By Salvatore J. Scarpa
What exactly is professionalism? Have you ever had an interaction with the wait staff at a restaurant that was less than stellar? Maybe they messed up your order or spilled your drink or, even worse, were just plain rude. Or have you ever stood in line a long time to get to a clerk who clearly couldn’t care less about your wait or why you were there? Perhaps this (or a similar) experience soured your opinion of the restaurant or the place you visited and may impact whether you go there again.
These and similar experiences represent behavior that we might characterize as unprofessional. While some may find it difficult to define professionalism, we typically can readily recognize its absence. But this isn’t really new or particularly groundbreaking information. Lack of professionalism can be seen in a variety of professions (and indeed government) for decades. Yet, it is seemingly perhaps more common today. And more troubling is its prevalence in the fire service.
This apparent decline (or lack) of professionalism in our society today is truly anecdotal on my part and not the result of a scientific study on the topic. Perhaps it’s merely a personal observation. It just seems there is a general decline in the professional demeanor of our workforce today. You can read about it in the news or see it on television quite often.
What if the world around us is a little less kind or not quite as polished as we would like it to be or as it used to be in the “good ‘ole days”? What’s the big deal? People aren’t dying. Nobody’s losing any money. Is this really a problem? Is inappropriate behavior, general rudeness, lack of polish, or some similar observations really that big a deal? After all, aren’t there bigger problems in the world?
While there are indeed ‘bigger’ problems in the world, nevertheless, this is indeed a problem. And it’s perhaps more significant than it appears. But to understand why, let’s first seek to define what it is we’re talking about.
PROFESSIONALISM DEFINED
What is professionalism? There are a great many definitions here. A quick online search will reveal literally millions of “hits” on the term with hundreds of definitions from the public and private sector as well as academia.
I have my own definition of professionalism. My lens of professionalism is primarily associated with the public safety industry based on my years of public service. It may not work for you, but it is truly the basis of this article. I define professionalism as the nexus of capability, image, and delivery.
True professionals are masters of their trade–this is their capability. Intuitively, professionals are expected to have years of experience backed by training that is both rigorous (lending to its credibility) and ongoing (yielding continuous improvement and relevance in a changing environment). True professionals seek to understand all the nuances of their particular vocation and are therefore regarded (by proxy, in comparison to the rest of us) as subject matter experts.
As a middle-aged man who has not lived a particularly sheltered life, I’ve seen a lot in my time on this world. I got my first “real” (part time) job at age 16 and have worked ever since. But while I may be somewhat worldly, there’s still a lot I don’t know about. For example, over the past several years, I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel a fair amount. Getting on a plane a couple of times a month is not unusual for me. But I have no idea what it’s like to be a pilot or a flight mechanic. I don’t know the first thing about aeronautics. If I am forced into a cockpit, you had better make your peace with your maker.
Seriously, having an awareness of what it takes to fly is one thing. Being a credentialed pilot is quite another. My vague understanding of what it means to get from Point A to Point B via aircraft does not even begin to describe what professional pilots must grasp to function in that role. Their capability comes from rigorous training that is based on industry standards and tested at the highest level.
The image component of my definition is equally as critical but perhaps more subjective in nature. By that I mean what may be acceptable to you (and thereby deemed of a professional nature) may be different for me. Thus, the notion of a credible professional image is perhaps in the eye of the beholder.
For example, there is a certain segment of our society that frowns (sometimes harshly) on people with visible tattoos. Depending on what generational genre you belong to (boomer, X-er, Next-er, etc.), your opinion on the visibility of tattoos may be stronger or not. Older generations are traditionally less tolerant of the visibility of tattoos (forbidding them by policy) than perhaps younger generations (who may regulate them more loosely).
Now the reality is the tattoo itself really does not inhibit the ability of the wearer to perform a specific function. An electrician or a pipe fitter can either perform the job or not, irrespective of the tattoo. The same is true for a firefighter, law enforcement officer, or emergency medical technician. But the tattoo does have a bearing (albeit subjectively) on their image and thus whether we would describe the appearance of the wearer as professional or unprofessional. Again, some folks couldn’t care less; others are more passionate about it.
Image has a lot to do with how we look, whether we present ourselves in public (and to our customers) as kempt or unkempt, sloppy or clean, well-groomed and well-dressed or disheveled. How would you rate a candidate who came in for a corporate interview in flip flops and board shorts? Would you immediately write him off as unprofessional and therefore unqualified? What if he aced the interview; does your opinion change?
Having the capability to provide a service with a positive image is critical for a professional. But if the actual delivery of the service is not executed appropriately, the perception of professionalism is lost. This can happen in one of two ways: faulty execution and dispassionate delivery. Let’s look at each of these concepts.
Faulty execution is precisely what is sound like–a haphazard or faulty execution of some service that the so-called “professional” should be capable of doing. In the restaurant business, it’s the wrong food; in the logistics industry, it may be the receipt of a package that is damaged; in the airline industry, it’s faulty equipment causing flight delays.
In the fire service, you’ll often recognize it on emergency scenes. Sometimes this is the pile of spaghetti hose that wasn’t stretched tangled in a heap at the front door of a house fire—by crews who should know how to do a simple stretch but for whatever reason wind up wasting time removing kinks and untangling crossed lines. Or a ladder company spends an inordinate amount of time raising a 35-foot ground ladder only to find the fly section collapse back because the pawls weren’t secured. This simple error is usually the result of hasty execution and could wind up injuring firefighters.
Haphazard execution does not covey the image of a professional. In a world where everybody is watching (and recording), the fire service can ill afford to be seen as incapable of executing the very service we are charged with delivering. Moreover, in an environment where social and television media can rapidly damage your image and destroy your reputation, the fire service cannot afford to be the victim of faulty execution.
Equally as destructive to your community’s perception of your reputation are members who provide service with dispassionate delivery. In other words, their actions, their words, and their mannerisms reflect a lack of compassion or care for how they provide service. This is often interpreted as rude or callous behavior on individual providers. This may be a paramedic with no bedside manner or a firefighter needlessly destroying a resident’s remaining belongings after a house fire under the false pretext of overhaul.
COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS
Over my career, I have come to realize that our communities we serve generally only truly want three things from their fire department: respond quickly, handle the problem, and have a little bit of compassion. That’s it! That’s all we really need to do. Now, honestly, that’s oversimplifying it quite a bit. But, at the end of the day, that’s what our communities are looking for.
Our communities want us to quickly arrive on scene after something happens. They generally don’t understand the concept of reliability and what the ramifications are if an ambulance from their community is out assisting in another territory. How they generally interpret that is a longer wait time. Should we expect them to understand what it means to go to “level zero” with no ambulances available? Perhaps we should. But, in that moment, maybe that’s not the time. Show up quickly! That means get on the truck without delay, whether it’s an emergent or nonemergent call for service. Just because you don’t deem it an emergency doesn’t mean the caller sees it that way.
A colleague and friend of mine whom I greatly admire told me this story. The fire crew was awakened to a call for service in the middle of the night. To the crew, it seemed like a very mundane call from a “frequent” elderly user of the system. The crew was grumbling all the way to the truck. Frustrated with their lack of professionalism, he stopped them in their tracks on the way to the truck and asked them: “Is there anyone else in the city requiring our services at this very moment?” They paused, “No, Cap.” He replied, “Then let’s go and give this citizen our complete attention and best possible service.” How inspiring!
The community expects us to handle the problem no matter what it is! How many times have you been called to a residence or business for something that needed to be handled by the power company, the water service, a private contractor, or some other area of government? The reality is a lot of times; our residents sometimes don’t know who to call. And in their “dire circumstance” they call us. What an honor! The public looks to us–the fire service–to handle their problems. That means they trust us and recognize our propensity for getting things done (even if it’s outside our scope of service). Now, I’m not advocating we become a jack of all trades, but let’s respect the fact that we are regarded as capable of doing anything. And, for many emergencies, we had better be capable of doing just that. Remember, there is no 912!
In the delivery of our service, when someone is having quite possibly the worst day of their life, our responsibility is to execute with compassion! A little compassion goes a long way. It’s not our responsibility to manage the myriad of tragic circumstances we encounter for days and weeks after an event. It’s difficult enough for us to manage our own reaction to these emergencies long after they happen. But in those few moments, when you are picking up a frail woman off the bathroom floor, or when you are holding someone’s hand who could potentially be taking their last breath, showing some compassion toward that individual and for their family is the very essence of what a true professional is.
Compassion allows our customers to recognize that we are human, and they often crave that human connection. In a world of automation and technology where you can spend hours navigating voice prompts on the telephone to try and get to an actual person, connecting with another person can be very impactful. Generally speaking, in the delivery of our services, that human touch with a little compassion can comfort a devastated homeowner or grieving mother.
The concept of professionalism in the fire service is not new. It has been part of the fabric of our service delivery for centuries. However, of late, it seems to be eroding away. With so much to focus on in a dynamic environment, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we’re in the people business. This profession demands capable firefighters deliver service effectively and with compassion in a manner that positively reflects on their personnel, their agency, and the best traditions of the fire service.
BIO:
SALVATORE J. SCARPA, a 31-year fire service veteran, is the fire-EMS chief for Columbus, Georgia. He has written numerous articles for the fire service and presented at many regional, national, and international conferences on contemporary issues in the fire service. He has an associate’s degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in public administration, and a master’s degree in leadership studies. He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program, a credentialed Chief Fire Officer with the Center for Public Safety Excellence, and a graduate of the International Association of Fire Chief’s Fire Service Executive Development Institute.
