25 January 2025
Chief Brent Collins, President, www.FirePrep.com
Paying it Forward
Once you get hired and have a couple years on the job, you will have new rookies following you. Remember how firefighters treated you when you were a rookie. Some might have treated you well; some might not have. Learn from those experiences and try to help the new rookie be successful in their job.
Teach them the inside knowledge that you have gained as a rookie and now as a seasoned firefighter. Make sure you never forget what it feels like to be a rookie walking through the door, wanting to be successful in a new atmosphere and already feeling overwhelmed.
That new rookie and probie is part of your team. It’s a link to your team and you want all the links to be strong.
Don’t ever get impatient when they ask you questions. Grab the rookie and say, Come on, I want to show you the compartments. I want to show you how this works. Tell them some stories you’ve experienced at a fire or rescue.
Trust me, that rookie will always remember you. The day you retire, that rookie will remember you for your patience and the effort you took to help them learn their job. It’s all about paying it forward and making sure that everyone gets a chance to be successful.