Psychologist's!!!

[skevans]

I returned to the office after a field trip today to be told by my WO that I will be interviewed tomorrow by two psychologist's!

Apparently these psychologists have been employed by the MoD as part of the team investigating the problems within the RAF fire service.

Has anyone ever heard of anything similar before?

 

[pie sandwich]

I would assume it is to help sort out any probs you might feel you have from seeing some horrible stuff either in incidents at home or OOA, and help with you come to terms with it.

They might think that if they give you a trickcyclist it will help with keeping people in the service, due to the fact that you guys deal with the nasty aftermath of attacks in theatre

 

[skevans]

Sorry guys, perhaps I need to be more specific here.

This 'problem' isnt for me as a person, to deal with stress, anxiety, issues to do with corpses etc as suggested quite rightly by pie and gem

This is an interview specifically to deal with the 'psyche' of the trade, why it has gone off the rails and become the worst trade in the RAF in terms of retention, morale and sadly, recruitment.

I know why I have been picked, because of my specific role within my trade. A role undertaken by our commisioned overlords in all other trades.

However I have never heard of this sort of activity before and I was wondering if anyone else had?

I thought carefully about where to place this thread on the boards. I didnt feel that it's right to ask this question in a general forum, as it it not something that the entire e-goat community could comment on. If I had wanted a wholesale slagging session I would have naturally placed this request in the pigs bar / fight club. I therefore placed it in my trade forum, in the hope that everyone would recognise that a fftr dealing with a fftr issue was asking advice.

Clearly this is not the case

However, whilst I appreciate Mad Collie's efforts to protect my feelings and those of my trade, I personally would like to see the remarks of dave exfairy and realist 78. I'm glad that they have something to bring to this genuine request for information and would like to drink from the font of their wisdom.

 

[MindlessRockMonkey]

I can see the need for the psychologists for when F'fighters see something nasty. From my experience in eight years I didn't see anything. It's been a while since I heard of a RAF aircraft crashing at a station or anywhere near (Sorry if I am wrong or offend someone).

As for the interviews being for the "psyche of the trade" it seems simple to me why the retention levels are poo and that morale is on it's butt. The (my ex) trade has more then it's fair share of a holes. Add to that that the job does not live up to the ideal of firefighters on TV, the repatition of the job and the continual civilianisation of the trade will have a negative effect on the guys and girls in the trade. I know OOA is for (should be for) everyone but TG8 (if I remember right) does /did go OOA very often.

Sidenote: Damn just checked out the RAF site and firefighter trade. You know need just 2 GCSE C grades to join. When I joined you needed 4, maths, english and one science were a must.

 

[skevans]

I can see the need for the psychologists for when F'fighters see something nasty. From my experience in eight years I didn't see anything.

I have prsonally dealt with over 50 battlefield injuries during my last OOA, we do a lot more of that now. I haven't dealt with anything 'back at unit' because im out of trade'

I know OOA is for (should be for) everyone but TG8 (if I remember right) does /did go OOA very often.

At least every eight months for SAC's.

Sidenote: Damn just checked out the RAF site and firefighter trade. You know need just 2 GCSE C grades to join. When I joined you needed 4, maths, english and one science were a must.

When was that? This has just risen and will rise again. For a long period, over 15 years there were no academic requirements to join this trade. I hasten to add that it will soon rise to Three GCSE, the remaining one being the science based subject.

 

[MindlessRockMonkey]

I first enquired in 1993 after I left school and was told the trade was shut for "remoulding", allowing females to join the trade. I was also told that the requirement was going from 3 to four GCSE's. Went back to collage and got 3 more GCSE's (grade total 12 C+) worked as a sparky for a while and didn't get in until October 1996 and joined with the first female RAF firefighter. Might still have the paperwork stating the academics needed at my mom's house (she keeps all kinds of crap). It did drop to 1 GCSE while I was in and that let in a fair amount of drongos.

 

[roverboy]

I returned to the office after a field trip today to be told by my WO that I will be interviewed tomorrow by two psychologist's!

Apparently these psychologists have been employed by the MoD as part of the team investigating the problems within the RAF fire service.

Has anyone ever heard of anything similar before?

They're probably after a game of volleyball mate!!DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[auchtermuchty]

I returned to the office after a field trip today to be told by my WO that I will be interviewed tomorrow by two psychologist's!

Apparently these psychologists have been employed by the MoD as part of the team investigating the problems within the RAF fire service.

Has anyone ever heard of anything similar before?

I dont know if its the same thing, but i have heard of sections being closely monitored - specifically crash and smash. Not heard of an invest into a trade though, sorry.

 

[AbuNajiWaterRat]

I & most of my colleagues believe the main problem with this trade at the moment is the frequency of OOA's. I am going away every 12 months without fail & I am seeing the same old faces there from the previous tours. There seems to be a hardcore of firefighters who just take their turn & go away when told but there is an increasing amount of 'firefighters' who are going sick with 'Basra biscuit knee' or 'Afghanistani ankle' & they are not going away when they should. If these malingerers took their turn like everyone else the OOA turnaround would be more like every 24 months which would make this trade a lot happier. Just for information, the turnaround for JNCO's & SNCO's is more frequent than the SAC's, it's the fact that the SAC's arent hanging on for a pension that they are leaving in droves.

 

[skevans]

I know Abu, we bought that up for starters

 

[Dave-exfairy]

Let's face it, when was the last time RAF Firefighters actually got to practice their trade? And by that I mean rescuing a pilot or putting out a proper aircraft fire? Not hot brakes or owt like that.
I think you'll find that that is at the heart of it.
PS: My remark was meant to be a good natured dig, shame people can't take it as such.

 

[pie sandwich]

dave

Iam sure people will see it as such, they are lets face it one of the trades you least want to call upon, if you have to then its all gone wrong big time.

And any support they can get to not only keep people in but get more to join then I welcome it.

 

[skevans]

At the risk of getting this thread back on track dave, does that mean you have or haven't heard of this sort of behaviour before?

 

[Dave-exfairy]

dave

Iam sure people will see it as such, they are lets face it one of the trades you least want to call upon, if you have to then its all gone wrong big time.

And any support they can get to not only keep people in but get more to join then I welcome it.

True, but as an ex-fairy I joined to mess around with aircraft and wiggilies and I would have been well p!ssed off if I couldn't have practised my trade.

 

[Dave-exfairy]

At the risk of getting this thread back on track dave, does that mean you have or haven't heard of this sort of behaviour before?

No I have not. But having known a few water bobbies in my service I know there was quite a bit of dissatisfaction with being a firefighter in the RAF.