I have
been told my whole career that I cannot expect everyone to love the job the way
I do and to that I say blasphemy. While
this may not be a practical expectation, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be one. There are a lot of things which tear at the
fabric of a fire department and for that matter the fire service in general. One of the big ones, which few want to talk
about, is the acceptance of employees who joined our occupation out of need for
a job rather than any type of calling. This
also exists in the volunteer ranks with those who came to hang out and get a
cool T-shirt but contribute squat to the department. While that may be harsh, I firmly believe
that our craft is more than just a job and needs to be treated as such in order
to operate at a level which will provide the appropriate level of safety to our
citizens.
We have
all worked around underachievers, less talented individuals, and those who
simply never should have been hired. In
many cases the deficiencies with these employees are blatantly obvious and
easily dealt with. A more dangerous type
of employee is the one that doesn’t necessarily seem deficient at face
value. I refer to these employees as “good
guys.” Too often people use the term good
guy as a cover for those in our ranks who have no business sharing our craft. If you have never paid attention to how this
term is used, I suggest you start now.
Normally if someone is referred to
as good guy it is sort of a polite insult.
Being a good guy generally means you are likely nice, pleasant, and mean
well but no one can find anything job related to describe you in a positive
manner. Good guys usually don’t bring
any type of operational value to the team and are content to show up and
collect their check and benefits. In
other cases they freelance or perform other dangerous acts on the fireground
which are accepted because they are nice people. Essentially, the term good guy is a
politically correct tool for describing individuals who are liked on a personal
level but don’t seem to bring any specific value to the job. Think good and hard about what is said when describing
those whom you really look up to. You might
hear things like great nozzleman, incredible pump operator, great leader, mentor,
etc. What you will not hear is yeah, he
is a good guy. Now think of the people
you have heard referred to as good guys.
I bet they are more useful for borrowing a tool, hobbies, or working on
your vehicle than they are firefighting.
The real challenge with good guys
is that they are often able to hide, unnoticed, until they slip through the
cracks and advance to a point where they are exposed. They don’t seem to make any waves, they will
usually maintain the minimum standard, and aren’t usually the topic of many
conversations. Since most find
commonalities with the rest of the team unrelated to the job, their lack of
contribution can go unnoticed for a long period of time. Now I would never insult someone for being a
good person, but that alone doesn’t qualify you as valuable to my fire
service. Frankly I am tired of hearing
about these types of people gumming up our ranks and delaying a return to a
fire service that is full of pride, passion, and skill.
Another problem with good guys is
that they are often well liked by middle and upper management. This is generally because they don’t make
waves but also could be due to a previous friendship, family relationship, or
because they were recommended by someone trusted by management. This can make them especially hard to deal
with in a traditional manner as they may be protected from corrective action
depending on the culture and processes of your department.
Fortunately, not all good guys are
a lost cause. Many of them can be
converted into passionate, contributing members of the fire service. This conversion starts with strong leadership at the company
level. These individuals need company
officers who are prepared to put in the extra time and effort it will take to
evoke enthusiasm and passion in personnel who may not be self-motivated. Sign them up for classes and conferences,
make the training area your second home, and reinforce all the wonderful things
about the fire service that make you love it.
Do whatever you can within the acceptable limits of your SOPs to either
develop these individuals or help them realize that there are other lines of
work which offer similar pay and benefits but require less personal investment. Many good guys will find other employment on
their own if you force them to be firemen every day.
You can call me a lot of things,
but if you really want to piss me off refer to me as a “good guy” when speaking
of me to others. As far as I am
concerned that is a derogatory comment and will be treated as such. If you describe me as a good guy you will see
me rapidly grab some equipment and start doing something to change your
mind. Remember good guys aren’t bad people;
they just don’t always belong in the fire service. Kindly help them find their passion or guide
them to the door. 
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