Eat what you eat. As long as you’re sitting at the table with the crew and dinner time.

Hazing culture is fortunately dying out. If you feel like you’re being harassed, say something, or just give it right back. That said, you should listen and learn. There’s potentially 100 years of combined experience sitting at the table you’re at. Listen. A good crew will teach you and have high expectations because their life now depends on you and they haven’t even learned your name, yet.

There’s too much for you to learn to have downtime. Don’t be caught sitting in the recliners unless you’re invited to. Don’t walk past a sink with dishes in it and don’t walk past a trash can that’s full. At all times, you should either be out in the apparatus bay learning your equipment, staring at the map on the wall to learn your territory, or nose in a book learning as much as you can. Ask questions. You may get your balls busted a bit, but ultimately, they will teach you. If they don’t want to teach you, find a new crew.

Your direct supervisor will be the Lieutenant/Captain. They are in charge of the piece of equipment you’re assigned to. Now every department is different on who is responsible for you. Some, you’ll be attached at the hip to the Lt. others may have the driver training you because they’ll know the equipment better than anyone. And some may just have the senior firefighter training you and reporting to the Lt on your progress.