Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Firehouse Kitchen Table

“The Firehouse Kitchen Table”


By Mark Gregory

111 Truck, FDNY  (The Nuthouse)



There is a very important tool in the fire service that’s purpose is greatly underestimated by many. This tool has more hours of use than any piece of equipment stored on our apparatus. It is not the halligan tool or the lead attack line on your first due engine. Quite simply, it is “the firehouse kitchen table”. Now, some of you are probably saying “what the heck is Urban Firefighter Magazine running a post about a piece of furniture for?” Well my friends read on.

Firehouse kitchen tables have been around for hundreds of years; they come in various shapes and sizes. Some are very plain and business-like. Others are masterpieces that have been built from scratch. They are decorated with the names of our fallen comrades and the artwork of our company logos. The table we had in Rescue 2 was built from a cable reel and roping covered by numerous coats of polyurethane.  The ‘Nuthouse’ (Ladder 111) table is covered in gold leafing and supported by fire hydrants. No matter what type of table you have in your station, one thing that the table holds together for us all is tradition.




Think about what goes on at your kitchen table every day? It is the focal point of the firehouse. When we come into work at the change of tours, it is the kitchen we will normally report in to. The brothers from the on-duty tour are there waiting to see the members that are coming in for the next shift.  Think of all the good advice you have heard around the kitchen table: financial planning, relationship resolutions, and many world crisis situations have been solved by fellow firefighters at the kitchen table!

Many “senior man beat-downs” also occur at the kitchen table. I will admit, I have received my fair share of beat-downs.  As a young firefighter, I respected and feared the names of men such as Picconi, Loughlin, Galione and Lake (R.I.P. 9/11/01); these were the senior men; the masters of company discipline and position-oriented firefighters. When you walked into the kitchen and all was quiet, a lump appeared in your throat. You started to recall to yourself, “Did I screw up at a job or perform some sort of act that does not sit well with the senior men?” If you knew that something was wrong, and you completely avoided the kitchen, that was even worse.

Senior men and kitchen tables are not just about “beat-downs”.  Rather, they are the teachers and classrooms for our trade. Think of how many fire stories you have heard over a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. You can read thousands of fire service magazines and watch hour after hour of videos, but, you still will not receive the education you can get from listening to people who have been there and handled various types of fires or emergencies. Fire duty throughout this country is on a downward slide. Trading stories of how a certain lock was attacked-or why you took a certain way to get to your position as the outside vent-keeps us sharp in our trade. There is a vast amount of knowledge that is around that table; decade’s worth of actual duty that no training periodical can replace. Soak it up, because no fire service manual can store all of this information. The beauty of the kitchen table as a resource is that it is easy to get to; you can reward yourself with a nice hot cup of coffee while you are there, and your presence will encourage others to participate in your discussions.

Critiques are a very important part of our profession. Critiques should be constructive and not destructive. After a good job or rescue call is completed and all the equipment is in service, gather the troops around the kitchen table. Discuss the good and bad points of the operation. Discuss all of the positions and how they were handled. As a boss, I like to discuss my role also. There are members in my company that are on the promotion list to Lieutenant. Allowing members to understand the role of the company officer-and why certain decisions are made-will only produce a finer crop of future leaders. Informative points that come out of your critique can be written down in a “pass-along book”. This book becomes a wealth of knowledge for all members of the company. A member that was on vacation can come back and review this book to get an idea on what they missed. A company is judged on the actions of the whole group.  Complacency is something that cannot be tolerated in the fire service. Sharing our knowledge and experiences amongst all the shifts is a great way to maintain a well-disciplined firefighting unit.

We have discussed the role of the kitchen table for the business part of the firehouse. Now, let’s discuss the social part of our team. The kitchen table is not only where we learn about fires but, it is where we learn about each other. Remember, we are a team. What separates the fire service from the rest of the world is the tight family bond we share. When you join the fire service, you gain a second family. Sometimes, it seems as if we spend more time with our firehouse family than we do our real family. Make sure you put in an effort to learn about your second family.

Cooking the meal is a great time to learn about your colleagues. We will spend hours at a clip preparing a meal only to shovel it down in mere minutes. Be involved in the meal prep. Listen to the stories and the bantering taking place. Be a part of it. This is your career!!! Ask any twenty year veteran and they’ll tell you how quick their career has gone. I worked overtime in a firehouse recently where all the members from officer to probie sat at the table and talked until all members were done eating. The conversations varied and an enjoyable time was had by all. This same practice is instilled in many households and just like parents learn about their kids and vice versa, we can learn about our fellow firefighters.

Lastly, the kitchen table has medicinal powers. Many of us have come into the firehouse feeling out of sorts. Home issues can put a strain on any one of us. Recently, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. I never realized the healing power and strength that one can gain hanging around that firehouse table. The stress of the situation definitely has its toll on your mental health. The support of the brothers-combined with the well wishes and offers of assistance-can raise a man from the ashes. The table humor amongst the brothers also helps to make your problems go away. Even if it is for only a 24………

11 comments:

  1. Brother Mark,
    Simply put, this was so simple that we should all get it. Hopefully some will, but not all. I see too many guys getting on the job for the "Bennies" while they run a small business that consumes them. It's true that the nature of our job is on the downward slide, and soon we will be called "Emergency Workers"...we need to hang on to who we are, and listening to those who have been down this road we currently travel. Best of luck to you and your Family in this tough time ahead...Great read, and I am glad to know you personally and I am better for it...be safe my friend

    Chris

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  2. Brother...I'm one of those twenty year guys who can't believe how fast it's gone by.
    That was one of the most pertinent articles about our world I've read in a very long time. Thanks.

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  3. Thank you Brothers for the comments. The 21st century mentality is putting a hit to our profession. The Ipods,and Iphones are great toys but, do you ever remember guys taking cell phone calls at the kitchen table years ago! That wouldn't happen in my house.... Pride and Honor are words taken too lightly today. Maybe some dinosaurs need to be stirred to make sure we stay the proud and true profession that we are. STAY SAFE TO YOU ALL !!!!!

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  4. From a 28 year 5%er..Thank you Mark! Ipods, Iphones....true story:on the way to a job, multiple calls, flames showing, etc etc.....I hear a guy behind me, on the way to a fire...talking on the phone about some chick he met. After a few choice words from me (HANG THAT THE F@#% UP!!!!)We had a very one-sided (MY side) conversation when we got back. Problem solved. Great website guys...keep it up.
    always a brother
    riley

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  5. Thank you for the article. It was a great read. I have to second what Chris said about the "bennies". It's a shame to see guys treating the firehouse as their second job. It also drives me nuts to see "Field and Stream" on top of the stack that has "Fire Engineering", and the like on the bottom. Especially when you see things that are out of order around the firehouse or on the truck. Anyway, thanks again and we'll be praying for you and your family.

    Doug

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  6. Great article Mark. The kitchen table is the focal point of the firehouse. I remember going to the firehouse with my father as a kid and everything took places at the kitchen table. As a third generation fireman our focal point of my firehouse is the kitchen table. Knowledge, skill, passion, wisdom and pride are all passed down at the table. Great site guys and stay safe.
    Nick

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  7. Mark, sorry to hear about your wife. Please know that your brothers of the trade are pulling for her to beat this. All the best to your wife & family during this difficult time.

    Happy Easter & Stay Safe.

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  8. Great article...should be the intro to chapter 1 of our firefighter 1&2 books!

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  9. I'm glad to see so many with the same sentiments I feel.

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  10. I,m a 20yr guy in bflo...This was a great article, as a rookie many years ago i learned so much over coffee at that table. Let us not forget to school the young guys in this important tradition.

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  11. This article is great! The firehouse kitchen "culture" is the reason why I started Fork and Hose Co., a firehouse food blog. Even though I am young, 31 with 9 years on the job, I value the traditions of the fire service and your words sum up exactly that. Great job Mark

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