Communicating in Today’s Fire Service

In case you hadn’t noticed, communication in today’s fire service is extremely different than what our forefathers of the fire service experienced. Instead of face-to-face contact or even reaching out to talk via phone, we are bombarded with text messages and tweets in a social media overload. Many of today’s firefighters are tech-savvy and, thus, avoid personal interaction.

Texts not only can cause miscommunication but also remove that personal touch that we are desperate to regain. Unfortunately, leaders of today are following that trend. Often, I see upper management send an email to their peers instead of having a conversation. That team-building inclusive approach has been lost. Firefighters of today must circle back and look up the definition of empathy and put it to use.

Here are some steps on how to re-engage with a “boots-on-the-ground” approach, starting from the top and working down to the ranks of probationary firefighters.

Don’t forget where you came from. As upper management, it’s important to make a concerted effort to step back and re-engage in the world of emergency services/operations. At times, we become detached from the daily grind and find ourselves stationary behind two computer monitors. This approach isn’t what we signed up for, but one way or another this is where the path has led us. What’s most important is to not forget where you came from and what drove you from the beginning to become a firefighter. This motivation is crucial for your success as a leader within the organization to remain relevant and to keep a pulse on what matters most—firefighters who work hard every day to provide the best service to the community that they serve.

Communicate in their language. We must identify the common jargon for the firefighters of today to be able to relate to their wants and needs. You must speak their language and get your message across. You must use your tools in the toolbox: social media, Twitter, Instagram and other generational tech-friendly communication tools.

Empathy is crucial. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. As a leader, you truly must have empathy for your people and the situations that they might be facing. There is no “fake it ‘til you make it” with empathy, because the firefighters of today will know it and you will lose credibility.

Buy-in. We like to throw this term around, but do we truly know what it means? Buy-in is the acceptance and willingness to actively support and participate. Buy-in is a vision or goal that’s put forth by an organization to get the members to truly believe that same vision and goal and want to participate. As a leader in today’s fire service, the vision and the goal not only must be believed by the leaders, but the leaders also must have follow-through with accountability and responsibility. To change the culture and to get buy-in” the proof must be in the pudding and no longer just be lip service.