Where Has the Pride Gone? What Can We Do to Get it Back?
The fire service is and always has been built on pride, tradition, brotherhood and service. There are many examples throughout the history of the fire service of all of these characteristics. There are also examples recently of a decline in these characteristics, specifically pride. What happened to always honoring what those who came before us built? What happened to always leaving the job better than you found it? When did the fire service stop being a calling and become just a job?
Being a firefighter is a privilege and it seems many in the fire service have forgotten what the fire service stands for. The fire service never has and never will be about you, the individual. The fire service will always be about the community that we serve and about the fire service as a whole. No individual firefighter is more important than the community that they serve, the company they are assigned to, the department that they belong to, nor the fire service as a whole. The fire service is one of the most loved services by the citizens. Why? Because the citizens know that when they need help firefighters will put the well-being of those in need above their own well-being. That is what those who came before us have built. That is what we need to honor and build upon.
Politics and firefighters
The problem in today’s fire service is two-fold: the firefighter and the support provided by the fire department. The fire service requires a strong commitment from every single firefighter. Firefighters also require support from the fire department that they work for.
Many times it is said that the decrease in morale and pride in the fire service is caused by the economic decline of the cities and the reduction of funding that fire department's receive from the cities that they serve. When did the fire service begin to allow political issues to control the love for the job or the pride in being a firefighter? When did firefighters begin to care more about what politicians think of the fire service than how firefighters themselves feel about the fire service? When did the fire service stop being about those in need and become about political issues? Political issues do not matter when somebody is in need. When somebody calls 9-1-1 the only thing that matters is that somebody needs the fire department and the fire department has a job to do. When did firefighters begin to allow political issues to control how well they perform their jobs? At the response level, the political battles are out of the firefighters’ control. The political battles need to be left to the fire department's administration and the unions. In the fire station, the focus needs to remain the same as it has always been, so how can we improve?
The firefighter's responsibility
At the individual level, pride in the fire service should be at the center of everything the firefighter does. The individual should always be trying to improve their job performance. Pride at the individual level begins with the little things such as checking your PPE) and SCBA as soon as you arrive for the tour. It's also making sure that everything that you need to respond is in order and is response ready, making sure that the apparatus and tools are clean, as well as making sure the fire station is clean and presentable. These are the little things that occur at the start of every tour and taking pride in these activities and ensuring that they are done to the best of your abilities will only increase your performance in other areas. On the other hand, if you do not take pride in these small tasks, how can you be counted on at "the big one?"
Everything that a firefighter does during a tour should be focused towards becoming a better firefighter and improving job performance. Obviously training is a major part of improving job performance and becoming a better firefighter. There needs to be a strong commitment to training at the individual, company, and department level. When looking at the fire service, the firefighters with the most pride are typically the same firefighters with the strongest commitment to training. Training will also improve morale as it builds camaraderie and brotherhood. There are more training opportunities for firefighters today than there were in the past. The Internet has made training information available to firefighters at the click of a button and there are also many training conferences that allow you to learn from top-notch instructors. These are the leaders in the fire service who firefighters need to look to for guidance as they are leading by example and putting the fire service as a whole above themselves. With resources like these available there is no reason for firefighters not to take pride in their job performance and commit to training.
Making the commitment
The commitment to the pride of the fire service and the commitment to training and job performance also falls on the shoulders of fire department leaders and administrators. Fire department leaders must fight for their members. They must do everything in their power to ensure that their members have adequate staffing, apparatus, PPE, equipment, as well as pay and benefits. Even if not all of their attempts are successful, the members of the department will respect that their leaders fought for them. This will increase morale which will in turn increase pride. Fire service leaders and administrators must also do everything in their power to allow companies to build company pride. Most members of the fire service have "Type A" personalities and are inherently competitive. The competitive drive of the department members should be used by the department's leaders and administrators to their own advantage by allowing the competitive drive of the department members to improve department morale, pride and job performance.
The bond between company members is one of the strongest bonds in the fire service. With the most common shift schedule being the 24/48 schedule, company members spend one-third of their lives together, almost as much time as they spend with their families at home. Due to the strong bond between company, along with the competitive drive of firefighters, company pride is one of the strongest driving forces in the fire service. Every company should want to be the best company in the department. The level of pride found at the company level can be found in the company's nickname and logos. When you see a firefighter wearing their company patch or shirt you know that they have a great amount of pride in being a part of that company. Due to the level of pride at the company level and the competitive nature of the company members, training will again be a major focus of the company and its members as they take a great deal of pride in their job performance.
Department leaders and administrators must support this training. Funding for training must be available. Training must always be supported and funded because it not only protects the citizens but also the department members. Training props should be made available at the fire stations. Time slots for companies to train at the department training center must also be available. Department leaders and administrators must also support their department members in receiving training from outside sources as it presents a great opportunity for the department. If a member is willing to use their personal time and pay for some or all of the costs out of their own pocket, it is probably one of the better members of the department. That's a good public relations move on the department's part as the member will represent the department at the regional or national level in a positive manner. The biggest benefit in supporting its members in receiving training from outside sources is that the member can learn from the knowledge and experience from other departments that may utilize different tactics or techniques and then bring back what they learned to their department where it can be used to improve job performance.
Pride is a driving force
Ultimately it is the responsibility of every member of the fire service to ensure that the fire service is always honored and that we always build upon what those who came before us have built. Pride is one of the greatest driving forces in the fire service. The decline in the level of pride in the fire service at the individual, company, and department levels must be corrected. There are many great leaders in the fire service today who take great pride in what they do. Who still believe that being a firefighter is a privilege and they honor that privilege. Who still believe that the fire service is a calling; that it is a lifestyle and they will never view the fire service as just a job. These are the leaders who the fire service must follow. These are the leaders who will always honor the fire service and never allow the reputation of the fire service to be tarnished.
