I’ve Got A Question For You

There are some basic questions in life (and one excellent song about them).  Who am I?  What is my purpose?  Is ketchup on a hot dog a sin, or a mortal sin?  Are night games at Wrigley Field an abomination, or just a bar with a baseball game going on?  Would you go into a burning building with this person?

Cute how the last one just glosses over going into burning buildings.  The question is not whether going into a burning building is a good idea (it's not) - the question is would you go in with this (fill in the blank) person?   Who just glosses over the burning building part?  Fire departments do.  It is kind of their thing. 

A few months ago, I’m just minding my own probie business, not saying nothing at the monthly business meeting of the Poynette Dekorra Fire Department when someone makes a motion to suspend the rules or some such thing and make a probie Vice President of the “Social Organization”.  Turns out, the “Social Organization” is the nuts and bolts of the operating Fire Division of PDFD.  Vote people on the Department, vote people off the Department, adopt policies, pay the bills … that sort of necessary organizational stuff. 

Turns out, the probie being nominated was me.  OK, fine.  I’ve lived through thousands and thousands of public meetings.  And “VP”.  How hard could that be?  The standard issue, “sure, I’ll do anything the (fill in the blank public organization) needs” comes out of my mouth, by rote. 

So, they make me VP.   The guys I came in just after - all of which cleared probation months ago – are made President, Secretary and Treasurer, at the same meeting.  All great guys.  All - to my momentary horror / general bemusement – are heading off to Pumper / Operator class in Baraboo on Thursday nights for the next few months.  The first Thursday of every month is when the business meeting occurs.

Suddenly, being Vice President means being three people at the meeting.  President (running the meeting), Secretary (taking notes and drafting minutes) and Treasurer (reporting expenses and revenue, and getting authorization to pay bills).  Recapping – the lowest ranking and least experienced guy in the entire organization has to basically do everything at the meeting in front of everyone who outranks and out experiences him.  Oh sure, this is going to be great.

Good news is those thousands of public meetings makes me something of an expert at getting stuff done at meetings.  Can do it in my sleep, and often do.  And, Assistant Chief Small is handling the bills in Treasurer Alan’s absence, so it’s really only two jobs at once. 

Short diversion – when I told first boss and mentor Larry Laschen in Vernon Hills I was thinking about leaving to take a CAO job in a smaller town, Larry convinced me to stay by telling me one year of experience in Vernon Hills was like five years of experience somewhere else.  I really didn’t fully understand Larry’s point until I came back to visit Vernon Hills a year after I left and there were five people doing what I used to do alone for the Village.    Shrewd dude, that Larry Laschen. 

Only two jobs at once at PDFD.  Piece of cake. 

Sailing through the March meeting’s new business and Assistant Chief Hathaway pops the question – would you go into a burning building with (fill in the blank with me).  It is phrased as a motion to vote me off of probationary status, but that is the essential question – do you trust this person with your life?  Chief Radewan seconds the motion (a good sign).

There is a reason why PDFD makes you wear that bright yellow helmet shield screaming PROBATIONARY for a minimum of a year, and a maximum of …. you ain’t ever coming off of probation.  Actually, there are bunch of reasons.  There is a mountain of stuff to learn.  There’s the “are you really serious about this?” question that needs at least a year to visibly and actively answer.  Will you do difficult or menial tasks (there are no menial tasks) without complaint?  There’s the “make sure the guy with the yellow shield IS NOT doing something beyond his capacity” at some chaotic, multi-department fire scene at three in the morning.  Have I mentioned the mountain range of stuff to learn?  Will you accept danger as a given, move forward, and look out for your firefighter brothers?

There are a bunch of very, very good reasons probation takes a year.  But the essence of it is – do you trust this person with your life?  Because the pager can go off at any time and within minutes, that theoretical construct can get real in a heartbeat, or lack thereof.

The motion passed but that’s not really the point of this story. 

Probation is viewed as a test of the probie.  That is true enough, but the broader truth is the probie is also testing the department.  Is this a place for me?  Is it well led?  Does it have adequate resources?  Is it mission-focused?  Are they ok with me not owning a pick-up truck?  Does it have a compelling purpose and story to tell, and am I willing to do whatever is necessary to serve that purpose and story?  Are my firefighter brothers people I am willing to risk my life for? 

Yes, to all of the above.  The men and women of PDFD are extraordinary.  They undertake some of the most difficult and dangerous work the community faces.  Not as a job, but voluntarily.  They take time away from their jobs, their families, and their regular lives, to serve the public.  They do so without pretense or fanfare but with comradeship and good faith.  The minutes I draft will reflect that they voted on me.  But there was another vote going on in my head and then my heart, every probie day. 

Someday somebody's gonna ask you, a question that you should say yes to.  Once in your life.  Maybe tonight.  I've got a question, for you.