Choices, On Duty and Off Duty, Their Consequences, and the Era of the Social Media Jury

In light of recent incidents in which I have read in local and regional news, I felt this article to be very necessary. The news stories hit home, extremely close to home. We live in a society that relies on social media and the headlines from major news outlets. We even seem to rely on the tabloids for our “news”. When a member of the emergency services including police, fire and ems make it into the news, it seems to be more common that its bad news rather than good news. The days of reporting about lives being saved appear to be taking a back seat to articles about who has been arrested and who is being sued. This is not a good sign for all of us as emergency services providers.

We must take a look into the mirror each morning and ask ourselves “are we truly able to handle the trust that the public has for us?” When we are engaging in activities both on and off duty, are we thinking about the consequences of what we are doing? If not, I urge you to ask yourself, can you responsibly handle the public’s trust and respect? When emergency services providers end up in trouble, the headline is not just “Joe Somebody arrested for theft” its “Joe Somebody, chief of XYZ department arrested for theft”. When you sign up to join the emergency services field, you take an oath of office or a commitment to serving others. In doing so, you also take on the weight that what you do will reflect not only on yourself,  but also on your family, your department, your community and your respective service as a whole. If you think going through the United States legal system is stressful, the fallout on the social media which seems to follow situations as such, is just as stressful and never truly goes away, even when proven innocent in a court of law.  The court of law is not the same as the “court of social media.”

As a judge would say, “The Court of Social Media is in session”. It appears from many comments online for some of these situations that people are quick to rush judgment on situations before the legal process has made its official determination. We seem to lose sight of “Innocent until proven guilty” or “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”  Did we not learn as children, the saying of “those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones?” It’s easy to denounce someone else on social media for their mistake or situation. How would you respond to being in a similar situation if it was yourself, your best friend, your family member or your own department? Many of these situations can be prevented with just a little bit of thinking before doing. When a member gets caught up in a situation where they didn’t think and caused trouble for themselves and everyone around them, the court of social media will be in full swing and the prosecution never seems to relent. The legal system may actually be more forgiving than that of the social media court and its jury.

The era of instant gratification and instant blame has pushed its way into emergency services. This push of instant public comment has exacerbated situations as quickly as turning on a light bulb.   We as the emergency services community have not seemed to learn from these situations and mistakes that members have made. If we don’t learn from the mistakes and situations, we will never get ahead of that public relations nightmare light bulb turning on and we will continue to see the court of social media in full session.

When you’re on duty or off duty and making a decision, ask yourself, “will this decision end up on an internet search? Will this follow you for the rest of your life? Will it cause distrust of you, your family, your department and your community?” When you are reading the news online and see that a fellow emergency services member has been caught up in some trouble, are you going take part in the “court of social media” acting as a prosecutor, judge and juror? Or are you going to pass over doing that and spare someone the added grief and stress in the situation that they are dealing with?

The choices are yours, the consequences that follow an action are more than just yours to face. The way to begin to regain the public’s trust and restore integrity to our emergency services is to wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, wash your face and ask yourself “are we truly able to handle the public’s trust today?” “Are we going to do the right thing, not just today, but every day?” That oath, that commitment you made, are you going to uphold it? That comment box below an online article about a fellow provider, ask yourself, “Are we going to comment, or are we going to move along and keep our thoughts to ourselves?” These life choices are yours, choose wisely, for your future, your family’s future and the future of the emergency services community depends on it.      

About the Author

NICHOLAS WITCZAK is the lieutenant of Brookside Engine Co. 1 and volunteer EMT for the Mendham Township First Aid Squad. Additionally he serves as the Mendham Borough OEM Coordinator. Nick has served in a multitude of departments and positions over the last 8 years including Past Captain of Morristown Ambulance Squad, volunteer firefighter/EMT in combination fire departments including the Wallingford and Allingtown Connecticut fire departments. He has wealth of experience working and volunteering in emergency medical services including municipal, commercial, fire based EMS and 911 fire dispatching. He currently holds a B.S. in Fire Administration from the University of New Haven. Nick works full time in the fire protection industry specializing in safety, sales and project management. He works part time as the NJ Client Development Coordinator for Emergency Resource Management.

How Are You Training?

We have all heard the saying “I’ve seen one fire; I’ve seen them all”. Well the saying really goes “I’ve seen one fire…I’ve seen one fire”. No two fires are the same but in this article we aren’t here to talk about fire behavior and fire science, we are here to talk about training. 

Each one of us knows a firefighter or two on their department that speaks like they know a whole lot about everything but in actuality the individual knows a whole lot about nothing. They seem to think after they get their minimum requirements by their respective state and meet departmental requirements they don’t need to do much more to better themselves on the job. Believe me, this isn’t all firefighters but there’s always an outlier in the group.

I know what you’re thinking. Why am I saying this?

I’m saying this because continual education is one of the most important aspects to the longevity of job.

In New Jersey, the state requires firefighters who enter the fire academy to fulfill 192 of initial training in the “Firefighter 1” Program before they can sit for the State Firefighter Exam along with an additional 120 hours of training in the “Firefighter 2” Program. Most departments in the state also require personnel to be EMT certified which requires a minimum of 210 hours of training. This consists of classroom, hands on training and ER (emergency room) time. 
In addition to this, most departments do require their personnel to have other types of training that is required by their respective department. Some of these courses include but are not limited to pump operations, incident management, officer training, technical rescue and any other specialized training that is specific to the work of their department.

EMTs in NJ who need to renew their certification are required to complete 24 hours of an EMT Refresher consisting of 3 modules over a 3-year period. Each module is a total of 8 hours of training; where each module contains a specific area that has to be covered. Module A contains airways, module B covers medical emergencies and module C covers trauma. 
Most departments require firefighters to have an annual refresher each year covering bloodborne pathogens, hazmat, ICS, SCBA refresher and your Right to Know annual refresher. 
Is this enough training for firefighters to keep fresh and up to date with changes and updates in the fire service? Why isn’t there a mandated requirement like EMTs have by covering certain areas in the same way the EMT Refresher does? 

As we know, departments are consistently doing refresher training on a variety of skills to keep their firefighters fresh and up to date on new standards and skills. Which, in my opinion is a very resourceful way to keep skills sharp while adding new ones. But here’s the next question, outside of required department training, what else are firefighters doing to better themselves on the job?  

I noted 3 areas of training that I live by in order to achieve my goals, with the 3 in my opinion being the most important, to do what I can to advance my firefighter career.
1.    Classroom training
2.    Hands on training
3.    Self-education

Education is a key to success but hard work and dedication opens the door to the advancement of your career. This is why I say self-education is the most important of the 3 areas of training. We all can go to our required training but can we all pick ourselves up and read a few books, watch a webinar, listen to a podcast or read articles in magazines or on websites that pertain to our job all during our valued and much needed time off? 
Let’s challenge ourselves to add at least one of these self-education areas into our personal toolbox and go above and beyond what is asked of us.

Until next time; work hard, stay safe and live inspired.  

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 14 years of service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.

Respect

As many of you have probably heard the line, “the fire service was here before you and will be here after you.” It doesn’t get much simpler than that now does it? So while we are here, one of the most important things we can do is RESPECT it. When in the firehouse or out, always conduct yourself with respect for your fellow firefighters, the station and the job. Respect and be thankful to those who have been in the service before you because as we all know they are the ones teaching you what you are learning and play a role in your growth and success. Show them you want to follow in their footsteps when it’s time for them to step aside. Make them be confident that you can lead, teach, inspire and make sound fire ground decisions. Show up ready to work and be expected to work hard and get dirty. Be willing to learn as much as you can and become proficient at what you have learned. 

Always carry a level of professionalism as well because we are always a direct representation and reflection of not only our department and the fire service as a whole but to our families. Most importantly remember one thing; the name on your helmet represents your department. The name on your coat represents who raised you. Do them both justice. 

Until next time; work hard, stay safe and live inspired.  

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 14 years of service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.

I’m a Firefighter, So Now What?

I would first off like to start by welcoming and congratulating you all into a very special family and thank you for making a commitment to protecting and serving others.  We all start out as “rookie” firefighters not knowing what to expect when making the decision to enter into such a commitment as the fire service but we all know there’s a reason deep down in each of us that is calling us to this service.  Just like anything else we start off as a blank slate ready to learn with a ton of ambition and drive to succeed.  

In the beginning we feel scared, our nerves are eating at us and we don’t want to make anyone think we can’t do this while the pressure is mounting but we are determined not to be defeated.  Being in this situation is a scary task and feeling as if you are alone is a real experience.  Because of this, here is a list of 10 ways to grow as a firefighter, stay motivated and have a great fire service career:

1. Respect and honor the fire service.  Guys who were here before you paved the way for you to be in this today.  Respect their sacrifices and honor their legacies.  Not everyone can follow in the firefighting tradition.  Consider it an honor. 

2. Stay humble.  Egos are only as big as front door and should be left outside the house.  Cockiness is a firefighter killer and there is no room for it in the firehouse or on the fire ground.  

3. Show respect.  The words “please”, “thank you” and addressing chief and company officers as such goes a long way to a long respective career (volunteer or paid).  Showing signs of professionalism at all times is a key to success that will leave a lasting impression on the guys you are working with and will ultimately earn you a level of respect. Remember, treat others how you yourself would want to be treated. 

4. Strive for excellence.  Have a “can do” attitude.  Come in each and every day with the attitude of a winner, show initiative, work hard and dedication and you may impress even the most experienced member of your department.  Excellence is a habit. Not a goal.

5.  Know your crew members.  Getting to know the men and women you serve with is a great way to build a working relationship and develop teamwork.  Do this through simple conversation, training and on scene teamwork. But remember, what you do on the fire ground will positively or negatively impact your crew and you won’t be judged individually but as a whole.  We are a TEAM in and out the firehouse.       

6. Know your PPE.  You were given the PPE for a reason and shown in the academy how to wear it properly, again for a reason.  This isn’t a fashion show and no one cares how silly you look as long as you come home safe and in one piece.  We aren’t indestructible.

7. Know your apparatus.  The better you know your apparatus, the better you know your skills and know what’s expected of you when assignments are given. 

8.  Educate yourself.  Training and education doesn’t end the day you’re certified through the state as a firefighter.  Firefighting, like anything else takes years of dedication to be proficient at.  Training doesn’t come just inside the firehouse with your crew.  Self-studying, training and continuous education is the key to staying mentally sharp and promotes growth. 

9.  Complacency Kills.  No two fires or alarms are the same and SHOULD NOT be treated as such.  Always strive for more and never stop wanting to be better than you were yesterday.

10. Look to the future.  Sooner than later the term will go from “rookie” or “probie” or even “FNG” (we can all fill in the blanks on that one) and will become experienced firefighters and for some of us, even have a company officers rank but don’t ever forget how you got there.  Always remember you were once the “new guy on the block” and how hard work, discipline and dedication got you to where you are today.  Share the experiences and knowledge with the new generations as they come on because one day those boots you grew into will be passed on to the next.  The best way to leave your mark is quoted by the Dalai Lama “Share your knowledge.  It’s the best way to achieve immorality”. 

Speaking from experience, this is a very long and daunting task that takes years of dedication to accomplish and I challenge all firefighters to take these words, step up and complete the lifelong challenge.  

Until next time; work hard, stay safe and live inspired. 

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 14 years of service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.