They have specific needs, many pet peeves and are particular about certain things. 8. You never know when an interview question may come up where you need to provide examples of specific times in your life or explain how your life experience or lifestyle is evidence of any of these essential traits. You will need to know how to be an active listener, just like they teach in couple's therapy and live with, work with and get along with a multitude of personality types. Firefighters' Top 8 Characteristics of Effective Leaders A Chief Officer’s Greatest Informal Asset October 2019; Chief Patrick Kelly & Battalion Chief Tom Gaeta One day in 2013, I was looking at how to set up a mentoring program when I was fire chief in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. A firefighter's misconduct of any kind not only hurts their department but hurts all firefighters because it chips away at the public's trust that is so essential. Don’t Treat a Volunteer Fire Company Like a Business. They must be dedicated to the job and all that it entails, the glamorous and not so glamorous, the fun and exciting and the boring and monotonous. 6. For firefighters the way you look, speak and conduct yourself in public both on and off duty reflects on not only yourself, but your department and profession. Intolerance is not an option. Health and fitness is an essential part of our job and it must become an essential part of your lifestyle if you are to become a firefighter. Firefighters, more than most other professionals, need to possess a multitude of skills and talents. Like it or not we are judged by our appearance as well our conduct. For those who exhibit tolerance, understanding and compassion these same things that create tension can also create bonds between co-workers. © 2021 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. Firefighters need to make many sacrifices and compromises and have the willingness and ability to live and work very dynamically. This is a blue collar profession like no other. We do not always like our brothers or sisters. The Sacramento Fire Department in now requiring all personnel go through harassment and discrimination training after a black firefighter resigned over a hostile work environment. The characteristics of fire extinguishers are: Fire extinguisher hose: All extinguishers containing an extinguishing agent mass of above 3 kg must be fitted with an elastic hose 400 mm. With great responsibilities and difficult challenges that fire fighters face in times of fire incidents, sometimes strength and endurance aren’t enough. They have to … The City of Casper, WY, Fire Department is accepting applications for a firefighter trainee. Writing communication is also equally important. Leadership Characteristics: Fire leaders and HR professionals identified leadership characteristics required at different ranks in the fire service. This positive public image is a big reason why the fire service and firefighters are so respected. If that is the case, see if there is a way to evaluate for these character traits before you put someone into the recruit academy and/or probation, and have already invested a significant amount of money to getting them up and running. One who is flexible can sleep anywhere, eat anything, do any job under any circumstance, function as a part of any team or group and thrive in any group dynamic, has few, if any, pet peeve's and does not burden those around them with his or her wants or specific needs. In a field that requires such a vast knowledge and skills base and is constantly changing it is crucial to be pro-active in your education and training and always be looking to learn and improve yourself in job related ways. Curt Varone's March 2021 "Fire Law" column certainly should make you think twice about snapping a pic at the scene of a fire or other emergency incident. 3. Physical Fitness (Ability to perform the physical tasks): Many aspects and the most crucial aspects of the job require firefighters to have above-average strength and agility. As a firefighter you will have many different types of relationships with different types of people. Volume of Smoke . … Just like on a sports team, when one person fails to perform their job the whole team begins to break down. You will need to know how to handle irate citizens, use radios to relay essential information to your crew, IC or others, calm frightened patients and victims, console distraught family members and even co-workers, relay essential patient information to paramedics, nurses and doctors, instruct children in the area of fire safety, educate adults in fire prevention and CPR, explain and enforce fire codes to business owners, enlighten residents as to what their tax dollars are paying for, and do all of this with the utmost tact, patience, intelligence, professionalism and courtesy. Please take the time to learn and understand what each word means and have a good example of how you are currently living up to that word and how you intend to be that way in the future. Today’s firefighter is faced with an increasing number of flammable liquid and hazardous vapor risks. Although firefighters do need to possess a certain degree of intelligence, there are certainly many other professions that require more "brain power" than being a firefighter. What Firefighters Do Firefighters control and put out fires and respond to emergencies where life, property, or the environment is at risk. This team concept applies to virtually every aspect of a firefighter's job and life. Again, the many generations of firefighters who preceded us left a long legacy of positive public image that we reap the benefits of. I omitted these for this reason and tried to focus on traits that are required to be above average or are a little more unique for firefighters than the average person. Compassion is another one of the key characteristics of a firefighter. Steve has an associate degree in fire technology, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and a master's degree in emergency services administration. 5. Smoke and Fire Characteristics Module 6 – Structural Incidents | Topic 3 – Fire Suppression 1 2013 Incident Safety Officer Smoke and Fire Characteristics . Phone: 949-470-9883. www.firefightersforchrist.org Public image is different than integrity. There are dozens of essential traits firefighters must possess in order to find success on the fire ground and in the firehouse. CT Fire Company PIO Charged for Facebook Post. This positive public image is a big reason why the fire service and firefighters are so respected. It leads to anger and hatred and these are cancerous emotions that destroy a group, and over time can spread to destroy the organization as a whole. Those who like to freelance, isolate themselves, do not understand the team concept or are too self absorbed to be true team players hurt the entire team. program, firefighters can examine common features and their influence on fire behavior. Four and a half years were also spent as the Fire Technology Coordinator, and seven years were also spent as the EMT Program Director and Primary Instructor. However, there are numerous character traits that are considered to be highly desirable by many departments when they are evaluating candidates during the hiring process and especially during the oral interview process. We need to understand a wide variety of concepts and master many skills many of which require mechanical aptitude. 5. Some of the categories are very broad and could be broken down into many specific characteristics, but for the purposes of this article I have created ten very broad categories. It is how you appear or come off to the public, it is not who you are at the core. All Rights Reserved. When one person does not, the whole team suffers and the team's safety can become jeopardized. As a firefighter you will be a part of an organization whose primary purpose is to serve and protect its community. As a firefighter and candidate, you need to understand that you represent your department and your profession both on duty and off and are held to the highest standard of conduct and public opinion at all times. The goal will also not be accomplished in the most effective way unless the entire team is working together. Those who are not flexible are instead "rigid", or "high-maintenance". Clear, intelligent, courteous and open communication is essential within the firehouse, on the fire ground and when interacting with the public. This is why the fire service seeks those who exhibit that volunteer spirit and people who are involved in their communities because they want to be, not because it benefits them. You may not always like the task you are given, but it is always essential to accomplishing the goal at hand. You must also have thick skin and not let others lack of tolerance, ignorance or need to find your limits and push them get to you. Working as a fire fighter entails physical and mental strength and endurance. 1. 7. The ability to maintain a clear presence of mind under stress is of utmost importance and an essential part of being considered "adaptable". Our appearance is the first and sometimes the only thing people have to go by before forming an opinion. This is what the "brotherhood" is all about and why we refer to each other as brothers, and not friends. The element of Fire is both creative and destructive, its qualities are Brightness, Thinness and Motion and its mode is Active. Firefighters must insist on competent, effective leaders in our fire departments to serve as officers. You must also have thick skin and not let others lack of tolerance, ignorance or need to find your limits and push them get to you. That picture doesn’t match most people in the fire service, especially with females now common in the fire station. Steve is also an instructor within the Chabot College (Hayward, CA) Fire Technology Program, where he has been instructing fire technology and EMS classes for 13 years. Commitment (to life-long learning and education, to the fire service, to your department, to your customers). Most importantly you need to ask yourself this, "Are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and put your life on the line for someone you've never even met or don't even like?" Many job functions simply cannot be performed without maintaining a high fitness level. This is a blue collar profession like no other. They are urgent in pursuit of goals and full of youthful spirit. When one road is blocked you must be able to quickly find the detours and navigate yourself and your crew creatively through any obstacle to accomplish the tasks and goal at hand. 9. By clearly articulating such traits and giving examples from your own life, you will show the interview panel that you truly understand them and live by them. Being able to use these tools and understand the tasks we are performing with these tools as well as knowing how the tool itself works is obviously important. You may not always like the task you are given, but it is always essential to accomplishing the goal at hand. You must learn to accept everyone's differences. The purpose of this study was to assess occupational injury characteristics and predictors among career firefighters. There will naturally be aspects of the job that some are more drawn to than others, but a general passion for the work, a solid work ethic and the drive to always be learning and bettering yourself are essential. Also, if you have never volunteered for anything in your life you may want to re-evaluate your motives and whether or not this is the right career for you. You must learn to accept people for who they are, like it or not. Firefighters need to specialize in many different areas. In today's world, and today's fire service, communication and the way we communicate is rapidly changing. Firefighters are a part of team. Copyright © 2018 Fort Wayne Fire Department. 4 Santa Maria Foothill Ranch, CA 92610. They have a natural propensity to help others and have a giving spirit. When one person does not, the whole team suffers and the team's safety can become jeopardized. When someone calls 911, they are not looking for advice or an opinion. Firefighters that aren't dedicated to the job, or who lack passion or work ethic quickly fall behind and can become a hazard to themselves and their crew, and stop contributing to the organization. This is why the fire service seeks those who exhibit that voluntee… Intolerance is not an option. Those who lack this mind set and are more self-centered aren't a good fit. The fact that firefighters need to be relatively intelligent people and possess common sense is obvious and these are traits that everyone needs to have to simply get by in the world, regardless of what their job is. Firehouse Seeks Volunteer Fire Department Statistics for Run Survey. Exercising tolerance will help you maintain your sanity, make for a happier work environment for you and everyone else around you and benefit the entire organization. 3. The public needs to trust us in order for us to do our job. Fire is the only reason which is taken into account for various losses and damages done. After all, firefighters are part of an organization whose primary purpose is to serve and protect its community. A firefighter is intelligent and uses his common sense in saving people's life. Firefighters require a high level of physical fitness in order to meet the demands of their profession. You will be involved in fund raisers for causes that don't benefit you, you will be expected to give both on and off duty and not always get paid for your time. Firefighters need to make many sacrifices and compromises and have the willingness and ability to live and work very dynamically. It helps communicate and interpret modeled or observed fire behavior. Flame height is measured vertically from ground level to the flame tip. This means that others are always relying on you to do your job and do it efficiently. 2. Tolerance (Understanding, Compassion, Level headed, Thick skinned): As a firefighter you work and live with a variety of personalities. Whether it is report writing, or communicating via e-mail, or other high tech avenues having professional written communication skills will also be very important and essential to the job. A person who lacks integrity can never be truly trusted in all of these ways within the firehouse or on the fire ground and can be detrimental to the safety and cohesiveness of his crew. Those who like to freelance, isolate themselves, do not understand the team concept or are too self absorbed to be true team players hurt the entire team. In order for the team to function optimally each member must also trust everyone on their crew as well. One good way to measure this is to ask yourself if the fire service over night became an all volunteer organization, would you still get involved and want to be a part of it, or is the pay check essential for you to do the job? Help others succeed – Helping others reach their full potential. If you look or act like a jackass or conduct yourself inappropriately in public it hurts us all. As a firefighter you will have many different types of relationships with different types of people. For those who exhibit tolerance, understanding and compassion these same things that create tension can also create bonds between co-workers. Although I do not necessarily agree with him, because I personally feel that integrity is more important, I do understand his logic, which is: if you can't physically perform the job, then nothing else matters. This kind of self sacrifice is what is expected of everyone who calls themselves a firefighter and it is a rare and unique trait. Dedication (Passion, Pride, Heart, Desire, Drive, Competence, Work ethic): Dedication to the job is a vague and generic term that encompasses many traits and often goes by other names. We're looking for volunteer fire departments who are interested in sharing and comparing 2020 statistics. Here are some positive character traits a successful candidate will be able to demonstrate and discuss with the oral board and the fire department that is evaluating whether you will be a good fit for their department: You may think that I have duplicated many of the items because they sound similar. The fire service is a "doing" business. It is too easy to get comfortable and complacent, fall behind the curve and not learn new things or grow as a firefighter. Many job functions simply cannot be performed without maintaining a high fitness level. They are willing to self-sacrifice and have a natural propensity to help others and have a giving spirit. You may have integrity, but if you come off unkempt, immature, disrespectful, obnoxious, unorganized, rude, arrogant, etc, it reflects on all that you represent in the same negative way. I will define a flexible person as one whose specific needs are few and dynamic rather than many and static. Compassion. It should be possible when the materials used in the construction have well fire … Tolerance is also essential when dealing with the public. Some people are naturally better communicators then others, but it is a skill that can be improved and must be improved if you want to not only land a job (excel in an interview), but be a successful, well functioning firefighter as well. Steve is a state-certified Chief Officer, Fire Officer, Master Instructor, and Hazardous Materials Technician, as well as a state-licensed paramedic. Although I do not necessarily agree with him, because I personally feel that integrity is more important, I do understand his logic, which is: if you can't physically perform the job, then nothing else matters. People who, in spite of their talent, always seem to hurt the team rather them help them. Clear, intelligent, courteous and open communication is essential within the firehouse, on the fire ground and when interacting with the public. 2. A firefighter has a lot of stamina and is physically fit as the job requires lifting heavy things and extinguishing fire by using water pipes. You will need to know how to handle irate citizens, use radios to relay essential information to your crew, IC or others, calm frightened patients and victims, console distraught family members and even co-workers, relay essential patient information to paramedics, nurses and doctors, instruct children in the area of fire safety, educate adults in fire prevention and CPR, explain and enforce fire codes to business owners, enlighten residents as to what their tax dollars are paying for, and do all of this with the utmost tact, patience, intelligence, professionalism and courtesy.
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