“Rookies,” “probies,” “boots,” or whatever the new firefighter is called in your department are members of a unique and special breed. They typically have boundless energy, are eager to please, want to prove themselves and are looking for acceptance. All of these attributes and desires should be evaluated with one thing in mind. The rookie is the most vulnerable member of the organization due directly to all of these attributes.
This week’s featured report is a reminder that while the rookie may dress like us, they are still in need of an extra measure of attention to allow them to make it from their probationary period to journeyman firefighter.
“First off, I’m a rookie in the department, so my experience is limited to what I have done in the field already and my academy. The event that took place that could have seriously injured, if not killed me happened at a structure fire of a single family home…I really wanted to do something so I asked my officer if I could help out. He told me okay and I grabbed a pike pole off the first-in pumper. I didn’t quite focus on the fact that the pike pole was 10 feet long, but I knew it was big I started walking over to where everyone was standing next to the house. On my way over to the house I had to duck under fireline tape that was stretched across the side yard. When I stopped I propped the pike pole up and asked everyone what I could do. When everyone turned around they all freaked because my pike pole was inches below a possibly live powerline. I later found out that the fire line tape that was stretched across the yard was not to keep citizens out of the way, but to let everyone know there was a hazard.”
The “rookie” in this submission is by now a seasoned veteran. One of the remarkable aspects of this report is the fact that it was submitted by a rookie when near-miss reporting was also a “rookie.” This contribution to firefighter safety at the reporter’s early development suggests that the value of near-miss reporting resonates at all levels of our service. Once you have read the entire account (HERE), consider the following:
- Review the probationary development program your department uses. Does it include a continuation of the training/evaluation process after academy training is complete?
- The reporter notes he “…didn’t focus on the fact that the pike pole was 10 feet long…” Would you describe this as a “rookie mistake” or loss of situational awareness on the part of his officer and crew? Discuss your point of view.
- How often is fire line tape crossed at your incident scenes?
- What strategies do you employ to ensure a healthy learning environment is maintained to balance a rookie’s enthusiasm with the need to protect them from making “rookie mistakes” that could result in injury?
- Do you employ a mentoring process where a senior firefighter is responsible for rookie development or do you personally handle rookie development? What are the pros and cons of each method?
Note: The questions posed by the reviewers are designed to generate discussion and thought in the name of promoting firefighter safety. They are not intended to pass judgment on the actions and performance of individuals in the reports.
