What is it?
What differentiates Roanoke Fire-EMS from other departments across the Nation? Is it the pay? The benefits? The demographics? The personnel? The training? The City itself?
What is it?
Are Paramedics leaving at an increased rate?
Are the Officers underpaid and Medics overpaid?
Should the Medics ride the ambulance everyday for the extra pay they receive?
Should starting pay be more?
Is there selective discipline?
Is the promotional process fair and equitable?
Should we be riding on better trucks?
Are City employees treated as well as they deserve?
Are City funds missing there mark?
Are firefighters represented the way they should be?
These are just several of examples of issues that are talked about at the morning shift change. These conversations usually remain on the top of discussion the rest of the day. Occasionally news will drop affecting some of these issues and creates a buzz in the air. Then the rumor mill starts to wind up in full motion. Roanoke Fire-EMS top officials rarely answer the echoes of the buzz. Occasionally though, the eyebrows are raised in realization that there is a void of information which needs to be filled. We have all seen examples of this in the past. If you have taken the Officer I class from Virginia DFP then you know that this is a form of communication. While it may not be the most affective or even recommended, it happens.
At the end of the day, after fielding phone calls from all sorts of firefighters, I always return to the same thought: Every fire department has these problems. That is right, we are not special in that right. I am not saying we should throw our hands up and welcome mediocrity, rather I am relating our issues to that of other departments.
We do stand out though. Mostly in the viewpoint of Roanoke Fire-EMS being the biggest department in Virginia West of Richmond. We have well trained firefighters, loyal employees, specialized teams, specialized training, and adjunct instructors which teach throughout the State. We have a very young department, yet we remain a very experienced, dedicated, and professional force.
So what is the bottom line of all these issues? The bottom line is that each department has its strengths and weaknesses. If we learn from all the strengths and build upon that, then our department will move to the front. Take Phoenix for example. Why do they get so many applications each year? Because firefighters like what they see. Departments like Phoenix have placed the Fire Department and the services that the PFD offer at the top of the priority list.
What is it?
Are Paramedics leaving at an increased rate?
Are the Officers underpaid and Medics overpaid?
Should the Medics ride the ambulance everyday for the extra pay they receive?
Should starting pay be more?
Is there selective discipline?
Is the promotional process fair and equitable?
Should we be riding on better trucks?
Are City employees treated as well as they deserve?
Are City funds missing there mark?
Are firefighters represented the way they should be?
These are just several of examples of issues that are talked about at the morning shift change. These conversations usually remain on the top of discussion the rest of the day. Occasionally news will drop affecting some of these issues and creates a buzz in the air. Then the rumor mill starts to wind up in full motion. Roanoke Fire-EMS top officials rarely answer the echoes of the buzz. Occasionally though, the eyebrows are raised in realization that there is a void of information which needs to be filled. We have all seen examples of this in the past. If you have taken the Officer I class from Virginia DFP then you know that this is a form of communication. While it may not be the most affective or even recommended, it happens.
At the end of the day, after fielding phone calls from all sorts of firefighters, I always return to the same thought: Every fire department has these problems. That is right, we are not special in that right. I am not saying we should throw our hands up and welcome mediocrity, rather I am relating our issues to that of other departments.
We do stand out though. Mostly in the viewpoint of Roanoke Fire-EMS being the biggest department in Virginia West of Richmond. We have well trained firefighters, loyal employees, specialized teams, specialized training, and adjunct instructors which teach throughout the State. We have a very young department, yet we remain a very experienced, dedicated, and professional force.
So what is the bottom line of all these issues? The bottom line is that each department has its strengths and weaknesses. If we learn from all the strengths and build upon that, then our department will move to the front. Take Phoenix for example. Why do they get so many applications each year? Because firefighters like what they see. Departments like Phoenix have placed the Fire Department and the services that the PFD offer at the top of the priority list.
The other day at the fire station we were doing a hard and arduous task that we were not asked to do, but we wanted to. After we were done, one of the older firefighters said to me "you know if someone had asked us to do that we would have bitched and complained". Why is that?There are several ideals that I have always believed in:
- Customer Service should be a priority.
- If you make it a point to do your job to the fullest, you will reap the benefits.
- If you want something, the first step is asking for it.
- Don't ever let someone else tell you what you think.
- Stand up for what you believe in, you will be able to sleep at night.
- Be safe so you can go home in the morning.
I know I have kind of hit several points and wandered away from the point. That point being that Roanoke Fire-EMS isn't as bad as some make it. If all the energy used to talk about what is wrong was used to fix what is wrong, we would be better off.
The next time you bump into a firefighter from another department ask them if their department is perfect.
2 comments:
I don't know anyone in the Roanoke Fire Department, but I thought I'd chime in. My experience is that if you get a bunch of co-workers together regularly people start bitching no matter how good their work environment actually is. At least, if the environment isn't progressive. In other words, if the environment is good, but no progress is made (better gym, new programs) over a long period of time then the natives seem to get restless.
I remember being 19 and working a job at bread factory warehouse. It was a tough gig. There were two break rooms, one break room was used by Americans, the other break room was used by Russian immigrants. The Russians worked in the baking building and their jobs were much harder. I started taking lunch in the "American" room but after a week I got absolutely sick and tired of the americans pissing and moaning continually about how they worked so hard and deserve this, deserve that, etc. It was crazy. So I brought my lunch over to the "Russian" room and it was great. These guys had brutal jobs but during lunch they were laughing and smiling and having good conversation. So I had lunch there for the rest of my term at that job.
Sean
Firemen are no different. The "progressive" is the problem. The department is progressive, but not enough. If they were more progressive I believe that the bitching would be minimal, although in order to be more progressive, they would need the input from the men in the field. This is where the breakdown is.
It seems as though everyone thinks everyone else is incompetent.
Really if everyone just let others do there jobs I think it would flow much better.
As far as the pay is concerned, I think we have a ways to go before the bitching subsides. The pay problem begins with starting pay, specialized training pay, and continue with compression in the pay among the ranks, benefits (everyone has health care issues), and retirement.
Post a Comment