Pressure to Prove Yourself

Being a firefighter, you are no stranger to pressure. Pressure is present every day in our line of work. Small moments, big moments, and all the time in-between.

Pressure is a good thing.

It keeps us constantly aware and consistently better at the job.

Good pressure makes us improve and stay at our best. For instance, the pressure you feel when training. This feeling keeps us aware of how crucial performance is when it counts. It keeps us sharp and ready. It highlights our deficiencies, allows us to develop our skills, and ultimately proves we can perform.

When pressure is surrounded by maturity, encouragement, motivation, and teamwork, I would argue it is one of the things that allows our firefighters to be great.

We all started this career with pressure to prove ourselves. It started in the application process while writing a resume. We explained in detail that we would be an asset to the department. Then came the interview, where we had pressure to prove to the panel that we were worthy candidates who stood out from the rest.

For those fortunate enough, the training academy came next. Talk about pressure to prove yourself. Constant reps, constant work, constant critique. And we welcomed it all because we knew it would lead to a shiny new badge and a lifetime of this amazing job.

At every stage in a firefighter’s career, pressure to prove yourself worthy of the seat you earned is always present. Also, at every stage there is a defining moment where you know you have come through and done your job so well that others recognized it, too.

At that moment, you can feel worthy of the job you earned. However, there will always be haters and naysayers. And the reality is, you will never be good enough for some people.

Because firefighting is steeped in danger and tradition, we have always demanded that we can trust that each member of our teams can perform at any moment. This is why there are standards to be met, training requirements, classes and conferences, and testing. These are the official ways we can stay ready to perform when our citizens need us most.

When pressure to prove yourself becomes toxic, it ruins the firehouse, the firefighters, and the team.

Now you may be saying, “But Rachael, you just told us how great pressure can be. What’s wrong with proving yourself?”

I am so glad you asked.

I believe nearly all firefighters have good intentions, and most do not recognize when they are being harmful, immature, or a bad teammate. Sometimes a little recognition and perspective is all it takes to be a better human.

As a woman in a firehouse, I feel I have to do more just to be accepted. I worry that if I don’t meet expectations, all women will be disappointed. This feeling lingered beyond my probation. I saw some male colleagues not held to the same standards in training, strength, fitness, and skill.

They were given a pass because they didn’t stand out, while I felt I had to be perfect.

One thing this profession is not great at is allowing people to prove themselves and improve. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard about a firefighter who did well, improved, honed their skills, and even got promoted, only to hear others talk about a time when they didn’t know how to do something or screwed something up. It can make it feel impossible to want the good side of pressure.

Can you imagine a coach who shows up to practice every day and tells their team that even though they are working hard and improving, they remember when they were terrible and couldn’t win?

We have to do better. We have to be the kind of firehouse that recognizes potential, celebrates growth, and understands that the mistakes of yesterday do not define the firefighter of today. If we want to cultivate a team that is truly ready for the high-pressure moments that define our career, we must stop weaponizing the past and start championing the progress of the present.

True professional maturity is realizing that our job is to lift each other up, not hold each other back.

Let’s foster an environment where standards are met with consistency and fairness, but where people are also given the grace to learn, adapt, and evolve. At the end of the day, our mission is to save lives — and we can only do that effectively when we are operating as a team that trusts, supports, and believes in one another’s ability to grow.