Good projects around the firehouse for probies.

[u/Acrobatic-Suit-2538]

I don’t mean washing the rigs or picking the weeds gimme some good project ideas fellas!

[u/AlarmedPossum156]

I’m all for getting things done around the firehouse and leaving things better than I found them, but with probies I would rather spend time training and investing in their skills and confidence. A good firehouse project is always welcome, but I try not to create work simply because there are new people around that I can use for help.

I always say that we’re inspiring and training the next generation of firefighters, not caretakers.

[u/tvsjr → u/AlarmedPossum156]

Amen. How about taking the rookie through every tool on whatever rig he's assigned to? He should know how to use it, maintain it, clean it, paint/mark it, inspect it if there's a recurring inspection requirement, etc.

Work gets done and the rookie learns something too.

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/tvsjr]

Is probation only 1 day long? They should know inventory by 2 months on. Most probations are a year. If you’re still taking a rookie through every tool on the rig he’s assigned to throughout probation there is a huge issue.

[u/tvsjr → u/_josephmykal_]

You'll note I didn't say "this is the one and only task the rookie should do for an entire year". This is simply one thing that could be done. And yes, he should be extremely proficient such that, by the end of the year, he can do it all.

I'm also suggesting detailed work. Take a chainsaw. I don't mean just can he start it, fuel it, add bar oil. Can he disassemble it and clean it thoroughly? Sharpen a chain? Replace a bar/chain? Redo any markings (paint/etc) that might need an occasional touch-up? Etc.

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/tvsjr]

You said amen to the guy who said he would rather train. Training is what? Maybe 2 hours total. this guy is asking for ideas on what to do during that crew down time. Op is probably a rookie not a vet.

[u/OneSplendidFellow → u/tvsjr]

He's a probationary firefighter, not a chainsaw repair technician.  Basic maintenance, yes.  Refurb, no.

[u/tvsjr → u/OneSplendidFellow]

I didn't say pull the engine apart and rebuild it. In your department, you need a "chainsaw repair tech" to swap a bar or sharpen a chain? That sounds like bureaucratic hell.

[u/fish1552 → u/AlarmedPossum156]

Yes. Any of the NFPA 1500 drills are better than busy work. The sooner we can get them to a level where we don't have to babysit every minute of the day, the better and I know they have the tactical skills to survive the job. The only thing I recommend to many of them is to be the first up in the morning and make the coffee (even if you don't drink it) so you can sit around with those guys and listen and learn until morning chores are started. You might pick up details concepts or learn things you might not get from a book. Take them out and learn the district. I like getting people familiar with the district and *I* have the advantage of being in a place with limited floor plans in housing so I coordinate to get walk-thrus of the houses. Learn the floor plans, how to tell the floor plan from the exterior so you know what it will be like in the smoke. Know the potential exits in a mayday as getting onto an exterior roof over a back patio or a car port is better than being trapped in a room. (again, we're lucky to have only 2 story).
Take them out to learn the hazardous areas in the district, the places people rarely see like sewage lift stations (only with monitoring equip of course), the steam pipe tunnels, etc.
I had my Captain do that with me when I started 20 yrs ago and now I try to do those for the newcomers. The pranks can come later, like the wet down/"baptism" after their first fire.

[u/Ht50jockey → u/AlarmedPossum156]

This is the way ^

[u/[deleted]]

Fuck busy work. Train them.

[u/theMstrBlstr → u/[deleted]]

Right? Way to out yourself that you don't like drilling.

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/[deleted]]

Train 24/7? No projects for rookies in between training? Doubt your training lasts longer than an hour. You just sit around a table for 23 more hours?

[u/[deleted] → u/_josephmykal_]

Oh please.

Doubt your training lasts longer than an hour

Based on what, other than your desire to be right?

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/[deleted]]

He’s asking for things to be doing.

[u/[deleted] → u/_josephmykal_]

No.

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/[deleted]]

Even if you’re training 6 hours long he’s still asking for things to be doing around the station. Learn how to read dweeb

[u/[deleted] → u/_josephmykal_]

Who the fuck is "he" in this scenario? Some guy you just made up? Bro what are you on?

You are being weirdly hostile about this whole thing. Dweeb? You know you're a grown man, right?

[u/OneSplendidFellow → u/_josephmykal_]

You seem to be upset by the idea of new people learning, rather than just being a source of labor or somebody to order around.  Why is that?  

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/OneSplendidFellow]

Where am I upset? Are you expecting the rookie to be training 24/7? Station duties still have to get done. OP is a rookie asking for what he can do to keep busy… most likely in between training. Sounds like you are being extremely unreasonable expecting him to pull hose every waking minute.

[u/OneSplendidFellow → u/_josephmykal_]

Sure, you can try deflecting. Nobody will notice.

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/OneSplendidFellow]

Where’s the deflection dweeb… can’t even answer the original question. Do you expect him to be training every minute?

[u/OneSplendidFellow → u/_josephmykal_]

Aww now you're butthurt too. Lovely.  Does the fragility come with the desire to exploit people for labor, or the need to flex authority on the new guy?

[u/_josephmykal_ → u/OneSplendidFellow]

That’s what I thought lmfao

[u/Strict-Canary-4175]

I love your initiative!

That being said. I don’t really love to see probationary firemen starting projects like that. If we are all stripping and waxing the floors, or reorganizing an EMS cabinet….. definitely help. But for you to do it on your own, I have a few point of contention. Firstly, I really would prefer that probationary firefighters work on their skills, their paperwork, their physical and mental health before other stuff. Secondly, if you do this, you’re kind of giving someone else a job. If you’re going to re wrap/paint tools, you’re going to have to ask the officer if you can, and where the paint or wrap is, where you can do it etc. If you’re going to reorganize an EMS cabinet, you’re also going to have to have someone doing it with you. I wouldn’t want the newest guy there to move things around based on his preferences. If you’re going to try to get rid of some of the garbage in the basement that no one has touched in 50 years, you’re also going to have to have someone who knows more with you for that.

So my advice would be to do the things you’re doing right now and try to build on those until you get some time on. But, I love your spirit and initiative. Really. That’s so important. Good luck!

[u/elfilberto]

Day 1 of the rotation, clean your room and detail the interior of your car Day 2 of the rotation detail the exterior of your car

[u/Firesquid]

Build a training prop.. crosslay prop, denver drill prop, forcible entry door prop, roof prop, hose dummy, lock and rebar cutting prop, bailout prop.. Reach out to local home improvement stores (Home Depot, Lowes, Menards) to see if they would be willing to donate wood or sponsor the project in the interest of first responder safety..

[u/SuperglotticMan]

Glory hole

[u/The_Road_is_Calling → u/SuperglotticMan]

Glad to see you are living up to your username!

[u/Greenstoneranch]

Brasso the pole Retape the tools and clean them Repaint the door or other things

[u/Independent-Good-162]

I just tested out last shift but I’m currently soft washing all the concrete out front to make the station look better. As horrible as it sounds, there is always something to clean. Another useful one if you are in a older station is to get a pumice stone and clean the piss crud out of the urinal, when I first came to this station the urinal smelt like a porta potty.

[u/AnythingButTheTip]

Tool maintenance tied in with a history of the tool, and creative uses/techniques of the tool.

Chainsaws are one of my go to examples. Why is the bar upside down? Did you grease the bar sprocket? Do you know why you start the saw on the ground and get it idling while you set your ladders? When the smoke gets thick and you're running a gas saw, what do you do when it starts to bog down? You go texas chainsaw massacre style above your head at full throttle to let it breath and then bring it back down into your cut.

Structural collapse. After the wall/building is shored up and you need to remove an original wall, you can use a chainsaw to cut studs.

A good cleaning, and remarking of tools is great way to remember what all a truck has on it.

[u/ElectronicCountry839]

Just do some training.   You don't need to treat them differently.  Whole company should be out training with them.   Not just the new guy.  Once the training is wrapping up, he or she can do whatever the company is doing.... Plus a few extra chores here and there.  But make it fun.   The crew should be jumping to the phone or trying to beat them to the dishwasher unload, etc.   make it look like the crew wants to work and set an example for the new guy.  It'll be their job to try to get things done before somebody else sneaks in and does it.   Doesn't have to be a big thing, make it fun.

[u/username67432]

Make yourself a nice cleaning kit, degreaser, wire brushes, polish, sos pads, goof off, brake kleen etc. pick one cabinet a day, pull everything out and clean the cabinet and all the tools. This also helps you understand the tools better and remember what you have and where it’s at. Also keeps you visible and available out on the apparatus floor. I always liked to have a few projects on my to do list so I could tackle whatever I felt more like doing the day of.

[u/OtternGhost]

I think a good project for anybody working is sorting through department history logs, pictures, documents and organizing them for timeline purposes. Can take the pictures you have and hang them around the station. I've seen places clean out the basement and start small museums. Then you can show the probies where the fire service, and specifically your department has been and how it got to where it is today.

We've had guys make company tables, a riding board, hang pictures, ect.

[u/mojored007]

Clean the tools..see where …how..and most importantly put back

[u/BlitzieKun]

When I was on probation, I did a lot of general handyman tasks in my spare time. Also assembled / built a few roof props, too.

A lot of people say you should focus on training... but this is a good opportunity to learn basic skills. Lots of probies don't have backgrounds in the trades, and quite frankly, that knowledge is valuable in our line of work.

Obviously, bitch work is bitch work... but teach your probie to use basic tools, understand how plumbing works, etc.

[u/Icy_Communication173]

Landscaping, wax the reserve apparatus, develop a program, Explorers, CERT, community CPR instructor, clean the apparatus cabinets, tools as suggested above, host a blood drive, create a fundraiser to support EMS scholarships at the local high school.

[u/Trojan1722]

district study, district study, hydrant locations and compartment memorization. Then training, presentation every nightshift to crew on a topic like tool uses etc ( Use of hydraulic rams cutters etc).

[u/tinareginamina]

Some great comments here on training first etc but if you really come down to running out of things and not wanting to be idle then polishing chrome was something I found quite satisfying. Start with something small and work up. It’s doesn’t hurt that your Captain and Engineers rig will start looking real sharp if it wasn’t already. Of course ask their permission first.

[u/Rhino676971]

Continue training them and have them help with tool checks so they know where everything is in the apparatus, and with whatever spare time is left have them help with the normal station chores

[u/ThatsMyYam]

polish the diamond plate. it’ll keep you busy.

[u/Impossible_Cupcake31]

We made ours build a Lego fire truck lol

[u/Tasty_Explanation_20]

Changing the summer air in the tires for winter air.

Stirring the water in the tanks to relieve sediment

Push starting the K saw

[u/Sealtooth5]

Fresh coat of paint

[u/skimaskschizo]

Painting the tools never hurts

[u/fyxxer32]

Start a garden 

[u/Datsunoffroad]

I enjoy walking them around the warehouse district and talking building construction and forcible entry, and of course utilities.

[u/Ripley224]

Tool maintenance, new wraps on handles, sharpen all the kitchen knives, furniture maintenance, station inventory

[u/Excellent-Plane-574]

Find a target hazard and present it. Find local or famous fires and. Present them.

[u/CraigwithaC1995]

Making a chart of the trucks and equipment. Helps learn the equipment and memorize where it's at. Could even go a step further and quiz them on why it's there.

[u/HolyDiverx]

make sure the engine has all 6 fire axes constantly. it'll be on a checklist i imagine.

[u/Any_Program_2113]

As a probie, I organized and labeled all the stations fire inspection files.

[u/butcher1326]

Washing and detailing the senior man’s POV

[u/ColdSmoke3170]

In my rookie days, about 1974, the newbie would have to clean/polish the pump panel with a toothbrush and a cup of powdered soap. Saturday was lawn care day at all the stations. The probie would be sent to another station to pick up the lawnmower we all shared. Of course they didn’t have it and he was sent to the next station, and the next, etc. Another regular gag was to have the rookie measure & record the length of each section of 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 hose on the spare rack looking for ‘defective’ sections that had shrunk below 50 ft. The ‘good old days’…