The question of why did you choose that particular profession is a common one. There are a multitude of answers from the salary to the advice of a mentor. However, when you ask a firefighter or anyone in emergency services that question, you will more times than not receive the answer that it allows them the opportunity to help those in their time of need. It is not secret that the majority of emergency services personnel contain a very strong sense of public service and that they receive personal fulfillment out of making a difference in their community. But does this feeling last forever and if it doesn’t, how do we retain those members when the satisfaction runs out?
Altruism is defined as the selfless concern for the well-being of others. A noble condition that allows individuals in the fire service to routinely put their lives on the line to protect a stranger. There are exceptions to any rule, but I believe it is a safe assumption to assume that most new personnel who walk through the door, do so in part because of this reason. The question that spurred this article was does this sense of altruism last a career or does it degrade with time?
Altruism degrades over time
I believe that every member of our service contains this sense to some degree, but that for most it degrades with time. As the day in and day out responses become routine, as the weight of all the events you couldn’t positively affect increases, and as the satisfaction received steadily decreases; the selfless concern for the well-being of others becomes less important. But, how does fire service leadership retain these experienced individuals, long after the most significant compensation for the job expires?
As you’ve all muttered a 1,000 times, I didn’t get in to this business for the money. But, like every other human being, you expect to be compensated for your efforts. Previously, your compensation just came from a different source, in the form of personal satisfaction. It’s only after this feeling has worn out and personnel start looking at the other forms of compensation and comparing them to the civilian market do we start to lose valuable firefighters. In fact, we can all list quality guys who got off the truck and went back to school, got a job with the power company, or took his landscaping business full time. So how do we increase the benefits of our profession in a way that will retain these individuals? Increase their salary is, of course, the first answer always suggested and though this is a great idea, it is rarely feasible in today’s local governments. I believe the answer lies within motivation and opportunities.
Creating the motivation
Motivation is that hot ticket word in the fire service. Every article and officer development class mentions the motivation of your firefighters to an exhaustive point. And their right, we must motivate our personnel to constantly improve and provide 110 percent. But, do we ever look at motivating our personnel in the sense of their commitment and service to the citizens of your service area? I don’t mean the occasional awards ceremony or a community service ribbon at the annual Christmas dinner, I mean routine, company and department level reinforcement of that sense of altruism. We will drill a hose lay until it’s impossible to get wrong, but we rarely contribute to personal satisfaction and motivation of our personnel.
It’s the routine use of small gestures that will go a long way to maintain that feeling of self-fulfillment. First, make it a point to recognize even routine actions. Not through elaborate awards ceremonies, but through taking the time to communicate with your personnel about just how much of a difference they make. As a chief level officer, get out of the office, visit with those firefighters and let them know that you have noticed their actions, that the community has noticed, and that they make a difference. Use the various means of publicity available to highlight everyday activities that positively affect the service area. Areas such as social media are perfect for highlighting individuals and companies who excel at their service to the community. Remember your days as a firefighter and the personal satisfaction you gained from being noticed for a good job. Remember how that high carried you for a whole cycle. Now look at how little effort it took for someone to make that happen. These efforts if made routine can work to build up the motivation and morale of your employees, but it can also work to renew that sense of altruism.
Retaining members and their attitude
Making opportunities possible is an area where many of you will disagree with my thoughts. Because it means some of you will have to make room for the next generation of fire service leaders. In a conversation I had with a local police chief, he asked me if I knew the difference between law enforcement and fire service leadership. Of course I was anticipating the joke at any time, but what he said surprised me. The police chief said the difference is that senior police officers serve their time and then retire making way for young officers to progress. Where senior firefighters never know when to quit, many working 10, 20, and even 30 years past their available retirement. This, of course, holds company and chief level officer positions for many years and doesn’t afford the next generation room to advance. I had never considered this in the big picture, though I believe the police chief was spot on. Many of these individuals have made the fire service such a big part of their life that they are not sure what would fill that hole if they retired. Even those who do retire, often find another senior level position at another fire service organization, perpetuating the same problem in a different location. The goal is not to discount their valuable experience and dedicated service, but to allow those who come after them room to grow. To prevent valuable future leaders from looking for other professions because their current profession doesn’t provide them anywhere to advance to.
Advancement in the fire service is the goal of the majority of its employees. The constant training, higher education, leadership development, and the donation of uncompensated time is the price these individuals pay to become experts at their craft. But they also want to be recognized and rewarded for the price they paid through advancement. Not only does this renew that motivation and contribute to the sense of selfless service, but it also increases those standard compensations like salary. But, most importantly, it works to retain those assets. In many areas of this country the opportunities for advancement are very small, in some departments the only way to be promoted is to have gotten hired at the right time. If you just missed the exchange of officers, than it might be 20 years before the opportunity is available again, with exception of the occasional reassignment. So, what am I asking? I’m asking the senior members to take your much deserved retirement and create opportunities for the next generation of fire service officers. Take that time and dedicate it to your family or other pursuits, but don’t be a stranger. Use that wealth of knowledge to come back and educate members through formal training and other opportunities. Your fire service family will always be here.
In closing
We must realize that the altruistic feeling is not always going to be enough to retain our personnel. Especially, with an incoming new generation of firefighters who have a different set of values and priorities than the firefighters of the past. But, hope is not lost. With some effort, we can provide for the needs of these personnel and ensure they continue to serve our fire service organizations. Through the reinforcement of the individual’s feelings of fulfillment and recognizing them for their contributions to the organization and the community, we can maintain that essential core compensation. By making way for advancement we can ensure that we provide opportunities for these up-and-coming fire officers and leaders to accomplish their goals and see a reward for their significant effort. In a world where doing for others is becoming less of a priority, we must commend these individuals for their dedication to strangers. We must make an effort to retain such a rare individual as an experienced firefighter who is dedicated to the selfless service of others.
MATTHEW BRITT serves as the director of Fire and Rescue Training for Randolph Community College in Asheboro, NC. He is a volunteer captain and training officer for the Seven Lakes Fire Department in West End, NC, where he has served for 13 years. He holds a bachelors degree in fire service administration from Columbia Southern University.
