Congratulations! You’ve gone through an exhausting fire academy and are now certified as a firefighter. You’ve also completed a grueling paramedic education program and the state has put a license in your pocket that gives you permission to do some of the same things a doctor does in the emergency room, including intubate, decompress a chest and administer drugs controlled by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
But don’t let it go to your head. You’re walking through the door on your first day in the station and you’re still the rookie. If you want to be successful starting off your career, I advise that you follow these dos and don’ts on that first day.
Good advice
Do show up with your uniform neatly cleaned and pressed or ironed. Make sure you’ve showered and have your hair properly groomed. If you’re a male, you should have shaved. Translated: You should look like a professional worthy of wearing the badge of the department you are working for. Anything less, and your fellow firefighters will form negative opinions of you that will be hard to break.
Do arrive early and bring some food on your first day to break the ice. Firefighters love eating and showing up with some donuts, bagels or fresh fruit will win the day for you. If you arrive one minute before the start of your shift empty-handed, I assure you that you will be the subject of the conversation of those firefighters from the previous shift and the on-coming shift that wonder where you are. And if some firefighter from the off-going shift gets stuck on a call 10 minutes before the end of their shift because you are not there yet, you might as well agree to wash their car for a month to get back in their good graces.
Do find your company officer when you arrive at the fire station and introduce yourself. Let him or her know that you wish to shadow and learn from them. Ask for permission to ask questions when you do not know something. Make your company officer your newest mentor and coach, especially if they are a seasoned veteran.
Don’t have 20 fire and EMS stickers on your car that makes it look like you’re leasing space on your car for a NASCAR race. One sticker is good enough if you insist on having one on your personal vehicle. Speaking of stickers, you don’t have to display 100 stickers on your firefighter helmet. Finally, you don’t have to have patches going up and down both arms of your sleeves either. It is your actions and commitment that will make you a solid firefighter/paramedic, not all the billboard adverting.
Don’t look like a linesman from the utility company with everything hanging off your belt, including radios, pagers, medical holsters, flashlights and other tools. Additionally, there is no need to have a stethoscope hanging around your neck when you’re in the fire station.
Do eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with your crew. This is a time for bonding. Don’t take the seat that faces the TV. That is reserved for the most seasoned firefighters. Do make sure the coffee pot is always brewing, and if you are the first one up in the morning, start the coffee, even if you don’t drink coffee.
Do stay away from the firehouse gossip and the firehouse lawyers. Gossiping about others usually does not lead to anything good. Firehouse lawyers will also always have an opinion about how you should handle something, but they usually disappear or fail to answer the phone when the advice they gave does not work out as planned.
Don’t be the last one to the truck. No one likes a slug, and if this is your best behavior on your first day and while on probation, then it speaks volumes to the other firefighters about your character and work ethic. When the bell hits, you need to be moving, no matter what you are doing, including sleeping, going the bathroom, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, etc. If you are not on the truck when everyone else is, some company officers may just leave you behind.
In sum
They are many other dos and don’ts for the rookie firefighter/paramedic walking through the door on their first day. If you follow the general rules of being professional, respectful to others, not lazy and always looking to learn more about your profession, you will earn the respect of your fellow firefighters and have a fantastic career.
