Building Relationships Through Higher Education

I’ll admit that I’m biased in favor of fire service personnel of all ranks taking the time and effort to further their personal development by pursuing higher education. That said, the concept of higher education, particularly in the fire service, can be a very polarizing topic.

Some believe that it’s highly essential for all ranks within a department; some believe that it only is essential for certain ranks, such as executive chief officers (assistant, deputy and/or fire chiefs); and some don’t believe that it’s essential at all.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, a very important reason to pursue higher education that probably escapes many is the ability to build and maintain effective, working relationships with like-minded individuals. These working relationships can last a career, can last a lifetime and/or can pay off tremendously in your ongoing pursuit of excellence as a student of the fire service.

Most individuals realize that much of our success in life comes from the relationships that we build over the years, whether they’re on or off the job: family, friends, coworkers, mentors, supervisors, etc. Success can have many definitions: Promotions, opportunities, personal satisfaction, quality of life and achievement of goals are just a few things that come to mind. Regardless of whether you want to stay at your current rank, are considering a promotion or just want to have a satisfied life, in general, success can be measured in different ways by different individuals. Regardless of how it’s measured, it’s safe to say that success usually doesn’t occur solely based on timing, chance or hard work. It usually results from a combination of those things and then some.

The online expanse

Building and maintaining effective, working relationships through higher education is even more of a bonus today because, before online higher education was an option, one had no alternative but brick-and-mortar schools. They usually cater to individuals who live within a specific geographical area. That isn’t a bad thing; it’s just a reality. It has benefits, but it also has drawbacks, one being that while you have the chance to work closely and collaboratively with students and instructors, those individuals might not be able to provide the more worldly, or broader, experience than that which can be accessed via an online higher education program.

When one goes through an online program, that person gets the opportunity to meet students and instructors from around the country, if not the world. Yes, in-person programs allow students and instructors to be front and center with each other, which has its benefits. Yes, that is lacking from an online program unless there is some form of hybrid requirement to show up in person. However, online programs allow a wider net to be cast in the form of getting to interact with others around the globe.

Some could argue that meeting virtually is something that’s lesser than is meeting or working with someone in person. Nevertheless, there still is the potential to create effective working relationships with others, and these relationships can blossom into something very positive.

Consider one of the benefits of social media: the capability to network with individuals of all ranks, from all walks of life and from all around the world. It’s undeniable that most of the individuals with whom we connect on social media never interact with us (short of, say, a like of an occasional post). However, the fact is, social media makes connecting with others much easier and even affords the opportunity to build and maintain effective, working relationships, should the mutual interest and connection be there.

The same goes for online education: A specific class for, say, a bachelor’s or master’s degree program could have an instructor who is from a big-city fire department or who is from a small-town fire department. It can comprise students who are scattered across the country, or it could require participation in group projects.

Make the effort

The benefit for those who take the time to interact with their classmates is that they have the potential to expand their network to the point that they now can gain a much broader perspective.

I will be the first to admit that having to do group projects or discussion boards can be challenging, depending on whether the other individuals are fully engaged/willing to share the load/act as an effective, somewhat equal teammate.

In full disclosure, all of my higher education (up to and including my master’s degree) was completed at brick-and-­mortar colleges, before online programs were available readily. I was able to build and maintain several effective, working relationships with others (most of whom were and are still in the fire service), but I made the time and effort to do so. That’s what it ultimately comes down to: If you don’t have the desire to work closely, you probably can find a way to squeeze yourself through a program with little interaction with others, whether it’s in person or online.

Nothing comes close to my time attending the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP). Many of each year’s students and instructors were from different parts of the country—and even internationally on occasion. The EFOP made every attempt to ensure that students were divided from around the world, as opposed to having, say, five of 20 students from California and another four from Florida. Students were from big cities, small towns, career departments, combination departments and volunteer departments, not to mention of different ranks with different levels of experience.

Even 10 years after graduating from the EFOP, I am fortunate to remain in contact with many of the individuals (many of whom retired), either through social media, email, text or phone. Besides many of us calling each other friends, we also use each other as resources. This can be as a reference, as a person to vent to when either one is dealing with a challenging situation at home or on the job or as someone to pick the brain of in time of need. Plus, when we get the chance to meet up at a conference or some other type of event, it’s like Old Home Week.

Ultimately, it’s nice to have countless resources at my disposal from around the world should I need some assistance or have a question: If one of my personal acquaintances doesn’t have an answer, someone probably can point me in the direction of someone who does.

Relationships are invaluable

Today’s higher education learning environment has the potential to be of great value—if it’s taken fully advantage of—by affording to ability to get to know fellow students who are in each of your classes.

For those who haven’t pursued higher education, it probably is difficult to appreciate the true value and benefits that come from the time and effort that one puts into it. The most valuable advice that I ever received is that our success isn’t just what we put into the process; it’s about the effective, working relationships that we have with others, particularly those who are from outside of our local sphere. 

Steve Prziborowski will present “Courage Under Fire Leadership: Being the Best Fire Service Professional You Can Be in 2022 & Beyond!” and “Courage Under Fire Leadership: 10 Commandments of a Great Fire Officer!” at Firehouse Expo. To register, visit firehouseexpo.com.