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The Errors of Arrogance

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I have received several messages from readers who have found themselves re-reading “The Futility of Our Humility” (http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/the-futility-of-our-humility).

Normally, I would be ecstatic that people found my stuff so compelling that they would read it again-a dream come true!

Unfortunately, I think that I have confused the point of my point.

Where I believe that the central issue lies is with the use of “arrogant/arrogance”. Some are reading into the blog that I am pointing the fickle finger directly at THEM.

When I describe a thought or an act that I believe lends itself to what I believe is arrogance, then the only thing that remains is for the reader to decide if it could fit their situation and if so, what has been done about it or what WILL be done about it.

What I did in my previous blog was to describe what I believed were feelings of acts of arrogance. As I have stated on numerous occasions is, “If it applies, then apply it. If not, then disregard”. There is no need to take offense if it is not your situation.

When I write, I want it to entertain, to challenge your thinking and hopefully, to allow you to learn and to offer your perspective.

Often times, I will offer straight-forward opinions that can be agreed or disagreed with or used as a trigger for a discussion point.

In my opinion and in some ways, some in the fire service have been arrogant and in the process, have lost some humility.

If that were not the case, then why are we so incensed or surprised that cities are making firefighter staffing cuts?

I never said that I agreed with it and completely understand the many downsides to such kamikaze budgeting, but there is a sense of arrogance in our response back to the city’s, brainless trust and at the expense of other city employees.

Now; this may sound “arrogant”, but I think that we all realize that our self worth and our value as public servants have higher skill sets than, as an example, one who runs the landfill and I am NOT saying that the landfill isn’t important. I am simply saying that, in my jaded opinion, it takes more skill to read smoke and to run HazMat operations.

However; I think that it is wrong to believe that deeper cuts will be made elsewhere to preserve every public safety position.

How can a fire department argue about staffing issues that cannot be seen with the naked eye of the public?

We all know as sports fans what happens to a football team, if they are one man short on defense. The other team will have the advantage, at least for that one play. It could result in a touchdown for one team and spell defeat for the other team.

So; with that example, you have a properly staffed team winning and one that isn’t properly staffed losing.

Another good sports analogy is the hockey power play. The team with more players has the definite advantage.

Now; I am in no way minimizing or trivializing the loss of firefighter staffing with these sports comparisons; I am saying that it is not easy for citizens to know the effects, unless they have been educated on the clear relationship between lower staffing and the safety of fewer firefighters responding.

I am saying that, with these comparisons, the same holds true with fire departments. Unfortunately, the public can’t see it when we are under-staffed. It is not as obvious as the hockey power play.

And simply telling them is no longer effective, but city governments are telling their citizens that they won’t notice a difference and THAT is gaining support, because the public may not know any better.

But, how can this be? If the public thinks that we can get by with less NOW, then they must think that we were over-staffed to begin with.

Well, maybe not according to the NFPA standards, but citizens can’t relate at that level and since it won’t cost anything unless something goes wrong, city managers are willing to roll those dice for the cost savings. This is what I call “uber arrogance” on the part of city governments!

In my opinion, if a fire department allows that very first firefighter to be cut due to budget issues, then another and another will follow. Any chief smart enough to understand manpower requirements would NEVER allow it to happen, because once you lose them; how easy is it going to be to get them back?

A chief worth his weight would not cut firefighter positions to balance a budget. They might instead sweep their various budget funds to the bone, including over-time and maybe re-arrange schedules for staff and administrative positions. HIS humility for where HE came from should weigh heavily on his mind.

But, mayors, city managers and city councils trade their humility for arrogance faster than they can recite their oath of office.

My point is that, either city governments are arrogant to believe that public safety cuts will have little or no effect on service, have little or no effect on the safety of those employees OR are aware of it, but are arrogant enough to believe that the risks are worth the cuts.

My other point is that fire departments may be arrogant to believe that the citizens will side with firefighters based upon our proffered emotional statements rather than accurate examples of increases in accidents, injuries or even death as a result of staffing cuts. Providing information from LODD reports where it was specifically stated that low staffing contributed to the death would be appropriate to use.

It’s hard to be humble when the errors of arrogance are not properly and accurately addressed and it might very well be a failure of our leadership to properly assess the community’s needs and their firefighters’ needs.

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on February 28, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , ,

That Last Goodbye

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Donald W. McDowell, 71, of Woodhull, died Friday, January 29, 2010, in his home.

Don was my chief and my mentor.  He was responsible for unleashing this passion of mine for the fire service. Don served on the department for 16 years and I had the privilege of serving with him for the last half of those years.

By some standards, 16 years might not seem like many, but they were very productive and fruitful for the department during that time.

You see; I can only speculate on what the department meant to Don. He didn’t talk about it. He just went out and did it. I believe that it was simple for Don, in that he was one of those people who felt that any able-bodied man should help their fire department. Only he knows his reasons.

However; I CAN tell you what Don meant to the fire department.

Back then-and I am talking about the 70-80s-firefighting and training for it consisted of learning how to operate the pump and man a hose. Protective clothing was optional. If you look at old pictures, rarely would you see our firefighters in full gear. SCBAs were for sissies and training was done “in house”.

So, Don went about it with little vibrato, but he didn’t do it quietly either. Most of the time, Don spoke as if there was a freight train going through the room. In other words, he yelled a lot. He was one of those gems who thought that by yelling, he could penetrate some very thick skulls.

He was willing to show you how to do something and if you weren’t real sharp like me, he’d show you again. Where Don had little patience was with those who didn’t pay attention. You learned something at his pace; not your’s.

In my eyes, Don was a giant and also very strong. Forcible entry was Don putting his shoulder to the door! His hands were the size of baseball mitts. His temper was legendary; I had heard many of the stories by the time I joined the department. I figured at some point, Don would grind me into worm food, because without too much effort, I could incite guys like him, for some strange reason. Most likely, it was because I didn’t know when to shut up!

But, the craziest thing happened. Don took me under his massive wing. Where he went, I went. If he went in, I went in. I always felt safe with Don. I think that he was more forgiving of me, because he knew that we both wanted a better fire department.

And under his leadership, we became better equipped and better trained.

He took a large group of us to fire school in Sherrard in the early 80s; something unheard of for our department. From there, several of us went on to become state-certified firefighters.

At the same time, his wife Sandy was resurrecting the women’s auxiliary to help raise money for better turnout gear, portable radios and ultimately, our very first set of hydraulic rescue tools. He was chief at the time we took over extrication from the ambulance service.

Simply put, Don raised the bar. He was one of the most unselfish men that I have ever known.

His time with the fire department cannot be measured in years, but in hours; the countless hours that he put in. One only needs to walk into the meeting room to know a little about Don. He designed it and led the effort to build it; all with donated labor.

There is another measure of a good leader and that is leaving it better than you found it.

And if you ask anyone who served with Chief Don McDowell, they will tell you to a man that Don left it much better and that he put it on a path that is still followed today.

I want to thank his family for sharing him with us and for the sacrifices that were made.

I hope that the sorrow for our loss is tempered with feelings of pride from knowing that Don truly made a difference and left an impact upon our fire department, our community, fire district and those around us.

See you later, Don.

Posted by chiefreason on February 1, 2010 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , , , , ,

The President’s New Plan

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Author’s Note: In light of the many serious discussions lately, I felt that it was time to lighten it up a bit. Please take this in the spirit that it is given.

Chief: The President of the fire board wants a new fire protection plan for the fire district.

AC: But, there’s nothing wrong with the old plan.

Chief: Yeah, but he says that it doesn’t go far enough to cover all the citizens in the district, especially the unincorporated residents. So, we have to do our duty to secure his place in the annuls of fire district history.

AC: So, it’s up to us to convince at least two-thirds of the department that something they haven’t seen yet will somehow be better for them?

Chief: Exactly.

AC: We will have to raise taxes, reduce services, limit coverage and negotiate better pricing from suppliers. Some districts have already lost their coverage or are operating on a shoestring. I think costs might skyrocket for existing departments and their consumers.

Chief: Don’t worry about it. Talk to them. Maybe they will want to opt in with us. We could charge them, which would hold down our costs and besides; we have four years to get this done. Meanwhile, we will be collecting the tax on it now and for the next four years to pay for the new plan.

AC: So, we’re going to be collecting money on a plan that isn’t in place now, but will be four years from now?

Chief: Go Skippy, but we have to get the new plan passed now! We continue under the old plan for now, but we have to get a commitment on the new plan.

AC: Well, we ARE the two most powerful people on the department, so we should be able to twist some arms. No; that might leave a mark. We’ll bribe them instead.

Chief: Let’s say “persuade”. “Bribe” sounds too…you know; dishonest! Call a meeting and tell them what the President wants. Have it catered. Pay for it out of the fund marked “Blago”. I have to go and check the climate. I’ll be back in a week. Make it happen or else…

AC: Roger that. Enjoy your ski trip.

Later, while the children slept and democracy wept…

AC: OK; let’s call this meeting to order, so that we can vote on the new plan that our President of the board wants. I’d like to see a show of hands of those who support it.

Tom Terrific: Uh, Harry? We haven’t heard anything about the plan. Is there something we can read? Anything about it on C-Span? How can we vote on something that we don’t know anything about?

AC: We do that all the time. Look; this is purely hypothetical; you know; an abstract. I thought I emailed everyone. You should have seen it. OK; show of hands…

Made Mary: Excuse me, Harry, but my moral conscience won’t allow me to do this.

AC: Morals have nothing to do with it! It’s about TEAM. You chose your side when you joined the department. Who said that this is a democracy?

Big Ben: You’ve always said that the fire house ISN’T a democracy!

AC: Precisely, so let’s see those hands…need two-thirds.

Tricky Dick: Harry; just so this isn’t a complete waste of time could you rough something out with regards to a plan?

AC: What? You bunch of sissies act like you don’t trust me. You’re still sore because I didn’t get your club memberships into the last budget, aren’t you?

Well, hell! OK; here’s some thoughts and we’re just spitballin’ here. We’ll increase the fees on the young ones, because they will be paying in longer, but in the end, will get less back. Plus, if it gets too expensive for them, they could work two jobs. They need to burn off all of that Red Bull that they drink anyway. We’ll limit what the older ones get to do, but we’ll raise their rates and tell them that it’s going into a pension fund. What we WON’T tell them is that they can’t collect until they’re 85. We’ll also push the public option on them. That’s right; they’ll get to do all of the public stuff like inspections, fire prevention at the schools and my favorite; pulling the trucks outside and washing them in full view of the public. Besides; what’s their options? OK; get those hands up…

Little Joe: Harry; you can forget my vote. I cannot support anything with a public option that is so public. I think that the pension language as written is appropriate, but the board should limit their involvement in the plan.

Meanwhile…

Chief: How’s it going, Harry?

AC: Damn; I’m three votes short of having the majority.

Chief: Who can we turn?

AC: I’d say Mary, Ben and Joe. Leave it to me.

Made Mary: Harry; it isn’t going to work. I have to think about my friends on this department. I told them that I would always put them first. My word is my bond. I am strong; I’m invincible…

AC: I get it. We need an administrative assistant. You get a hybrid car, a laptop, I-Phone and it pays $40,000 a year for work you’ll never do.

Made Mary: DONE!

AC: Buy your friends something nice.

Little Joe: Harry; about that public option…

AC: Joe; you know that you love getting up in front of crowds and speaking to them about your independent style. You’re the hold out; you want me to beg? OK; I’m begging. We’ll take out most of the public option. Inspections stay in because I plan on raising inspection fees to help reduce the deficit. Can you live with that, you bug-eyed chameleon?

Little Joe: See; that wasn’t so hard was it? Compromise, Harry; give and take. But, according to my math, you are still one vote short and I must say that I’m a little disappointed that I am not playing to role of spoiler this time. No rock star sex for me!

AC: I just threw up a little in my mouth. Sit down, Joe and quit pretending that the recycle bin is a podium.

Big Ben: Harry; this plan as you describe it sounds like an abortion and I cannot support it.

AC: How about I limit the choices to your choices, fund them through a satellite agency, hire SEIU to deal with the protesters and have your kid mow the lawn for us?

Big Ben: We don’t have any grass…ah hah; I get it! But, I already know Mary’s deal and Joe sold out too cheaply. I have my pride. My friends are telling me to “kill this bill”. Unless the language in this plan includes certain exemptions, I cannot support it.

AC: I see. I’ll only offer this once. You get Mary’s deal, plus free beer for a year and a Hooters gift card.

Big Ben: I always liked you, Harry. Count me in.

Chief: Well, Harry; how’d we do?

AC: Chief Pelosi, you can tell Barry that he’ll have his plan by Christmas.

Chief: Well done, Assistant Chief Harry Reid. Well done.

Ha, Ha, Ha; Merry Christmas.

TCSS.

Art

This article is protected under federal copyright laws and cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed written permission of Art Goodrich aka ChiefReason. This article appears under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella.

Visit www.chiefreasonart.com on www.fireemsblogs.com.

Posted by chiefreason on December 23, 2009 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

That’s It; I QUIT!

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First Published 5/30/06

 

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like in the last couple of years, we are seeing more and more firefighters throwing in the pager for a multitude of reasons, but the underlying reason is that they got upset and made the decision to quit.

 

The question for the group is: what would lead you to a decision to quit something that you passionately pursue?

 

I am not talking about making a decision based upon health, age or other rational reasons. I want to know what would piss you off enough to quit your fire department. What would, at that moment in time, motivate you to decide that to continue, would have you compromising your principles, in order to remain with your department?

 

I have been following the stories on the Riverton, IL Fire Department. It appears that HALF of the department quit, because of a flap over the way the chief was not re-appointed by the trustees and a new chief was selected. It also appears that this goes well beyond the surface of the accounts. There have also been many accusations of legal improprieties, so I don’t think that we can simply shrug it off as the classic firefighters/trustees flap.

 

It was initially reported that firefighters quit, because they could not “trust” a chief from the outside with their personal safety. It was then reported that it was the WAY that the new chief was selected and without input from the fire department. Still others said that they quit to spend more time with their families. Regardless of the stated reasons, it is apparent that several members of Riverton FD got upset and quit.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they were told to get alcohol out of their fire stations.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they weren’t happy with who was appointed as officers.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because THEY didn’t get a promotion.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because of mandatory training requirements.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they didn’t like the direction that their fire department was going.

 

We have seen firefighters quit because they were reprimanded.

 

So; is this notion of quitting a selfish act or is it a selfless act?

 

How many of you participated in team sports and remember the trailer up on the bulletin board that said: winners never quit and quitters never win? We had a football coach that taught us to play BIGGER than we were. We lifted weights, ran gassers till we puked, participated in two a day practices in God-awful heat and we lost ONE game in two years. We were undefeated my senior year. My team is now a part of our school’s hall of fame, because we didn’t quit. I believe personally that I couldn’t stand the thought of letting my teammates down. Everyone wanted to contribute to the success. We had a great leader and a teacher. And I think that also applies to fire departments. Firefighting is the ultimate team!

 

How many of you today credit your involvement with school sports as part of the reason for your success? I do. Even during my “rebellious” years after school, it is what I learned from Coach Logsdon that put me back on the right path. I was taught by him to take on my adversary and never give up! And I do that to this day.

 

We all have that person in our lives that have left an indelible impression. Our very own Robert “Bob” Compton (ENG6511) raised many of us to a higher level with his courageous battle with cancer. HE NEVER GAVE UP! Even with cancer ravaging his body, he showed us all what strength of character, humility and dedication to service was all about. Upon his death, his sister donated Bob’s fire truck-Engine 6511 to a needy department. How cool is that?

 

And when I think about people like my father, Coach Logsdon and Bob Compton, I think that it would be pretty small of me to quit something that I love so much.

 

So, when it is all said and done, why would you do it? Why would you quit your fire department?

 

Inquiring minds want to know. Please share your thoughts.

 

You have mine; now, I want your’s.

 

Stay safe.

 

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , ,

My Day Starts At The Back Door!

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First Published 9/14/06

 

I’m not a deeply religious man, but I’m convinced that God wants us to have fun in this life, because there will be plenty of work to do in the next world.

 

Yeah; we all have a job to do, but you can at least leave the house every day with a SMILE on your face (some of you get your minds out of the gutter!).

 

Just inside my back door that leads to the attached garage hangs my white helmet. When I stepped down as chief on September 10, 2002, I had a garage party to honor some of the people that I had grown very close to during my time with the fire department. I had them autograph my helmet as a way of saying “thank you” for being such a large part of all those wonderful years as a firefighter and ultimately, chief.

 

I don’t know that we consciously endeavor to have our “BIG FIRE”, but I think every firefighter wants their skills at least challenged to validate their service to their communities. You would have to be stark, raving mad to wish for destruction of someone’s property or their serious injury, but rather, you want to be a component of a successful outcome. We are put there, not by our choice, but by our calling. We don’t do what we do with the hope that we will be labeled a “hero”. We do it to fulfill our obligation-to honor our commitment.

 

And that may lead us to perform extraordinary tasks that could meet the measure of our public’s eye and elevate the visibility of our fire departments.

 

Living with the memories of some of the most horrendous scenes imaginable can create high levels of stress if we don’t control it. We control it by venting (talking about it); otherwise, sharing it with someone else who can understand it from their own experiences. We may choose to quietly reflect upon it, which isn’t as healthy, but we must process it in our heads in order to outwardly project our emotions.

 

Hey; I thought this piece was about having fun?

 

Exactly! Back to the white helmet…

 

Yeah; that helmet saw a lot of ugly stuff. If only it could talk. But, it also had a lot of fun and the guy who wore it-ME-had a lot of fun too!

 

You don’t show up for a shift feeling miserable about your job; you love your job. Bad stuff is unfortunately a real possibility every day, but so is some light moments; you know…FUN!

 

As a safety director for my company-my paying gig-to chief for a volunteer fire department, I can tell you without hesitation that I was happiest at the fire station surrounded by the camaraderie of my firefighters. I never looked upon it as “work”. I took numerous classes that taxed me physically and yes; it was challenging, but I never thought of it as work. It was as close to my dream as I could get. And I was well prepared to deal with the bad stuff, because I always knew that the balance could be found in the fun that we had.

 

To this day, my strongest/deepest friendships are on fire departments all over this great country. The handshakes, the hugs, the ball-busting and the emotional bond to one another. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.

 

And that, my friends, is fun. That is what is on and IN that white helmet. With each new day, I don’t know what it will bring, but I know that I started the day with a good thought and a smile on my face.

 

Granted; the boss might be on my ass about too many accidents, work comp claims or bitching in general. But I can always go back to the helmet for rescue.

 

Hell, if I could install a handle on it, I would carry it to and from work like a briefcase.

 

What’s your “white helmet”?

 

If you don’t have one, you need one. You deserve it. You’ve earned it.

 

I am reminded of an old Leon Russell song. In it, he sings:

 

I’m up on a tightrope…One side’s Fate and one is Hope…

 

There’s “hope” in my white helmet.

 

And fun; lots and lots of thoughts of fun!

 

Thank you all for letting me share my thoughts with you.

 

The pleasure is all mine.

 

 The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , ,

It’s Happened…AGAIN!

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landuytfireblogsize

Where I live, 2008 will always be remembered as the year that our downtown changed dramatically, due to fire loss.

 

On February 2nd, we fought Van Getson’s fire to a stalemate. Our fire department held the fire to the building of origin, when the possibility existed that we could have lost the entire block.

 

Did we do everything right to achieve this outcome?

 

Hell no, but we did enough things the right way that Murphy’s Law did not beat us that day.

 

And I have always believed that, to achieve victory, you have to make the fewest mistakes!

 

I defy anyone to say that they would score a perfect “10” for their performance at a structural fire. I think that there could be a lot of 8s and 9s; maybe even a 9.5, but a 10? No way! And I would guarantee some low scores too. We could probably see some 4s and 5s. God help us if there are departments would “score” less!

 

Yesterday, November 23rd, our downtown was struck again with a major commercial building fire. Van Getson’s “twin”, just north and across the street from where it once stood, Landuyt’s building caught fire. Wind was out of the south at 5-6 mph, meaning that a restaurant and a popular bar with apartments above were definitely in play.

 

So, at 1:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon, we have an empty, two-story, brick building that had no power to it catch fire. Weird, huh? I’ll let you chew on that for awhile.

 

It was quite an effort; just like last time. We’d had practice; remember?

 

As I stood there, watching (see photo), two things were on my mind: 1) the secretlist and 2) Paul Grimwood’s book Euro Firefighter. Why? Because BillyG had sent notification of yet another FDNY LODD from structural collapse and Grimwood’s newest book really zeroes in on, not only incident command, but incident CONTROL! And BOTH were heavy on my mind.

 

I will tell you that I have an unnatural love for my firefighters. I have deep admiration and respect for my officers. Every one of them has EARNED their bugles. The chief is the closest thing to a brother that I have known. In a word, we have a department that takes the services that we provide very seriously. And they/we don’t take criticism very well. And I don’t believe in discussing it in an open forum and especially without discussing it with them first. When the time is right, I will meet with them for a debriefing and I will ask them my questions.

 

Am I “armchair quarterbacking”? No; I was there.

 

When you look at the photo, look at where I am focusing my attention. I am in the stocking cap. My buddy, Matt, is in the wheelchair. Yes; Matt is a firefighter, who now suffers from MS.

 

If you notice, my eyes are fixed on the building, knowing that it has been under heavy fire load for over two hours, has been the recipient of several thousand gallons of water and is a building that is 100 years old. There has already been partial collapse of the parapet walls on the north and south sides. Bowing could be seen and smoke was pushing from the southeast corner, indicating separation at the corner joint.

 

You guessed it; I was watching for collapse. The collapse zone in this case was a minimum of 30 feet. Two stories equal 20 feet and I always add 10 feet for a parapet wall, so anyone in the street south and east are in the collapse zone. That made me very uneasy!

 

And I will be honest; Murphy showed up at some of my incidents, so I know that he was there yesterday, waiting for his chance.

 

But he didn’t get his chance. Fire was contained to the building of origin. The rest of our downtown is intact.

 

Both fires were fires that we have always practiced for, but thought that they would never happen. But they have…twice…and in the same year.

 

And I blame Murphy. He’s an SOB that, even though I am no longer an active firefighter, I am still looking for him and on the two, biggest fires in our department’s history; it is Clover 2 Murphy 0.

 

TCSS.

Posted by chiefreason on January 12, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,