I remember sitting at the dinner table at the fire station when I was younger and being asked, “If you were chief for a week, what would you change in the department?” My answers were always over-the-top, super-dramatic and unrealistic.
When I started out in the fire service, I never thought I’d have the power to influence change in my department. The longer I’m a firefighter, though, I’ve come to realize that, regardless of your rank or time on the job, you do have the power to inspire positive change in your department.
Of course, making a difference is easier said than done. With that said, I know the question then becomes: How can I influence change or make improvements in the department?
Firefighter Groupings
There’s an adage that says, “80% of the work is done by 20% of the people 100% of the time.” In the fire service, that saying doesn’t always fit, but it can come close. One number I am sure of: I can divide 100% of all fire service personnel into four groups.
Group 1:Just Enough. This group is comprised of firefighters who come to work, do just enough to get by and go home. These firefighters have no concerns about the job, station, rig, or improving themselves or their department. They’re the people who show up for work right at shift change, always seem to be missing when there’s work to be done and don’t put any effort into training. They show no love for the job and have the ability to bring down an entire company or department with their attitude and work ethic.
Group 2: All about Me. This group could be considered the most unique. It’s made up of those firefighters who will only go above or beyond for personal gain including a promotion–their effort seems to increase as yearly evaluations near. They have little to no honor and are willing to sell out, step on or make other firefighters look bad in an effort to make themselves stand out.
Group 3: Solid Foundations. The majority of firefighters fall into this group. These firefighters are the backbone of the fire service and fill most positions and ranks; they have a passion for the job and love being a firefighter. They’re willing to do everything that is asked of them and sometimes go above and beyond that.
Group 4: Go Getters. This group has many of the same traits as group 3, but they take it a step further. It contains firefighters who are always looking for ways to better themselves and their departments, as well as the fire service as a whole. They arrive early for their shift, prepare early training drills, encourage ideas and try new things by thinking outside the box.
Now, ask yourself which group you fall into.
Strategies for Change
If you’re reading this article and others like it, then there’s a good chance you fall into the fourth group of firefighters.
So how do you influence change? That’s simple: Keep doing what you’ve been doing every day as a firefighter:
- Keep showing up early before your shift, ready to answer that first call. You will find that, in time, others will see this and begin to arrive earlier, too.
- Keep trying to find better ways to carry, use or maintain the tools of the trade. Every time you find a better way to do things, it’s more likely to become a norm for the department.
- Keep encouraging other firefighters to go to training classes and schools. Every time a firefighter learns something new about the job, they can bring that information and training back to the department and its members. The training and education can be passed on to others to further the abilities of the department and its personnel.
- Keep a great attitude about the job. A positive attitude can be contagious and will bring the team and company together with a stronger bond.
- Keep preparing for training classes early so you can find different strategies and trials to make the training more challenging. This will allow you to better prepare yourself and others within the department.
- Keep your uniforms looking good. In time, the firefighters around you will start to see how sharp and professional you look and will try to imitate you and your uniform.
Final Thoughts
I have only named a few of the countless things firefighters can do to influence change within their department. In this article, I use the term “firefighter” to describe all fire service personnel, but I want to make sure everyone reading this understands that it doesn’t matter if you are a first-day firefighter or a seasoned veteran officer. You have to power to influence change within your fire department.
