My Board

A time I felt I played in the top left box was on a barn fire in Wayne township. The fire at night and there was no electricity in the barn, so it was pretty dark in the barn. The homeowner told me that his bull was in the field and there were no other animals in the barn. What he forgot to mention was the bull was able to run back into the barn, because there wasn't a door. I'm not a farmer nor do I know alot about how farmers keep their livestock housed. We entered the barn knocked down some hotspots, when someone yelled BULL. I don't think I saw E22 crew move so fast jumpimg over the barn dividers getting out of this very large bulls way. We don't get alot of barn fires in Clearcreek, so dodging farm animals wasn't something I thought about or was used to.  Although it's something I won't ever forget.

The crew was safe from the bull behind the barn dividers. We stayed there until we finished putting out the hotspots the safest way we could. We were able to find another way out of the barn that kept us away from the bull.

I would have asked more questions or at least had him elaborate more on the bull's location. Along with, did the bull have access back into the barn. This was one of those ask 1,000 questions and keep your head on a swivel moment.

I always try get the crew to look at their surroundings and know whats going on around them. Get more information from people on scene, to see if there is anything that can hurt us. Even if that means not being involved in the work that's going on but for the safety of the crew working. I must admit that being chased by a bull was a first for me and hopefully the last.

I remember that night. This would have been good information to pass along by crews already on the scene. That was my takeaway. Remember the crews coming in behind you and relevant information that needs to be passed on.

I do not agree with this guy and I hope anyone that reads this article would feel the same way.  Clearly the statement saying an occupied structure with working smoke alarms and the window of escapability is three minutes or less.  Obviously he has not heard the radio traffic from the Florida fatal fire in November 2018.  We as firefighters took this job knowing it is very dangerous and/or fatal.  To say we will only make entry if we know 100% the structure is occupied and has only been on fire for 3 minutes is just stupid. 
The fire service has made very good forward progress over the years with teaching and training on ways to protect firefighters and at the same time still continue to search structures, save lives and put fires out without burning the entire structure to the ground. 
Cancer is a problem we face with today's building materials and products in the structure once they are ignited and burn.  I agree with educating the public through fire prevention and fire safety inspections.  Sprinkler systems improve occupants survive-ability, prevent loss to the structure and reduce firefighters exposure.  Through building code changes maybe residential sprinkler systems can become mandated, again would save life, property and limit firefighters exposure. 
Bottom line is our tax paying citizens would not be happy if the watched the fire department let every structure burn to the ground.  We as firefighters took this job to protect our community and its citizens and do whatever it takes to do so.

Good points here Brian. It hasn't become a big enough problem yet to get tougher safety standards in the building code because of the added cost to adding items like residential sprinkler systems. Statistically speaking, we do not have one of the most dangerous jobs, we do however have people going to bat for us to protect us even further. Some of these things are making PPE more protective, using data to help us make smarter decisions.

While I do agree that interior will continue to evolve with the goal of safety, I have a hard time even taking this article serious. First of all, anyone can become an expert since there's no real hard line qualifier for doing so. For example, Troy Bonfield has published several articles for Fire Engineering on topics of leadership, trust, morale, etc. This guy is under the impression that we can prevent all  fires by education. His statement "The only way to stop exposing more firefighters to an increased risk of developing cancer–a risk that’s already greater than that of the public we serve–is to stop exposing them to the heat and toxic smoke of interior structural firefighting" is true but not reasonable. The fire service continues to make things safer for firefighters, but there will always be some inherent risk. By his theory, there will be no fire departments, only haz-mat crews to clean up.
This is a double edge sword for us in the fire service. With new presumptive cancer laws for BWC and now more work related cancer claims, this increases cost and liability. This in turn creates the environment of the only safe working condition is in the cold zone. This may create the idea that maybe our jobs aren't necessary.

Excuse Meister

Over the years, I've heard the craziest excuses and lies come from grown men!!  I have raised 3 children and haven't heard excuses so elaborate.
I could go into great detail discussing one employee, but I'm only allowed max of 500 words.  In short concerning that grown man, I hope his hands someday grow bigger so he can hold the set of irons (Excuses!!!) .

I will focus on another individual that had an excuse that is definitely at the top of my crazy excuse list.

Engine was called for area coverage to Franklin Fire Station. Crew of 3 traveling routine to the station, around 20:00.  It was dark and began to rain during our response.  After a couple minutes of waiting, I told the driver to turn the windshield wipers on so WE can see.
After using what I call the  " feeling up the dash" method, I finally told him to stop the engine.  His immediate response after stopping the engine was " I'm telling on you, your delaying our response"  I informed him that we have to safely arrive and at this moment we are traveling unsafely.
I then asked him again to turn on the wipers, still feeling up the dash, our jump seat FF attempted to help, I asked him to let the driver figure it out. 
After a minute or so, the driver replied "I don't think this engine was ordered with windshield wipers".
The driver was switched out with my jump seat FF.
At the Franklin Station, I had the FF explain to me why he doesn't know where the wiper switch is.  His reply was " its never been raining during my morning truck checks, so I never gave it any thought).

I didn't allow him the privilege of driving back to CCFD.  I immediately took action and through our Captain, requested that he no longer be the FAO until he knows the engine thoroughly.  That didn't sit well with the FF.  In the end, not only was his knowledge improved, but my confidence in the FF improved.
I used that crazy night as a WOW moment as an officer, its always assumed that a grown man is and should be responsible enough to be the best he can be in this profession. From that point on, random quizzes occurred with other FAO's on various Engine operation  or location of equipment.

I have seen this scenario play out in other context. CCFD has come a long way in our training of new drivers and FAO's. Kudos to our award winning training program. Not too long ago it was a priority to get people rushed through their drivers and FAO training. I don't think all of the blame is on the driver in your scenario. It sounds like you handled it proper at the time, however, he is not the person who signed his paper acknowledging he was a competent FAO. It also makes me wonder, if he didn't know where the wiper control was, what else did he not know?

I agree that flexibility is needed to overcome obstacles.  Being flexible to changes in our schedules allow us to be a vital part of a team with the overall goal in mind. 

The flexible approach does require a degree of selflessness as the priorities of the team will collide with a persons desire to pursue personal desires and goals. Take Care of Business, Work for the overall good of the organization and Quit Breaking Things!

Agreed, flexibility is a key to mission success. This means being flexible, not just saying you're flexible.

What strategies do you use to manage your time effectively?

     I currently use 2 calendars, outlook calendar on my work computer and my calendar on my iPhone. I use these calendars in combination with notes i keep on my iPhone to organize and prioritize a to-do list.

What are some of your biggest obstacles to managing your time effectively?

     The biggest obstacle I have is the fact that I don't have a dedicated work space or computer. Another obstacle is unplanned items that may occur during a work day.

What can you do to remove some of these obstacles?

     Some obstacles cannot be removed, they just need to be expected. Allot extra time for items when possible and don't procrastinate. I think sticking to a daily routine (as much as possible) helps things flow easier.