Are Firefighters Too Diluted?

[TaylorMade]

When I first started in the fire service, we did not do nearly as much as we do now.

During my career I have been on the HazMat team for the county, a rescue specialist and even spent some time as an investigator.

Now I see guys with 5 or 6 special areas of "expertise" on their resumes.

With such dilution of concentrated specialties. Are some firefighters taking on too many special skills?

Are we multi faceted in the fire department? Of course, but is it dangerous to be a jack of all skills and master of none?

[rzafire]

It has become a problem. The specialties become rewarded by the departments for promotablity, and the function itself takes a back seat to the resume.

[Shorttimer]

When I first started in the fire service, we did not do nearly as much as we do now.

During my career I have been on the HazMat team for the county, a rescue specialist and even spent some time as an investigator.

Now I see guys with 5 or 6 special areas of "expertise" on their resumes.

With such dilution of concentrated specialties. Are some firefighters taking on too many special skills?

Are we multi faceted in the fire department? Of course, but is it dangerous to be a jack of all skills and master of none?
I think if you spent the time in each firefighter position to truly become competent you would never make it out of the rank. Lets say 4 years in each position.
Engine Co FF
Truck FF
Patrol FF
Paramedic
Air ops medic
Hazmat FF
Usar FF
28 Years. Qualify for each position but don't work the post position and you still get promotional points. I give the guys that really work their positions for more than 5 years props because they are the go to guys in their specialties.

[jude23]

Shorttimer, you make a good point...learning or qualifying for the position doesn't mean you have to fill each and every one of those positions. It provides a knowledge base / foundation to build upon...and you can discuss hazmat, rescue, arson, arff, etc. issues intelligently with those who do claim to be the expert authority in those areas. Some departments require personnel to commit to those assignments for a specified amount of time if they are selected to fill the position.
While on the subject...whatever happened to staying in or experiencing each rank for a reasonable amount of time. We're seeing a lot of guys rushing to take the Captain's test with only a handful of years on the job. Can someone really learn the position they will be supervising if they were only there for 4 years, much less skip over a rank? Surely, there are those individuals who can do the job at any rank, but the fire service is seeing a lot of YOUNG captains who are responding to incidents that they will have to manage...incidents that they may not have experienced at any other rank. I know...every day is different and not one person has seen every type of incident regardless to time on the job.

[Ash702]

I think the guys that wanna put in the time and training should be able to. My department has recently said that guys can't be TRT techincians and HAZMAT techs as well. So they are controlling how much guys can become certified with specialty certs. But if they are able to keep up with the training and study time, more power to them!!

[Ventgroup]

I will say something we have all heard before. "The sponge can only hold so much water before some starts to spill out. I know guys that are at the FF rank, and have a specialty in 4 different areas. Does someone really use all those specialties often enough to be proficient at it? Not even in the busiest department could someone use that many specialties. If it is me in need of assistance, I want someone who has dedicated their time to one or two specialties, and trains consistantly in just those two areas. A firefighter shouldn't be "ok" at everything, but trained enough to be great at one thing, or two. So I say yes, some firefighters are definately "diluted."

[Ash702]

What is your opinion on Firefighter/Paramedics that have extra certs, Ventgroup? Just curious....

[F-Dub]

I agree with your question of is it dangerous to be a jack of many skills but a master of none? At the same time I feel that the more training you have, will prepare you for more types of responses and who knows when a skill you learned in a rescue class may help you on a Haz-mat call. But at the same time with alot of theese classes requireing continueing education, how can you stay on top of it when you have 4-5 specialties you have to meet a min. number of training hours for and still have to do your dept.'s training as well. I do also think that many firefighters tend to take theese classes as resume builders and never really learning or understanding any of the specialties that they are so-called certified in. So I guess what I'm trying to say is it is good to be versed in many areas but not to the point where you can't stay on top of the changes made to that area and the training required to stay proficient at it.

[Ventgroup]

What is your opinion on Firefighter/Paramedics that have extra certs, Ventgroup? Just curious....

Well, good point. Let's see. . . I guess medics practice their EMS skills every day on the job. They are always staying on top of their skills, so it becomes second nature to them. Do they do the same thing for confined space rescue? How about Haz Mat? Can they devote that much time to another specialty, yes, but I don't think they can do all the specialties and still be proficient at them all.

Remember, always spay and neuter your pets.

[Shorttimer]

I see it like this as well. I am still a medic. I don't work in PM post (Capt). In a gnarly mci I can still tube or shoot IV's. I would not want to be thrust into the patient man role without some warm up. The multi cert guys are great to have to assist the Post pos techs when needed, they speak the lingo where I only have a working knowledge of some of those skills. There is a place for them as long as they don't let their primary job skills slide. Our department hold regular CE for almost all of the various positions available.

[tuffstuff]

Dilution is the solution to the pollution, right? Maybe in HazMat, but as a firefighter, WRONG!

Aspect and slope, santa ana winds, stay away from saddles. Form 214.

Use a brake bar instead of a prussik. change of direction or mechanical advantage.

Through the lock, rotary saw, go for the hinges.

Place a ladder at the sill, 2man 35's,

Peds dose for lidocaine, shock at 300j. 12 lead ekg's

Master grip while working as a swat medic.

Cook at 350 and pump at 150. Pre-trip inspection.

Hell yeah it is easy to get diluted! I think that having guys who "specialize" in an area for a certain amount of time before moving on to something else is VERY important.

[TaylorMade]

Tuffstuff,

Your response, as sarcastic as it is, hits a home run with my expressive view.

I concur with your solution to ensure that more firemen stay in one concentrated area longer before moving on.

Cheers.

[Ash702]

I see it like this as well. I am still a medic. I don't work in PM post (Capt). In a gnarly mci I can still tube or shoot IV's. I would not want to be thrust into the patient man role without some warm up. The multi cert guys are great to have to assist the Post pos techs when needed, they speak the lingo where I only have a working knowledge of some of those skills. There is a place for them as long as they don't let their primary job skills slide. Our department hold regular CE for almost all of the various positions available.

Shortimer is making my point exactly!! You worked previously as a medic and retained your cert. You no longer function in that capacity, but do have the knowledge, skills and ability to contribute to the team. That is what I am saying guys that have multiple certs can do!! You may not practice your skills everyday, such as a medic, but you do have the training and knowledge to do the job. Working as part of a team (such as a TRT or HAZMAT) you may need to knock the cobwebs loose, but you would be more valuable than somebody with little or even no training.

[booya]

To be able to have some knowledge of each subject makes you a better well rounded firefighter. You don't have to have all the classes, just being around with a good crew makes you more proficient.

You can always tell when a firefighter shows up and intimently knows a subject. He is passionate about it and is willing to teach and make guys around him better. I believe that a firefighter needs to pick a path. Learn one trade to the best of their ability; whether it be truck ops, rescue or hazmat. The hours needed to recertify and keep up on the weekly changes almost makes it impossible to have multiple feathers in the cap.

You educate yourself and open one door and realize there are a hundred more doors behind that. Go out and get schooled today it will make you a better firefighter!

[Chile]

I think if you spent the time in each firefighter position to truly become competent you would never make it out of the rank. Lets say 4 years in each position.

I totally agree with you Shorttimer. It seems like it would be in the best interest of the organization, your fellow firefighters, and for yourself --to stay in one area for about 5 years and then move on.

However, it is good to be diversified somewhat, especially if you are on a multi faceted piece of equipment like a truck company.

The bottom line is.......train on something everyday, and it will ease any discomfort you may have in a certain area.

[jude23]

However, it is good to be diversified somewhat, especially if you are on a multi faceted piece of equipment like a truck company.

The bottom line is.......train on something everyday, and it will ease any discomfort you may have in a certain area.

Nice point, Chile, especially about the truck company...it would go for a rescue company also...lots of expertise needed.
I don't think there is anything wrong with getting more and more classes, as long as you can stay proficient. It would only be natural to get back in the swing of things once called upon in a major incident. Let's be honest, we all do EMS everyday, so naturally, the medic and EMT skills are fresh. If you specialize only in trench rescue (for an example) are you out there training on trench rescue only everyday...or do you also wait for the annual refresher training. If you are trained in many areas, you can be a better resource on a wider variety of incidents...the IMPORTANT thing is to allow yourself to be a resource only if you are COMPETENT in those functions. Just because someone uses the shotgun approach for specialties does not mean that we have to utilize their training if it is insufficient...we all live together for a third of our careers and know in what "specialties" the other guy is weak or strong. On the flip side, there is nothing wrong with "specializing" in fire or EMS only.

[fatcobra]

I agree with just about everyone here. Too many certs will dilute the pool. I like Ash702 and many others here hold the Paramedic rank while also doing the Firefighter job. I choose not to do the other specialty training because I want to be good at my primary jobs, firefighting and medic skills.

I do believe that the fire service is the place for Haz-Mat, TRT and anything else emergency related, and I think we hire people that love that part of the department. Im just not one of them. Just as I suspect that there are firefighters that do not want anything to do with the medicine side of our job. As fireman Jake says, "Its all good."