How can I help?

[fire1022a]

I'm a new Captain in our department (nine months) and am working with a great crew. What is one thing I can do or not do to make my engineer a great engineer. List one thing.

Thanx

[XXLdogg]

You said you got a great crew - so if it ain't broke - DON'T FIX IT!

[Neptune 33]

One thing I think, if not that way already, is allow him to fix small problems without the hassle of finding an Officer...it's his piece, so let him take care of it..I know our old Chief never let our Engineers touch the apparatus, but our new Chief changed that, now they are allowed to fix small problems without asking first.

[Gregg Geske]

Safety first. Allow the engineer the space to operate without added stress. Tell them what you need and not how to do it (they have been trained). Be sure to compliment any of your crew members after a job well done.

[KirkAllen]

Make sure he has the right tools to check his work. A flowmeter, handheld pitot, and inline pressures gauges.

He should be able to say "I KNOW what we are flowing off this line! instead of "It SHOULD be flowing bla bla bla.

Hope this helps.

[ADSNWFLD]

I agree with KEA. Make sure he knows what he is doing, just because he has been around for a while don't assume. At a recent hydraulics drill I heard too many times "I'd do that at a scene" If he can't do it in drill he can't do it on the scene of an incident.

Once you know that he knows his job, let him do his job. It should be enough to tell an engineer that he has 400' of 2.5" off with a 1 1/4 tip. He should need no other instructions.

[HOTDOG]

Once he has proven he has the smarts and knows how to apply it, leave him alone. I don't mean a little constructive criticism isn't good, but no need to look over his shoulder all the time. Give him some space and let him do his thing. Check on him every once in a while to make sure everything is good and he is up to snuff. A good engineer is always learning, just as a good ff is. If he knows it all, put him in his place.

Just two cents from someone never to good to stop learning, an someone who will never know it all!!!!!

[mongofire_99]

What is one thing I can do or not do to make my engineer a great engineer.

I agree with the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" crowd, but I don't think you would have asked if there wasn't an issue.

So, with that in mind, take the flowmeter, pitot and in line gauges you got for him, get the crew together and build yourself a pumpchart. Personally, I'd be honest with him and let him know what's lacking, but if he's the sensitive type and if you feel you have too, shine it on as training and something for someone else to use when he's on vacation.

[fireman_387]

As an Engineer, throw the flow meters and junk out; on the scene he's not going to say "wait just a second I have to take my meter and check this flow". A lot of common sense has to be there to work a piece of equipment, and if he is lacking in that area you have your job cut out for you. If he doesn't understand his truck and can't listen to it then he is going to have a difficult time. One of the first things I did as Engineer was to pump my truck in a drill to where I was pumping @ 1000gpm, when asked why I wanted to do that I replied " I whant to hear what the truck is supposed to sound when it is flowing that kind of gpms.

If it is confidence you are trying to build, give him tasks to do with the rest of the crew and see how they react together.

Above all if you are any officer at all, ask for his input, you might be suprised what you can learn. I always like working with new Firefighters, I learn so much as I train, as an officer you can learn so much from your driver.