (CFI), or Municipal (MTO), Fire Instructor (Volunteer Instructors need not apply). In addition, my state has recently added a whole pile of new requirements for those Instructors so that the bottom line is that you cannot attain 'Authority to Teach' for anything until you have spent about a week at the Academy (after all your FSI work, and after being hired by an Agency). This makes it damn near impossible for a Volunteer agency to go it on their own, no matter how robust they might be. Add to this the inevitable bureaucratic fiefdoms of State and County Governments and you have quite a dysfunctional mess. My State may be different from yours but in all States where I have talked to Departments I find they have similar situations with many of the details moved around. In the end though, just about every Department faces a real challenge to get their members good training.
 So the average Volunteer Department rarely finds themselves in a situation where they get a new member, send him/her off to training, and then get them to work. It just does not work that way in most cases. Classes aren't available when they can go, or the right classes aren't being offered just now, or the schedule does not fit for that member, or their are no Instructors available, or there is no funding available.
 Most Departments try hard to get a new member trained internally in some form with a mentor, internal 'probie classes', or some sort of OJT. They use experienced members as instructors and mentors, because those folks know the job. The problem with this is that these instructors 'don't know what they don't know' and it's not their fault. I see many Departments put on excellent training on their own, and the students get a lot out of it, and it accomplishes the goal of transferring knowledge, BUT, it doesn't count for squat when reviewed in a court of law.
 Why, you ask? Well, first of all, just as with a Patient Care Report, 'if you didn't write it down, it didn't happen'. In order for training to 'count' there MUST be a lesson plan which outlines everything taught in that class. It should include the Objectives, the teaching materials used, the psycho-motor skills performed, and the assessment (Test) that was performed. Scores should be recorded  as well as notes on any students requiring remediation. All this information should be placed in a packet and kept by the Training Officer. And YES, this is confidential material only available for review by a limited number of people, so it must be secured. (Posting of Grades is Illegal, did you know that? Google: FERPA.) In addition, any reviewing legal authority will want to know what the Instructors Qualifications were to teach this class in the first place, so this information should also be on file. Most Departments fail on these requirements, but get by because they seldom have an accident which drives a lawsuit. Also the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction, i.e.: The Board of Fire Commissioners) thinks they can plead ignorance to these requirements. Until they get sued and learn otherwise.
 So those are some of the obstacles we encounter. How we deal with them is typical of the Volunteer Service, we do the best we can. We use the resources we have and try to put together something that works as well as we can make it. This gives us the widely varied systems we see all around the country, some excellent, some adequate, and some not so great. A few are downright dangerous.
 Best Practices I have seen:
 First and foremost, develop a good central record keeping system. This is a service to your members to keep track of all the effort they have put into their jobs. It also provides a great source of data in the event of that lawsuit.
 Next, find out what the legal teaching requirements are and stick to them as best you can. This means teaching your instructors what is required for lesson plans and helping them get it done. paperwork is part of everything and writing it down, even if it is not perfect, is better than not having a record of what was taught at all. Make some easy forms that they can fill in. Provide support on an ongoing basis. Make it part of the culture.
 Provide good training. Nobody wants to come to a drill that they feel is a waste of their time. You have to make these events interesting and worthwhile. This means that the Instructors MUST know their stuff, do their research, lay out a plan, and come to the drill prepared. (THIS is why Instructors themselves require training.) If you don't have the folks with the right skills, FIND THEM. They could be in the next town, the Department across the Lake or anywhere else. LOOK for them at County meetings, mutual aid calls, conventions, etc. Build a network. ASK them to come in and give a guest class. Many of these folks will be happy to do it for free, expenses, or a small fee. But you have to ASK.
 Share the load. These days with all the training requirements we face it has become damn near impossible for any single Department to take care of themselves. Work with your Mutual Aid Departments and invite them to your trainings events, then go to theirs. It's a beautiful thing. Not every Department has the skills and tools to teach everything, so if you have a strength to provide, say Interior Attack training, provide that for a Department that can then provide you with Technical Rescue Training. The extra benefit of training with those companies put all personnel on a better footing when they have to work a job together.
 Mix it up. Bring in Subject Matter Experts (SME's) from outside the Fire Service such as Engineers from the power company, hybrid car specialists from the local auto-dealer, or Law Enforcement personnel to teach specific information about the areas we all come into contact with where that detailed knowledge will have value, maybe even save you from making a dumb mistake.
 Make every day a training day. Although not a formal (documented) training experience, take advantage of the 'teaching moments' that occur every day out on the job. When you see something that others could benefit from, take a moment back at the station right after the call, to point it out and  discuss it. Highlight those good practices or decisions that your stronger folks do every day.
Look around. Training within your Department is not the only option. Many States have an Office of Homeland Security that conducts some really good training , and/or they have a State Emergency Management Department which also puts on many programs. These sessions are quite often at no charge to the Department or student. My state will even pay for my hotel room when I take some of these classes. Go out and LOOK for these opportunities and get the word out. It's a fantastic way to get in contact with some top notch Instructors and materials. I have even brought some of my EMS folks down for training with the recruit class at the County Police Academy on Tasers and OC Spray. (We may have to treat this stuff right? So why not get some experience with real patients?) This singular, oddball training day was one one the most fun and educational days I have ever spent. (I love to see the reactions when that Taser hits them, I laughed so hard that I cried.)
 Schedule carefully. Don't overload your members with a lot of routine, small, and repetitive classes. Respect their time and have a good class that is run effectively. Having a 'drill of the month plan' is OK IF each of the instructors comes prepared and it is well planned. But if your Department is like many that have a regularly scheduled drill night and the group of 5-10 people assemble and somebody says "OK, what should we drill on this month?" then you have a problem. I have seen some Departments that have a drill every WEEK on the calendar, but I seldom see one of these with EFFECTIVE drills, mostly they turn into work parties, many members are bored with this and don't come, and things go downhill from there.
 Many Departments believe that Volunteers don't have time for training and that putting on training is more than most members can deal with. That is, quite frankly, a bullshit excuse! My experience is that members will come out of the woodwork for good, effective, and efficient training. I have seen this time and time again.  I know a Department that regularly turns out 20-40 students for every training event they put on because the students KNOW they will get a good class, with quality hands-on time, and walk away stronger than when they arrived. This is the key, make good use of the time. I know another Department that has to LIMIT the number of people they allow into their live burn training because they were having too many people show up. Imagine that "We have TOO many people showing up for training", how often have you heard that? (This particular Department is getting burned out providing training for other Departments because those Departments can not put on their own live burns.)
 As you can see, this is one of my 'hot button' topics and this post ran a little long. I'll do some more on this subject after the series is complete, I did not cover a lot of ground I would have liked to fit in here. The main points are these. Have training that is effective, don't waste your members precious time. If you can't do it yourself, get somebody who can. When you train, make sure the experience is worth the time your students are spending in that class. Document every training event you have and make it count.
NEXT UP: ORGANIZATION
Be Well, Be Safe, and Be Sharp,
 UU
(Note: Part 6 may be slightly delayed due to my meeting/training schedule this week.)

Volunteer Fire Departments 2.0 (4 of ?) Leadership

This is part 4 of a multi-part series. You should have read the preceding parts: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three before moving onto this one.
 Good Leaders run good teams, there is no doubt about it. Poor or weak leaders can still run pretty good teams if they know they are poor leaders and rely on those within their team to carry part of the burden and those people are capable.
 Leadership in the Fire Service is such a vast topic that many books have been written on the subject and any Department leader, line Officers candidates and above should be studying these regularly. I can't even attack the tip of the iceberg in one post and I'm not going to try. For an excellent blog reference on this subject, I would direct all my readers over to Firehouse Zen for consistently good stuff. I wrote this post last year and it provides a good lead in for the post you are reading now.
 In the Volunteer Service we all have choices and the biggest of those is whether we want to be here or not. A poor leader can usually help us make that choice. A strong Leader, who is predictable and a pleasure to work for, can also, make it fun and enjoyable to volunteer. How many times do you need to come home from a meeting, drill, or a call, all pissed off, before you decide to do something else with your time? Conversely, aren't you more likely to attend these same events if you are likely to return home with a smile on your face and a good feeling? I know I am, and so, whenever I 'lead' something, whether it's a drill, meeting, or work party, my primary goal is to make sure the people involved know that they accomplished something and their time was well spent and appreciated.
 We expect a lot of our Leaders in the Volunteer Service, in many cases we expect too much. If you have not carried the burden of Leadership it is easy to lose sight of just how hard it can be, especially in matters of life safety. So when the Lt. yells at you for not paying attention when footing a ladder, you think he's pissed off at you. He, in turn, is thinking about what will happen if that ladder kicks out while you are distracted. Two very different points of view, are they not? Being perfect is a difficult task even for the experienced Leader, how can we expect that perfection from a person who is only on the job a few hours a week? Most folks are very quick to judge what a Leader "Should have done", without taking the time to think about what is required to 'do that'.
 Now if we turn back to my original approach of observing best practices in the volunteer service, here are some things I have seen that work for the Departments using them.
 Don't push your younger members into leadership positions before they are 'ready'. Getting them started early will most likely overload them when they find out what is required and begin to get hammered by the members when they miss something. This can ruin them for a position that might be well suited for a little later on.
 Give your new leaders support by way of mentor-ship, providing them with documentation that they can use to 'fill in the blanks' and get going. Don't make them re-invent the wheel when they take Office.
 Make sure they have a clear understanding of EXACTLY what their responsibilities are and it MUST be in writing (remember your communications skills).
 Remind the rank and file folks of how difficult the job can be and encourage them to support their leaders.
 Provide TRAINING THAT IS MEANINGFUL AND USEFUL.
 Have a clear structure they can work within.
 If a leader is not 'working out' for whatever reason, have a non-punitive mechanism for replacing them, so that they can try again later when they are better prepared.
 One of the key things I have noted in the Volunteer side of things is the practice of rotating Leaders on a fairly regular basis. Don't burn out your strong leaders, let them take a year or two off and give somebody else a chance. This deepens the pool and it allows those rotating out to pursue other things, such as instructing or gaining advanced training outside the Department. In the meantime, these Leaders are available to help the new ones get their legs.
 On the other hand, our leaders have the responsibility to carry themselves in a predictable manner. The leader needs to maintain the department operations as designed, give their members what they need to get their jobs done properly and safely, and carry any issues up the chain of command as required. A good leader stands up for his people when they are in the right, and he corrects them when they are in the wrong. Varying from this, even in the slightest, creates confusion and only undermines the Leader's credibility.
 Make sure your new leaders are recognized when they do well. We often forget that a long time, proven member is 'starting fresh' when they step up, and they need that 'pat on the back' to remind them they are on the right course. Their confidence may be starting over from the bottom as they take on the new job. This type of recognition can come directly from the crew and does not always have to be from above. So if you are a front-line member, remember to thank the Lt. when he does a good job. Don't assume he knows it.
 A phenomenon that has always fascinated me in the VFD is that no matter what a person does for a living, when they put on that White Helmet, we expect them to be the perfect leader, right out of the box. It just doesn't work that way. Leaders are MADE, not born.
 So to sum it up, if we don't start with good leadership, the chances of having a good Department are limited. I used to work at a company where the unofficial motto was "Around here we don't believe in miracles, we RELY on them." Well, if you don't have a way to train your leaders and support them, then you too, are relying on miracles. The good news is, we can create good leaders if we all work together, cut some slack when needed, and pitch in when that is needed.
 This is already longer than I wanted it to be, but here is a quick story: Just a few days ago I was at a Department dinner and was talking with an Assistant Chief from a neighboring Department about an new Assistant Chief in a third Department. This new Chief was a front line Captain, top notch, always at the front of the fight and had no problem leading an interior attack crew and making good decisions. But at a recent structure fire this Assistant Chief found himself in command. As my conversation partner told it: "He was standing on the front lawn with his airpack on trying to do a risk assessment, a 360, coordinate crews, pick an attack plan, and make entry. I told him to take off the airpack and give it to a jake that could use it, HE was in charge and needed to stay put and make decisions, WE would carry out his decisions, just make the call. He looked really 'conflicted' and told me to grab 'those 3 guys and hit the front door'. Well, when I got into the living room, I turned around and he was standing next to me. We're gonna have to work together to train this guy up. He just can't let a crew go in without him. He doesn't get it yet that when he goes in, he is abandoning the incident leadership."
 Now we both know this guy and love him. We also know he will make a great leader, but we need to invest some time in him and get him through this next level. Both of us know he can do it, and we also know it is going to be hard for him, but he WILL be able to do this well. It just takes some time and patience.
NEXT UP: TRAINING (My favorite subject!)
UU