Time for change!

I once saw a quote somewhere that has stuck with me. It was something along the lines of; If you don't like the direction you are going, Change directions. Well I made a decision to change directions.  I decided to turn in my white shirts and white helmet, and step back into a red helmet.

This was not a decision made out of anger or without thought. It was made after considerable thought.

I am a huge believer in bringing solutions to the "bosses" when I see problems. When I realised that the solutions I was bringing did not align with the overall culture of the organization, I couldn't continue to compromise my principals.

"When you have to start compromising yourself and your morals for the people around you, it’s probably time to change the people around you."

After a year of frustration over the direction of my department and shift, I decided that I could no longer meet the expectations of my supervisors. After what turned out to be a very private but ugly disagreement on what is important for a fire department, I requested a reassignment back to Captain.

I discussed the request with the Deputy Chief and the Fire Chief, whom were reluctant to make the change. I pressed hard, and made a formal written request about a week later. It has taken about 3 months for a selection of a replacement to take place, and finally the switch.

So, last Sunday, January 13, 2013, the change was made effective. I immediately had a sense of renewed purpose. My new crew seems excited for the opportunity to work together. I feel a reduction in stress.

For those of you that want to discuss this privately, I would be more than happy to do so.

I will be at the 2013 Les Lukert Winter Conference next month. This will be the first time in several years that I will be attending as a student, and I am really looking forward to picking up some new information, or at least new ways of seeing things.

For more information on Nebraska Society of Fire Service Instructors and the Les Lukert Winter Conference go the their website. http://www.nsfsi.com/default.asp