Not Everyone is on the Same Page
This is Asheville IHC Reaction #5 - part of the Asheville Hotshots written reactions to "The Big Lie"
I don’t necessarily believe it’s a Big Lie. Or at least the experience that I’ve had in this job is it is—and can be—very dangerous. I do agree in the fact that not everyone is on the same page.
The thing that comes to my mind is the risk vs gain factor. The constant talk about unnecessary risk and less exposure. I hear this all the time. Yet, again and again, that’s exactly what we are ordered to do:
“I understand that we need to do things for the public to assure them we have everything ‘under control.’ But putting ourselves at risk is not the way to do it.”
Chasing “political” smokes over 300-feet interior in a charred black area to put out a stump hole surrounded by fire-weakened trees. Or, patrolling roads that are very unsafe to show a presence for the public even when the fire has been controlled for some time. I understand that we need to do things for the public to assure them we have everything “under control.” But putting ourselves at risk is not the way to do it. We can’t make everyone happy yet we have this “the customer is always right” mentality. I’ve seen leadership slowly starting to change and a new wave of thinking is becoming the new majority. Less exposure for things that won’t gain us much or anything at all.
I don’t necessarily believe it’s a Big Lie. Or at least the experience that I’ve had in this job is it is—and can be—very dangerous. I do agree in the fact that not everyone is on the same page.
The thing that comes to my mind is the risk vs gain factor. The constant talk about unnecessary risk and less exposure. I hear this all the time. Yet, again and again, that’s exactly what we are ordered to do:
“I understand that we need to do things for the public to assure them we have everything ‘under control.’ But putting ourselves at risk is not the way to do it.”
Chasing “political” smokes over 300-feet interior in a charred black area to put out a stump hole surrounded by fire-weakened trees. Or, patrolling roads that are very unsafe to show a presence for the public even when the fire has been controlled for some time. I understand that we need to do things for the public to assure them we have everything “under control.” But putting ourselves at risk is not the way to do it. We can’t make everyone happy yet we have this “the customer is always right” mentality. I’ve seen leadership slowly starting to change and a new wave of thinking is becoming the new majority. Less exposure for things that won’t gain us much or anything at all.
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