It’s snowing outside. I realize that for those of you in Ontario or Alberta who have already received the first dump of snow, this isn’t quite the shock as it is for me, but this is earlier and heavier than we’re used to seeing. In interior BC, we don’t tend to get much snow that stays around until mid to late November, or even mid December. Plenty of slush, sleet, rain and fog, mind you, but not big heavy flakes that stick.
That being said, I’m pretty much ready for it. My snow tires are on, the winter gear is unpacked, scrapers, sand and brushes are loaded up. The baby’s snow-suits are laid out, and my sandals and shorts are in a box for another year. I’ve got my heavy gloves and winter insoles out for my bunker gear and I even washed my balaclava (about time, too…).
So I’m set to stand by the side of the road and direct traffic - which is pretty much the general vocation of the volunteer firefighter at this time of year. That and trying not to drive off the road as you hurry to the scene of yet another car in the ditch. I’ve ranted about this before, but I think we need to stop letting “all-season” tires be sold in Canada.
OK, OK, the lower mainland and southern Vancouver Island can get away with all-seasons in, well, all seasons. But everywhere else in this blessed country of ours, they should be called “dear lord not in the winter” tires. Or maybe “I hope you like sliding” tires.
I also think that there should be 2 speed limits – summer and winter. Perhaps a magnetic sign that says “We really mean it now - seriously” that you could attach to all the speed limit signs in the winter would do the trick. In any event, the snow is here, and no telling how long it will stay. At least daylight saving time hasn’t hit yet, so we’re still mostly driving while it’s light out.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Importance of Buy-In
I thought that this week I’d talk about the concept of buy-in, specifically as it applies to change in an organization. Human beings in general are not fond of change – we have to do things differently, think differently. Change makes us unsure of ourselves, and it makes us feel less proficient – not things that most people like.
Because change is uncomfortable, people tend to resist it, either consciously or unconsciously. This can make changing things in an organization a risky process. The stress of change can cause arguments, anger and bad feelings that persist even after the change has passed and become the “new normal”. In the worst cases, organizations can be made dysfunctional, or revert to older “comfortable” ways of doing things.
The idea of buy-in, or actively getting people to support changes, is a powerful part of change management. If people have bought into an idea or proposed change, they are much more likely to support it, speak positively about it, and put in the effort that any change requires. Attempting to make changes without at least some level of buy-in from the boots on the ground is going to be difficult at best, and impossible at worst.
As powerful and useful as the idea of buy-in is, it’s also somewhat risky, from the management perspective. It means, essentially, going to the people involved and asking them for support. Outlining the benefits and rationale for the changes is a good idea too. The risk is that you won’t receive the support you want, and you may have to put the proposed changes on hold, or cancel them altogether. Or you might just want to make a better case and try again.
Ultimately, creating the culture of communication and respect that is necessary to achieve true “buy-in” is a good thing, regardless of whether a particular change is achieved. This sort of bottom-up change can be more difficult to accomplish in the short term, but it makes the human factor of a big change more supportive. And as we all know, it’s the human side that tends to make things more difficult…
Because change is uncomfortable, people tend to resist it, either consciously or unconsciously. This can make changing things in an organization a risky process. The stress of change can cause arguments, anger and bad feelings that persist even after the change has passed and become the “new normal”. In the worst cases, organizations can be made dysfunctional, or revert to older “comfortable” ways of doing things.
The idea of buy-in, or actively getting people to support changes, is a powerful part of change management. If people have bought into an idea or proposed change, they are much more likely to support it, speak positively about it, and put in the effort that any change requires. Attempting to make changes without at least some level of buy-in from the boots on the ground is going to be difficult at best, and impossible at worst.
As powerful and useful as the idea of buy-in is, it’s also somewhat risky, from the management perspective. It means, essentially, going to the people involved and asking them for support. Outlining the benefits and rationale for the changes is a good idea too. The risk is that you won’t receive the support you want, and you may have to put the proposed changes on hold, or cancel them altogether. Or you might just want to make a better case and try again.
Ultimately, creating the culture of communication and respect that is necessary to achieve true “buy-in” is a good thing, regardless of whether a particular change is achieved. This sort of bottom-up change can be more difficult to accomplish in the short term, but it makes the human factor of a big change more supportive. And as we all know, it’s the human side that tends to make things more difficult…
Monday, October 5, 2009
Confined Spaces
A few weeks back we went up to the fire training ground at the Selkirk College campus in Nelson. The training ground has a bunch of natural-gas powered emplacements that can be lit and used for firefighting practice. It has dumpster, wall fire, propane tank, barbeque and car fire emplacements, and it looks like they will be adding a larger bus fire location as well.
The training ground also has a simulation building, built from cargo containers. It’s full of small rooms, furniture, closets, stairwells and other fun stuff. You can build a fire in an enclosed space at the back, filling the building with smoke and heat. We had a little problem getting the fire emplacements running, so we decided to do a Search and Rescue practice run into the building.
Tommy, another Firefighter who joined the department around the same time as I did, and I geared up in our BA’s. The training officer asked if we wanted to have a look around the building, before we went in. Everybody else went inside, but I said no. We won’t get a chance to preview a real structure before we go in, so why do it in training?
After everyone got back, the training officer used a smoke bomb to fill the building, and we headed inside. I’m not claustrophobic. I’ve done SCUBA diving and caving, and I’m not bothered by blackout simulations or wearing SCBA’s. But being in a building were you can’t see anything but smoke still feels a little… close. If you were the slightest bit panicked by tight spaces, I would really not recommend this sort of thing.
Like a good Firefighter, I checked my air before going in. 1900 PSI. Crawling, we worked our way down the upper floor of the structure, checking closets, working our way through hallways and keeping one hand on the right-hand wall. I was the second man, and I know the theory here – keep one hand on the leg of the first guy, and use the fire axe handle to extend your reach and probe for obstructions or people.
Of course, the practice is a bit different. A sofa feels a lot like a person when you are poking it with the handle of an axe. And an axe in a small, confined, obscured area becomes a bit unwieldy. It’s also lots of fun to find your way around. We had a little trouble on the way back, starting down a hallway that we hadn’t come in on.
We made it back out, and it felt like we’d been in there an hour, so I checked my air again. 1400 PSI. We were inside maybe 6 or 7 minutes. It was a totally foreign experience, and I imagine that heat and crackling flames would have made it a lot more stressful. I really enjoyed myself, though. It was a mental and physical challenge, and something that very few people get to do.
It also highlighted to me how critical scenario training like this is – dangerous, unfamiliar environments are easy places to panic or make mistakes in. Hands-on training makes those experiences more familiar, and allow you to use the trained skills. I just wish we had the resources to do this more often – I’d rather have the skills and not need them, than need them and not have them.
The training ground also has a simulation building, built from cargo containers. It’s full of small rooms, furniture, closets, stairwells and other fun stuff. You can build a fire in an enclosed space at the back, filling the building with smoke and heat. We had a little problem getting the fire emplacements running, so we decided to do a Search and Rescue practice run into the building.
Tommy, another Firefighter who joined the department around the same time as I did, and I geared up in our BA’s. The training officer asked if we wanted to have a look around the building, before we went in. Everybody else went inside, but I said no. We won’t get a chance to preview a real structure before we go in, so why do it in training?
After everyone got back, the training officer used a smoke bomb to fill the building, and we headed inside. I’m not claustrophobic. I’ve done SCUBA diving and caving, and I’m not bothered by blackout simulations or wearing SCBA’s. But being in a building were you can’t see anything but smoke still feels a little… close. If you were the slightest bit panicked by tight spaces, I would really not recommend this sort of thing.
Like a good Firefighter, I checked my air before going in. 1900 PSI. Crawling, we worked our way down the upper floor of the structure, checking closets, working our way through hallways and keeping one hand on the right-hand wall. I was the second man, and I know the theory here – keep one hand on the leg of the first guy, and use the fire axe handle to extend your reach and probe for obstructions or people.
Of course, the practice is a bit different. A sofa feels a lot like a person when you are poking it with the handle of an axe. And an axe in a small, confined, obscured area becomes a bit unwieldy. It’s also lots of fun to find your way around. We had a little trouble on the way back, starting down a hallway that we hadn’t come in on.
We made it back out, and it felt like we’d been in there an hour, so I checked my air again. 1400 PSI. We were inside maybe 6 or 7 minutes. It was a totally foreign experience, and I imagine that heat and crackling flames would have made it a lot more stressful. I really enjoyed myself, though. It was a mental and physical challenge, and something that very few people get to do.
It also highlighted to me how critical scenario training like this is – dangerous, unfamiliar environments are easy places to panic or make mistakes in. Hands-on training makes those experiences more familiar, and allow you to use the trained skills. I just wish we had the resources to do this more often – I’d rather have the skills and not need them, than need them and not have them.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Search and Rescue Training
Hi everyone,
I've been doing a lot of really interesting training with the Fire Department lately. On the weekend of the 12th and 13th we had a 2-day training session on Search and Rescue. We did awareness-level courses on Building Collapse, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue and Industrial Rescue.
Our Fire Hall has a lumber mill across the street, so the Confined Space and Industrial Rescue information was particularly important. As a small department, our resources are limited, so we're not able to train to a technical level in many different disciplines, but since we are so isolated, it's critical to have at least a working awareness of the dangers involved in different types of rescue situations.
We trained with firefighters from about 5 other departments in the general area, which was really interesting. It's always good to meet some of the other guys, as you may be working with them on a mutual aid call at some point. The weekend was glorious as well, blue skies and 28 degrees. Too bad we were inside doing mostly classroom work - it was awareness level stuff, after all.
Fortunately, we were able to get outside on the second day for Trench Rescue and Industrial Rescue. We spent the afternoon at Kalesnikoff's Lumber Mill, getting oriented to the mill operations, identifying the hazards, and touring the area. Between kilns, stacked lumber and logs, the green line and shavings storage, there are a LOT of fire and safety hazards over there. To say nothing of the confined spaces, electrical hazards, explosive materials and generally sharp, nasty things.
Sometimes, the more I learn about the sort of things that Fire Departments are expected to do, the more I thing "what the hell am I doing?" I realize that money is tight, but relying in volunteers for a lot of this sort of thing is purely ridiculous. We don't have the time or money to be trained to the point where we can respond safely to the range of emergencies that can occur.
I suppose that we have to decide on a line between cost, safety and likelihood of events and try to walk it as best we can. Still, I can't help but think that local governments and regions across North America are over-relying on the willingness of a group of dedicated people to put themselves at great risk, with limited training, for the good of the community.
In every training course I've even taken with the Fire Department, they've taught us to protect our own safety above anything else. I can see that for a lot of people, the logical conclusion is that not being a Fire Fighter is the best way to ensure that safety - which leads us inevitably to difficulty in recruitment and retention. This is a hard, dangerous job, that we do with little or no compensation - not the best recruiting slogan, is it?
I've been doing a lot of really interesting training with the Fire Department lately. On the weekend of the 12th and 13th we had a 2-day training session on Search and Rescue. We did awareness-level courses on Building Collapse, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue and Industrial Rescue.
Our Fire Hall has a lumber mill across the street, so the Confined Space and Industrial Rescue information was particularly important. As a small department, our resources are limited, so we're not able to train to a technical level in many different disciplines, but since we are so isolated, it's critical to have at least a working awareness of the dangers involved in different types of rescue situations.
We trained with firefighters from about 5 other departments in the general area, which was really interesting. It's always good to meet some of the other guys, as you may be working with them on a mutual aid call at some point. The weekend was glorious as well, blue skies and 28 degrees. Too bad we were inside doing mostly classroom work - it was awareness level stuff, after all.
Fortunately, we were able to get outside on the second day for Trench Rescue and Industrial Rescue. We spent the afternoon at Kalesnikoff's Lumber Mill, getting oriented to the mill operations, identifying the hazards, and touring the area. Between kilns, stacked lumber and logs, the green line and shavings storage, there are a LOT of fire and safety hazards over there. To say nothing of the confined spaces, electrical hazards, explosive materials and generally sharp, nasty things.
Sometimes, the more I learn about the sort of things that Fire Departments are expected to do, the more I thing "what the hell am I doing?" I realize that money is tight, but relying in volunteers for a lot of this sort of thing is purely ridiculous. We don't have the time or money to be trained to the point where we can respond safely to the range of emergencies that can occur.
I suppose that we have to decide on a line between cost, safety and likelihood of events and try to walk it as best we can. Still, I can't help but think that local governments and regions across North America are over-relying on the willingness of a group of dedicated people to put themselves at great risk, with limited training, for the good of the community.
In every training course I've even taken with the Fire Department, they've taught us to protect our own safety above anything else. I can see that for a lot of people, the logical conclusion is that not being a Fire Fighter is the best way to ensure that safety - which leads us inevitably to difficulty in recruitment and retention. This is a hard, dangerous job, that we do with little or no compensation - not the best recruiting slogan, is it?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
MS Mountain Bike Tour
This weekend was the Rona MS Mountain Bike Tour in Hinton, Alberta. Doug and I were invited to participate by Jasper Fire Chief Greg Van Tighem. I had training all weekend at the Fire Department, so I wasn't able to attend (lack of conditioning and family responsibilities were also considerations…), but Doug made the trip and joined Greg's team, the Rockhoppers, for the 2-day event.
The drive up to Jasper wasn't as long as anticipated - only 11 hours from Nelson to Hinton. Leaving at 6 am and arriving at 6 pm (with a 1-hour time change), Doug and his friend Bruce Hardy enjoyed the amazing scenery on the drive, passing through Kootenay National Park and then up the Icefield Parkway through Banff and Jasper National Parks.
Arriving in Hinton, they found a campsite reserved for the Jasper Rockhoppers team and got set up. Later, the Jasper Fire Chief's truck pulled up, carrying Greg and a few other essentials, like a keg of Rockhopper ale. The next morning the team joined over 330 riders at the start line and set off by 8 am. The sun hadn't reached the trail yet, so it was a cool 8 degrees.
This is apparently the only mountain bike tour in Canada, so Doug was interested in the kinds of trails that they would see. The tour started on a gravel road, then headed through the forest on a single track, crossing a small foot bridge over a creek, then down another dirt road. After about an hour of peddling, the sun had joined them, so everyone stripped down to t-shirts.
The riders then turned onto the highway for about a KM so that they could cross the Athabasca River. The tour had closed 1 lane of the highway for the riders, and had a pilot car take traffic around. After crossing the river, the riders turned off onto another dirt road to the first checkpoint, which were all well-stocked, making the riding very enjoyable.
The rest of the day's ride passed through grassy fields, heavy forests and up old logging roads, covering about 50K and climbing 3500 ft. The ride finished at about 4:30, where buses were waiting to bring everyone back to the campsite.
After a fun evening (which I'm sure didn't include beers OR campfires) and a good sleep, all the riders were bussed back to where they left the bikes and set off for the day. They covered a lot more beautiful trails, including some real downhill, and reached the finish at about 1:00, where they had a BBQ.
Altogether, the group raised about $350,000, traveled about 100K, and climbed over 5000 ft. Bruce, Doug's riding partner raised over $2500, and Doug raised just over $1500. We would like to thank everyone for their generous donations in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. If anyone else would like to donate to the MS Society in support of Doug, Bruce and the Jasper Rockhoppers, go to:
https://msofs.mssociety.ca/2009Bike/Sponsor.aspx?&PID=1143661&L=2
The drive up to Jasper wasn't as long as anticipated - only 11 hours from Nelson to Hinton. Leaving at 6 am and arriving at 6 pm (with a 1-hour time change), Doug and his friend Bruce Hardy enjoyed the amazing scenery on the drive, passing through Kootenay National Park and then up the Icefield Parkway through Banff and Jasper National Parks.
Arriving in Hinton, they found a campsite reserved for the Jasper Rockhoppers team and got set up. Later, the Jasper Fire Chief's truck pulled up, carrying Greg and a few other essentials, like a keg of Rockhopper ale. The next morning the team joined over 330 riders at the start line and set off by 8 am. The sun hadn't reached the trail yet, so it was a cool 8 degrees.
This is apparently the only mountain bike tour in Canada, so Doug was interested in the kinds of trails that they would see. The tour started on a gravel road, then headed through the forest on a single track, crossing a small foot bridge over a creek, then down another dirt road. After about an hour of peddling, the sun had joined them, so everyone stripped down to t-shirts.
The riders then turned onto the highway for about a KM so that they could cross the Athabasca River. The tour had closed 1 lane of the highway for the riders, and had a pilot car take traffic around. After crossing the river, the riders turned off onto another dirt road to the first checkpoint, which were all well-stocked, making the riding very enjoyable.
The rest of the day's ride passed through grassy fields, heavy forests and up old logging roads, covering about 50K and climbing 3500 ft. The ride finished at about 4:30, where buses were waiting to bring everyone back to the campsite.
After a fun evening (which I'm sure didn't include beers OR campfires) and a good sleep, all the riders were bussed back to where they left the bikes and set off for the day. They covered a lot more beautiful trails, including some real downhill, and reached the finish at about 1:00, where they had a BBQ.
Altogether, the group raised about $350,000, traveled about 100K, and climbed over 5000 ft. Bruce, Doug's riding partner raised over $2500, and Doug raised just over $1500. We would like to thank everyone for their generous donations in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. If anyone else would like to donate to the MS Society in support of Doug, Bruce and the Jasper Rockhoppers, go to:
https://msofs.mssociety.ca/2009Bike/Sponsor.aspx?&PID=1143661&L=2
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Blogging and Baseball
After having a number of people comment to about my "blog postings" at the start of each Tip 'o the Week, I had an inspiration. Since I'm writing about my experiences as a volunteer firefighter on a regular basis, why not start an actual blog?
The new blog is located at http://hoseroll.blogspot.com/, and will also be available from our website, http://www.fp2.ca/. For those of you that get the Tip 'o the Week, there won't be a lot of new content at first, but I plan on adding some extra content there that you won't see on the Tips.
On a more Fire Department-related note, we did a departmental softball game and family day in August. Taira and Iris were visiting my sister and her kids, so I invited my dad Kevin to come along. Dad grew up playing baseball in Levittown, PA, and was part of some pretty amazing Little League teams as a kid, but he doesn't get many chances to play baseball anymore.
We didn't have enough people for two teams, but we had a great scrub game, rotating through positions and getting lots of chances to bat. It was a great time, and afterwards we fired up the barbeques and the ping-pong table at the Fire Hall. Dad and I had a lot of fun, and it was wonderful to let him experience the sense of community and family that exists at the Department. Plus we triumphed gloriously at ping-pong!
Ultimately, it's that sense of community and family that I like the most about being a volunteer firefighter. It's something I got used to growing up in a small town, and something that I missed living in the city.
The new blog is located at http://hoseroll.blogspot.com/, and will also be available from our website, http://www.fp2.ca/. For those of you that get the Tip 'o the Week, there won't be a lot of new content at first, but I plan on adding some extra content there that you won't see on the Tips.
On a more Fire Department-related note, we did a departmental softball game and family day in August. Taira and Iris were visiting my sister and her kids, so I invited my dad Kevin to come along. Dad grew up playing baseball in Levittown, PA, and was part of some pretty amazing Little League teams as a kid, but he doesn't get many chances to play baseball anymore.
We didn't have enough people for two teams, but we had a great scrub game, rotating through positions and getting lots of chances to bat. It was a great time, and afterwards we fired up the barbeques and the ping-pong table at the Fire Hall. Dad and I had a lot of fun, and it was wonderful to let him experience the sense of community and family that exists at the Department. Plus we triumphed gloriously at ping-pong!
Ultimately, it's that sense of community and family that I like the most about being a volunteer firefighter. It's something I got used to growing up in a small town, and something that I missed living in the city.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Don't Get Used to It.
Ever since I became a parent, I hear people tell me the same thing, over and over. "Don't get used to it". Babies, and indeed, lives, go through lots of stages. Sometimes they go very fast indeed.
Not too long ago I was feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities, juggling family, fire, fun and work was tough, and it felt like something had to give. I thought it would be fire fighting, and was planning to take a leave and concentrate on other things. Turns out, that didn't need to happen. We got more comfortable with our new routines. Iris started sleeping through the night (until last week, anyways - good thing I didn't get used to it…). Life smoothed out a bit.
There was still stress, and distraction, but it felt more manageable. The support I got from the Department was also great. Not only was everyone very understanding about my changed responsibilities, everybody also wanted to help - and to hold the baby, of course.
This all goes into one of the things which I think is critical to a volunteer organization looking to retain members. Roll with the punches. Things change, so be flexible and supportive, and if you do, you'll probably be successful. So remember, "Don't get used to it".
Not too long ago I was feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities, juggling family, fire, fun and work was tough, and it felt like something had to give. I thought it would be fire fighting, and was planning to take a leave and concentrate on other things. Turns out, that didn't need to happen. We got more comfortable with our new routines. Iris started sleeping through the night (until last week, anyways - good thing I didn't get used to it…). Life smoothed out a bit.
There was still stress, and distraction, but it felt more manageable. The support I got from the Department was also great. Not only was everyone very understanding about my changed responsibilities, everybody also wanted to help - and to hold the baby, of course.
This all goes into one of the things which I think is critical to a volunteer organization looking to retain members. Roll with the punches. Things change, so be flexible and supportive, and if you do, you'll probably be successful. So remember, "Don't get used to it".
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