One more last working class hero

46
Jo starts her explanation by indicating she has replaced official BA procedure with a watch protocol (discussed in Chapter
5) and another protocol will ensure the hosereel will be ready at the front door. Jo’s description is noteworthy, because it
is how a good firefighter may describe getting-in. By combining my experiential knowledge as an ex-firefighter and a
researcher, I can identify similarities between Jo’s methodology for firefighting and the way academics work 130 .
Although, contextually different, Jo would be sifting, coding and analysing incoming data: the fierceness and visibility of
the fire; temperature, state and travel of the smoke; the construction, layout and condition of the building, “a zillion
things”, against all the knowledge (data) she has gathered since joining the fire service. Jo was sure to, “check the door”
handle for heat before slowly opening it, foot held against the door ready to kick it shut again if the fire is too fierce; check
the stairs and floors with her front foot warily, weight on her back foot in case they are ‘gone’.
It is possible now to start to hypothesise how I might answer the question ‘what does ‘getting-in’ mean to
firefighters?’ Hypothesis 2:
Firefighting involves firefighters getting-into a building where they might be little or no visibility, in hot and
dangerous conditions. To do this safely firefighters will need to have confidence in their partner’s and their own
abilities to keep a cool head, not panic and to follow watch protocols for firefighting as they compare what they are
experiencing at the fire, against their prior knowledge, to hypothesis how to get safely into a position close enough to
the fire to turn the water on. If they do this successfully, they avoid ‘water-damage’.
3.4. WHY, GIVEN THE APPARENT DANGER INVOLVED, DO FIREFIGHTERS GET-IN AT A FIRE?
This section will develop a hypothesis to assist in understanding ‘why, given the apparent danger involved, do firefighters
get-in at a fire? This will involve me first forming, then developing, Hypothesis 3.
3.4.1. Persons reported
There can be no more demanding situation in a firefighter’s career than to be at a fire where people are trapped. The fire
service has its own terminology for these calls and a radio message will pass from the fireground to control, “make pumps
four, ‘persons reported’.” The description of the fire at the start of this chapter is typical of a persons reported scenario
and how firefighters’ protocols bought about a ‘successful’ rescue. At these times, firefighters will make every effort to
get-in and even a safety conscious FBU (1996: 53-54) recognise this:
Firefighters feel a moral obligation at certain incidents to act immediately where life is threatened and rescues are
required. … a snatch rescue.
The ‘snatch rescue’ could involve firefighters taking less time assessing the danger involved; they might even be prepared
to risk their lives for the public. A focus group explains:
Keith:
Ian:
Keith:
Half a dozen of these type of jobs where I'm thinking, ‘I’m going to have trouble getting out of here’.
And you actually found how good your partner is. One thing what makes you carry on is what you
joined The Job for. The excitement of that as opposed to anything else: it’s saving that someone, it’s at
the back of your mind, otherwise you wouldn't be here.
(Brigade two, firefighter, 15 years’ service, age 40) [My emphases].
I think you would feel like a god amongst your fellers actually, to be quite honest.
(Brigade two, firefighter, 8 years’ service, age 30) [My emphasis].
When I got back and had a good chat and you have been on a high for weeks afterwards, because we
pulled one person out and done the business for them. I would say that’s what you joined for, it’s just
the excitement you can’t beat it.
[My emphases].
Keith joined the fire service to save lives and that is why he gets in. Ian has never saved anyone, but is in awe of doing so.
Another focus group adds to the debate: Guy is cautious not to glamorise the day to day firefighting, but like Keith he
realises there is a dividend in life saving, which he might risk his life to achieve. For Cliff it is a matter of pride, he could
not give in:
Guy:
Someone going into a job just like what we do day to day is not a special person. But I would say for
someone to go in and do that job knowing they might not come out alive would take a special person to
do that and that’s where I see us as being special 1% of your career you might be special the other 99%
you’re just a normal Joe Bloggs. But for that one moment, if you’re needed to do something, then that’s
when you’re special.
(Brigade two, firefighter, 10 years’ service, age 37). [My emphases].
130 What grounded theorist’s call constant comparative analysis (Glaser and Strauss 1967: 28-30; Henwood and Pidgeon 1993: 22).