Page 10 - In Command Volume 18 - Ohio Fire Chiefs Association

Lessons Learned
from the Old Salts By Chief Tom O’Brien, Liberty Township Fire Department
“Knowledge is power. You can’t begin a career, or for that matter even a relation- ship, unless you know everything there is to know about it.” (Randeep Hooda). These are strong words about knowledge and relationships.
As officers and firefighters, it is imperative that we pass knowledge on to new employees. And most often, who has the most knowledge? They’re the grumpy, “old salts” who not only have on-the-job experience, but also invaluable historical knowledge. So, how do we get it out of them?
First and foremost, it’s important we understand the old salts’ psyche. What has soured their outlook in the first place? Could it be they are just burnt out? Or, do they feel they’re being put out to pasture in hopes they will go quietly and not disrupt the shift? I have even witnessed young firefighters being told to avoid them for fear the “old salts” would taint their outlook on the fire service. The bottom line is, perhaps we created them? There have been increasing environmental and cultural changes in the fire service over the years; have we bothered to include them or consult them on said changes?
We must make a concerted effort to re-engage them so they want to share their experiences, and we can share ours. One way is to get a discussion going around the dinner table (assuming everyone still eats a meal together, which is a whole other subject). If we can get stories going where you can share what happened at a particular fire, inevitably someone will share something the seasoned firefighter will negate. He is then apt to jump in and speak. At this point, you have successfully managed to get him involved in the conversation. Don’t dismiss him. A good communicator will keep the conversation going. The war stories shared, no matter how glorified, allow knowledge to flow.
For example, it’s training time and you are addressing pump operations. All of you dinosaurs out there know that pumping used to be an art form. With today’s technol- ogy, it’s now a push of a few buttons and out comes the water. During this training, why not actively engage the seasoned firefighter (who probably hates how the pump runs) on his thoughts on pump operations and how it has changed over the years. Now, you’re training and possibly learning something new at the same time.
Do you see a common thread here? I have talked with many an older firefighter from the time I was a new one up until today, some thirty years later. And yes, at times, I am one of those older, negative people. Granted, no one is happy all of the time. But, some of the most negative firefighters I have had the pleasure of knowing were also some of the best. We need to make an effort to carefully exam the root cause of all the negativity and see if we can calm the waters to get them back in the game. If we can make them feel needed, rely on their knowledge, and make them feel as important today as they were the day they started, who knows what we all might learn! u
10 InCommand APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2017 • www.ohiofirechiefs.org