Time, reps, and a whole lot of sweat.

Lex Shady

Anyone who knows me well, knows that for me just “doing the job” is not enough. I’d say at bare minimum I want to be competent, but minimum standards are a trip hazard. I want to put in the work to be a “good” fireman one day. Someone that can help pass on everything taught to me, to the next generation. There is only one path to get there. That’s time, reps, and a whole lot of sweat.

There’s obviously only one way to get the time, and that is to put in the years on the job. But what better way to put in the reps and sweat than investing your time in training with humble and hardworking firefighters. Personally, there is absolutely nothing more motivating or clarifying than spending time with other like minded individuals. Having the opportunity to listen to, train with, and learn from some of the most talented firefighters in the industry is an opportunity I’m not going to pass up.

This weekend I was able to fit in a quick trip to New York to the First Due Training Conference. (If you didn’t go, you missed out and should go next year.) It was yet another incredible training experience. The conference offered both lectures, and hands on. After the first day was a Tactics on Tap discussion, which if you don’t know what that is, is a bunch of firemen sitting around telling stories. Most of which are hilarious. For the hands on portion, I took the Truck class, and the group of instructors was one of, if not the best, I have had. Everyone was knowledgeable, and answered every student’s question with tricks they’ve learned from their experiences. They took time to work with each individual student, showing them various techniques, and gave specific suggestions on how to keep improving. They also gave advice on how to implement the training and props at your own department. The class was essentially divided into three parts: rotating skill stations, exploring the city and talking ladder placement, and several evolutions of live fire.

I’ve learned a lot from attending trainings and conferences over the last several years, and some of the best stuff I’ve learned has come from simply listening to people talk. If quality training from high caliber instructors isn’t enough reason for you to get outside of your department, below are a few of the other benefits I have found from them:

Mentors.

I’ve talked a lot about this before, because I think it’s so important to your career; but find yourself quality mentors. I would without a doubt, not be where I am today without mine. The experience they have is invaluable, and they are the kind of fireman I aspire to be one day.

A good mentor is willing to give you their honest opinion based on their experiences, and can be a voice of reason when you need it. However, if you’re going to request their time, you need to be willing to consider what they’re saying, even if it’s not something you necessarily wanted to hear. You never know who you may meet at a conference that would be willing to mentor you during your career.

Networking.

Now, I don’t mean walking up to every “big name” you see on the or going on a Facebook friend request rampage and asking them to be your friend. I mean making quality connections. Find like minded firefighters from other departments in your area, or even across the country. Firefighters that you would want on your truck with you.

It will never cease to fascinate me how different firefighting is across the country, yet departments have many of the same personality types or morale issues. I’m a firm believer there is something to be learned from everyone. Take the time to ask people questions, and really listen to their answers. Doing this has made a huge difference in my career.

I’ve been fortunate enough to make some great connections literally across the country, many of these people I would never had met if I hadn’t attended these types of courses.

Friendships.

Some of my best friends have come from Twitter and/or various conferences. Find people who are invested in the job, and who are constantly trying to better themselves. Find people who won’t sugar coat the truth for you, and who you can count on to help you keep moving forward when it feels like you’re knee deep in the mud.

When I’m annoyed that I’m struggling with a certain technique or learning a new skill, one person will say, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” …not that it makes me feel better but it is true, and it’s the clarity I need to focus. Essentially, you didn’t know it, you know now, move on.

And if all I’m doing is venting about a problem they’ll also tell me to “quit complaining and fix the problem, and if you can’t fix the problem, then it’s not your problem so quit complaining.” As you can imagine, both of those statements can be infuriating when you’re in the middle of a rant. It’s basically like saying “shut up and keep working, you’ll get there eventually.” As mad as I get in the moment, that is exactly the kind of person you need, or at least I need.

I need someone who knows when to let me vent, but also isn’t afraid to call me out on my crap and keep my head straight when I feel frustrated and lose perspective. These are the people that are going to essentially say, “what the *$%#? are you doing?” If they think you’re getting off track of your goals. These are the people you can call or text at 2am when you get back from a fire to hash out how to make the next one go better. And who are as excited to talk about the job as you are.

Shattering comfort zones.

Traveling to conferences forces you out of your comfort zone. When I first started I was quiet (still am, I prefer to listen), and terrified of looking like an idiot in class. This resulted in not asking many questions, to the point that sometimes I would leave confused, with no one to blame but myself.

Now I don’t care, in order to be effective I need the answer, and the only way I’ll get it is to ask. No one wants to look incompetent, but I’m no longer afraid to learn. Instead I’m afraid of doing something wrong my entire career.

Take classes on topics you’re not confident in. Get out of your comfort zone in class, it can be a humbling experience, but it shows you exactly what you need to work on. If you only attend classes on skills you do frequently, say fire attack or EMS, you’ll never get better.

In my opinion, you have no excuse to not want to learn, except laziness. And there are small conferences and trainings popping up across the country making it easier than ever to learn. I’m fortunate my department is supportive of me wanting to travel and learn. I’ve found this is the best way to keep myself focused and pushing forward. If nothing else, I want to listen to firemen tell stories. Hopefully I’ll see you there!

As always, move with a purpose.