Hey all. Just wanted to rant about something for a sec. So I still have my EMT/FF/HAZMAT all that good stuff. Back in the day I was working as a reserve for a small department, trying to get hired with bigger department.
I won't go into grave detail, but the fire service is riddled with some very toxic mentalities. It's paramilitary, as well as emergency services, so some of that's to be expected. But there's one facet that just will not leave my craw…
There's these tests you take applying for bigger departments, physical and mental. The mental component is mixed, but a common test is a bunch of video scenarios with multiple choice.
There are no “right” answers. BUT… your answers are compared against “successful firefighters.” Basically if you THINK like a successful firefighter, you may ACT like one.
This was one if the practise scenarions:
Crew sitting around table. It's shift change and everyone is about to be off soon. Our hero is showing his friends tickets to Hiwaii or something that he booked for his whole family, AND it's Christmas. Like the most NOPE I'm not working scenario possible.
Our hero overhears that someone who's expected to come in is going to call out sick. Everyone's like – sucks to be whoever covers.
Cheif walks in. You can see where this is going. “Hey Hero I gotta talk to you.” Hero walks in, sits down, and the chief explains that someone is sick, shift needs covering. Your it.
Here's where things get messed up…. You KNOW this other guy is bullshitting – doesn't matter. Not only are you NOT supposed to report him, but the “correct” answer, is to say ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT YUP NP. Not bring up Christmas, not your vacation, NOT that homie is lying. You're just supposed to sit there, and suck on it…
HOW are you supposed to rationalize that to your spouse and kids? Sad part is – you don't! It really is a thought process I've seen, and I DID see marriages suffer for it.
Similar scenario. Your clothes ding in the dryer. THREE SECONDS later a veteran is pissed because he wanted to put his clothes in the dryer. You are working out (lol of course) and veteran gets all up in your face, loud, rude AF. The answer…….ding ding ding – Sit there, suck on it, oh and apologize too.
I get the reasoning. You have to have an iron clad mind, and in my brief time in the fire service, I did a LOT of sitting there and sucking on it. But not because of some toxic behavior that has nothing to do with mental discipline- however is rewarded as such.
The fire service is EXTREMELY competitive. And there are a lot of young bucks who can conform, but in my opinion the above examples are a microcosm of FD toxicity.