The Rookie Attitude

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Jonathon Jacobs in Blog // 1 Comment

Fire
Recruit Joshua Vanopynen and instructor Christopher Anderson practice disconnecting and
connecting fire hose couplings.

As a rookie, our most important job is to earn the respect and trust of our brothers and sisters in
the fire service. Too often, departments get fresh recruits with very little life experience and no
idea what they are truly getting into by joining the Fire Service. Here are some general rules of
thumb and mindset to follow as you start your journey in the best job in the world.

Know your place. Realize coming in that you have to prove yourself. As you go through your
time as a rookie, the rest of the members in the department will be watching you like a hawk to
find out if you have what it takes to be a valuable member of the team. Going in thinking you
know better than someone else will get you nowhere. If you are a valuable member, the fire
service will do wonderful things for you, as will the brothers and sisters that make it
up. Recognize and acknowledge the time and experience that others have put into the
service. Respect the other members of the fire service and do everything you can to earn their
respect in return.
 Be willing to learn!

Be eager to learn. One of the most important things you can do as a rookie is to go in with an
open mind, open ears and a closed mouth. Speak less and listen more. If you’re talking, you’re
not learning. Go out of your way to learn every aspect you can. The more knowledge you gain,
the more valuable you will be as a team member. The older experienced members are a fountain
of knowledge and most will be eager to teach you the ways! Basic Fire Academy can only teach
you so much, it’s the knowledge of the veteran members that will help you fine tune your skills.

Do any job, nothing is beneath you. From loading hose to cleaning the toilets, every job plays
a part in running a successful and efficient firehouse. Do any job asked of you and do it with a
smile on your face. When I was a kid, it was an honor to clean the toilets of my heroes. As
corny as that sounds, that’s exactly the attitude you need to have in these daily tasks. Every job
done right reflects on your pride as a firefighter and in your firehouse. Never think you are too
good for anything.

Go above and beyond!

Go above and beyond. Go out of your way to do the best you can in everything you do. Do
more than is asked of you. If you see something that needs to be done, don’t wait to be told to do
it. If you see the trash needs to be emptied, take the two minutes and get it done. If they see you
can do these simple things without being told, they will be more likely to trust you with bigger
and more important tasks on a fire scene.

Bond with the members of your department. Join in on the extra curricular activities and
group events. This is more than a job and these are more than just your co-workers. Bonding
with the members of your department creates a relationship and trust that is paramount in our
line of work.

Maintain a strong sense of honor. Among the many moral values you should hold true to, I
feel honor is the most important. Holding yourself to this standard ensures that you will make
good decisions. Holding true to your word helps build that foundation of trust with each
other. Respecting your fellow fire service members, and the job will help keep things in
perspective for you as a rookie.

Listen to and value criticism. All the positivity in the world will not better you as a fire fighter
the way criticism will. We learn more from our mistakes than we do our triumphs. When
someone tells you how you made a mistake, rather than get angry and butt-hurt, use it as an
opportunity to learn. The majority of the time, your brothers and sisters aren’t criticizing you to
be mean, they are doing it to help you become better.

With these basic rules kept in mind, you will quickly become a valued part of your fire service
team and the brotherhood as a whole. Firefighting is a humble and honorable job and it takes
humble and honorable people to keep the fire service at it’s best. Going into it from the start
with the right attitude is key. When in doubt, ask someone. We all play an important role in
making the fire service what it is… even the rookies.