A Bad Mood Today

I started off by seeing an E-mail saying that we left the Rescue in bad shape after the fire and that it was unfair to the other to make them clean it up. That we had no regard for Rescue. Then I got an E-mail from my Lt asking why it was left like that.

So I was boiling over everything. This same person who was complaining had a situation two weeks ago where the same kind of thing was left for my shift. But we fixed the problems and I just notified the crew leader. I didn’t send anything off to the Lt’s. That is the part that made me the most upset.

I went to work out and that made me feel a little better as I started to forget about the E-mail. Then I went to the station and spoke to the Lt. I explained to him that we had washed it, but forgot about the inside. It was just an oversight. He said he understood and that I just need to pass along to everyone that we need to make sure to double check things.

I felt a lot better, but I still wanted to talk to the crew leader who sent the E-mail to begin with rather than just talking to me.

My softball games were rained out again tonight so I did drive time on the engine with Parrish. Before the drive time started I got another E-mail that included E-mails sent by one of the guys on my shift. I felt like he was hanging me out to dry. I was mad all over again.

I went to the station and the firefighter who sent the E-mail out. I took him to the bay and told him that I felt like his E-mail left me out to dry. He said he didn’t mean that. I told him, that is how the E-mail came across.

Parrish started our drive time. I called the other crew leader. I asked him why he didn’t talk to me like I did for him. He said his Lt wanted to have an E-mail about it. I wondered why he said anything to the Lt to begin with. So I said that if we want to always send problems to the Lt in the future that is fine, but I want to be on the same page, to make sure I send problems along to my Lt as well.

I told him I preferred if we would start by keeping it at our level and if nothing gets fixed, then to escalate it. But I would do what he is going to do. I am not going to be the nice guy and then turn around and get beefed by the Lt’s. I said that it would be better if we were to keep it at our level so we don’t get a bad reputation as a group.

I then read the E-mail that I got that I felt like I was hung out to dry. I didn’t say that was my feeling before I read it to Parrish. But as soon as I read it, Parrish’s comment was “Sounds like you were hung out to dry.” I said that I had the same feeling. I wasn’t the only one who saw it that way. I talked to Parrish about it for a while and I came to the conclusion that I am going to continue to report things the way I always have. I am just going to keep it local unless it is a problem that has been on going. I hope the other crew leader does the same for me.

The drive time went uneventful. We washed and fueled the engine we used for the drive time before calling it a night. It was a quiet night for us.