Why do we train? Why do we take classes and become certified in certain things? It comes down to your credibility and how your colleagues will respect you as an educated member of the fire service. Career or volunteer, training is an essential part in maintaining high standards among the membership.
“Failure is not an option. Everyone has to succeed.”
–Arnold Schwarzenegger
Let this quote sink into your mind and think about what it means to you…If your department doesn’t have the resources or funds to allow you to train consistently, don’t panic. The internet is a great resource and everyone has the ability to watch videos. Everyone has the capabilities to watch videos and research firematic documents from all over the world. The possibilities are endless. However, you still have to take everything with a grain of salt and understand the subject you are researching.
To break it down, think of your firehouse as a sports team. Essentially all of the same interactions and ideals within a team apply to the firehouse. At the end of the day we’re all groups bonded by the department on the back of our coats or our numbers on our shields. Winning teams do more than just train a few times a week.
Those teams work to critique their own actions as well as study the sport. The study factor is unique these days with the use of the internet; we have heard about those videos on YouTube that are considered as fire porn. Some say that encompasses yearly reviews as well as raw incident footage. The label gives it a negative appeal to the fire service. If you take those videos, view them, then there should be a thought process to analyzing them. First, you should view it with an open mind and then begin to understand the context of what is going on. the demographics, the type of department, and any other variables that can make an impact, are all factors to consider. Then, begin asking questions such as “how would we approach this situation?” One of the main reasons why we train is to prepare for the worst situations on any given day. The day you stop training and your mind stops being aware of the constant evolution of the fire service, is the day you should hang up your coat. As in sports, the best teams never stop training, they work through the off-season and on their days off.
Flow and Vent 