“The Positive Role Model”
By Barry Daskal
Published: February 2, 2010
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What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are. -C. S. Lewis. This is just a quick review of what it takes to be a positive role model.
There are several recognized traits of a positive role model. You don’t have to be an officer or a senior man to be a leader and set a positive example. Simply understand the tasks that need to be performed around the firehouse and quietly go about performing them. Whether you realize it or not, you are always being watched by the other members of your firehouse. The way a firefighter carries himself rubs off on the rest of the company. You should make a conscious effort to be the best you can be and do all you can to contribute to your company’s success. New firefighters are constantly looking for role models. We can actively serve as a mentor to these probies in several ways. One of the best things you can do is to provide constant encouragement. As a firefighter begins to assimilate to the culture of the firehouse do all that you can to help him adjust. Mentoring isn’t just for the fireground. Firefighters must learn the history and traditions of the department and the fire service in general. Another key behavior that intertwines with this is the ability to remain humble and respectful and admit to making mistakes, whether it is a critique on a fireground operation or a personal interaction with another firefighter. Be confident in your abilities, yet always willing to learn and use constructive criticism to your advantage. One of the most useful things you can do is become a “jack of all trades” and by that I mean being able to actually master as many tasks as you can. This makes you valuable to your entire company. It enables you to participate in any activity around the house or the emergency scene that needs to get done. To sum this all up in just a few words, the easiest way to be a positive role model is to always “do the right thing!!” BARRY S. DASKAL is a firefighter in Nassau County’s 6th Battalion and is also a certified EMT-critical care and clinical lab instructor at the Nassau County EMS Academy. He is a contributing writer for Fire Engineering Magazine and the creator and host of “The Average Joe Firefighter Podcast” on FireEngineering.com. He has been a volunteer firefighter since 1990 and has served as a Captain and training officer.
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