Onboarding New Firefighters: Avoiding Pitfalls

Fire departments are in a perpetual state of recruitment. Vacancies need to be filled due to retirements or promotions, a new entry-level hiring list is needed or volunteer fire departments are looking to ensure their ranks are sufficient for response.

Whatever the reason for recruiting, it should be an ongoing process that is continuously reviewed and improved. Recruiting is only the first step. The long term retention of new firefighters is the most important piece. That begins with the onboarding process.

This article will examine the best practices for onboarding new firefighters in career and volunteer fire departments. What needs to happen before the new firefighter arrives? For the new firefighter, what should the first day look like? How does the department make that possible? There are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes along the way. This article will provide a blueprint for your department to follow and avoid the pitfalls that can push new firefighters out the door shortly after they arrive.

The onboarding process, arguably the most critical stage of the employee cycle, is one of organizational socialization and acculturation. As new firefighters move through the process, they experience a wide array of emotions that will ultimately result in a change in perceptions about how their experience will play out and what it will mean to their life as a whole.

As they become integrated into the daily operation of the fire department, minor or major adjustments and internal re-negotiations take place as expectations evolve and become more realistic. As reality replaces imagination, their new world will either be deemed acceptable, and they will choose to stay, or it will be judged as unacceptable, and they may move on.

Stress, good or bad, is also often present as new firefighters struggle to make sense of their new environment. A well-designed onboarding process, therefore, helps new members and department leaders both manage expectations and supports them as they negotiate uncertain and stressful waters. We will provide some best practices for both career and volunteer fire departments to onboard new members into your organization. Follow these strategies and avoid unnecessary pitfalls when bringing in new members.

Onboarding career firefighters

Recruiting new career firefighters should involve a detailed process that seeks to gain individuals that are knowledgeable, trainable and possess mechanical ability. Individuals that possess multiple core values are also highly desirable as the fire service is still the most trusted organization in existence. The knowledge that is desired includes knowing the streets, buildings, cultures and if they can connect with the public. Someone that is trainable is a person that has the ability to learn the skills that are required of firefighters and then be able to apply them under low- and high-stress situations.

The third desired ability is mechanical ability. Individuals that are entering the fire service today are much different than years ago. Many firefighters being hired today have limited to no mechanical experience and/or ability. This presents a serious problem as the fire service is a problem-solving agency that relies heavily on solving problems with different types of mechanics. In years past, many of the individuals entering the fire service came from the trades, i.e. carpentry, electricians, roofers, and mechanics. In the past ten or so years this has completely changed.

The individuals entering many of the career departments now come directly from college. Many have little to no mechanical experience and experience using various tools, saw, etc. Training and company officers often are spending substantial amounts of time going over what basic tools and how to use them. A structured program could be developed to introduce the new firefighter to the basics and gradually train them on complex rescue and firefighting situations that firefighters deal with everyday across the country.

As stated previously, fire officers must develop clear expectations for new firefighters. These expectations should be followed up on emergency incidents where the officers and seasoned firefighters lead by example. New firefighters should also be paired up with a mentor who can reinforce the desired skills and abilities.

Once recruited, the onboarding process for career firefighters should start with basic expectations. My basic list always included “do your best," “do what's right," “treat the public the way you would want your family treated," and “before you end your shift try to make the department a little bit better." Once basic expectations are communicated, now you can begin to introduce the new firefighter(s) to the various personnel and facilities in your organization.

The new firefighter(s) will now start to learn the “culture” of the organization. The culture of the organization is essential to know because it provides a direction for firefighters to learn what the acceptable norms and procedures are in the organization. Once the new firefighter(s) have been given the basic expectations and been introduced to the culture of the organization they should transition next towards being assigned to an officer, mentor, and fire station if there is more than one. Once assigned, they will begin to receive reinforcement from the officer and mentor.

The onboarding process should include benchmarks that the new firefighter(s) should achieve. An example would be to master some of the streets in their district or be able to explain the location and use of all of the equipment on a certain apparatus. Once the firefighter(s) have mastered the assigned skills they should proceed to the next desired benchmark. Officers and mentors should keep in mind that there is a lot to learn in a short amount of time but you don’t want to overload the new firefighter(s) with new information if they haven’t grasped or mastered previous benchmarks.

It is also important to realize that an experienced firefighter or officer has had many years of experience with the duties and equipment they are expecting the new firefighter(s) to learn in a short amount of time. Patience and constant reinforcement are two necessities when onboarding new firefighter(s). The instructional adage of “I do," “We do," “you do” is a great example of how to proceed during the process. This part of the process often needs to be repeated several times to ensure that skills, equipment, and expectations are met.

Onboarding volunteer firefighters

As new volunteers join your ranks, be open and engage them on a regular basis. Do not lose them due to lack of communication. Establish a clear path for new members to ask questions (of which they will have many) and partner them up with a mentor. Introduce the new firefighter to everyone and explain their roles. The mentor should ensure that new members meet as department regulars as possible within the first couple of weeks.

The administrative and officer staff along with senior firefighters should be the first group new members meet as they become familiar with your department. Guide them through your organizational culture and share with them the mission statement, mission vision and values of your department. Explain to them everything that your department does for the community

Many people believe that the fire department responds to only one thing: fires. Provide them with a good backdrop of your daily or weekly call volume. What the peak times for calls tend to be, some of your most response-heavy areas or facilities and community outreach events. Detail to them your department’s vision for the future and what the primary goals are for the next five years.

Volunteer departments might not have daily checks but they likely check equipment and apparatus on a weekly basis. These weekly work nights are excellent opportunities for new firefighters to become familiar with apparatus, equipment, and members of the department. The role of the mentor will be extremely important in the first few weeks of the onboarding process. Carefully select who these mentors are as they will set the tone for how the department functions both operationally and administratively.

Partner new members with a mentor who will be there to answer questions, show them the ropes, and help them acclimate to the department. The mentor should introduce the new firefighter to everyone and explain their roles. Ensure that new members meet with all department members within the first couple of weeks, starting with the administrative and officer staff along with senior firefighters. The role of the mentor will be extremely important in the first few weeks of the onboarding process.

Get the new members involved in something that lets them contribute right away. Get to know what skills they can bring to the department. This will help you identify some things new members can do right away to get involved in the operation of the department. The precise nature of what new members can do is dependent on how SOP’s/SOG’s are written, how long the probationary period lasts and what the requirements are for completing an entry-level firefighter course. Your onboarding process should include a plan for engaging new members immediately.

Provide new members with a professional development plan. They need to understand what the training and certification requirements are very early in the process. The development plan you create should clearly define outside training, such as attendance at a Fire Fighter I program. New members must know the time commitment involved to successfully complete any entry-level training. Beyond the initial class it is important to set up continued education as part of the development plan.

The success of a new member in your department is directly related with family support. Remember, their lives are also about to change. Engage the family members and provide them with the requirements the new member will need to meet. Prepare the family for the time commitment required and explain to them why the training is necessary. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has a resource designed to help introduce family members to the basics of the volunteer life and help them adjust to the lifestyle changes they will be facing. What to Expect: A Guide for Family Members of Volunteer Firefighters is available for free download on the NVFC web site at www.nvfc.org.

Conclusion

Properly onboarding career and volunteer firefighters is a challenging but very necessary process. In this article we have provided best practices to avoid pitfalls that can result in potentially losing new firefighters. Make sure that your department has an onboarding plan in place. Make the proper introductions, ensure expectations are clearly defined, provide a mentor and provide positive reinforcement as new skills are learned and tasks accomplished.

Jason Decremer, PhD, is the director of certification for the Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. He is responsible for over 40 levels of national certification testing for approximately 20,000 firefighters statewide. He has been a member of the volunteer fire service for 20 years. He also is an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven and Goodwin College, teaching courses in Homeland Security and Fire Administration. He received his PhD in public policy and administration from Walden University and a master’s degree in curriculum design and education from the University of Phoenix.

Mark Waters is currently a Battalion Chief for the City of New London, CT, Fire Department. He has been a member of the fire service for 33 years, serving 15 years as a volunteer. He is also a Program Planner / Adjunct Instructor with the Connecticut Fire Academy. He holds a Master's Degree from Grand Canyon University and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program.