A Fire Department Dressed in Sheep’s Clothing

Dear Nozzlehead: I’m torn between my loyalty to my department and a friend. The chiefs and president of the volunteer fire association where my friend was a low-ranking officer decided that my friend needed to be replaced. The members of the department lobbied those in charge, arguing that they no longer wanted to “over-train,” drill, take classes or re-certify outdated and expired training certifications. So during a recent meeting with the department officers, my friend was told, “This is not the Navy SEALs; we are volunteers. People come to the firehouse to get away from their wives and family and to watch TV and relax.” He was told that they don’t want to have to train, drill, wash the trucks and sweep the floor. And they are tired of him telling them that unless they know how to operate the pumps and use the equipment, they shouldn’t be allowed to drive the trucks. My friend politely told them OK, and then went to the gear rack and took his helmet and things. He turned in his radio, pager and badges and walked out the door. I am stuck in the middle. Although I love being in the volunteer fire department, I also feel loyal to my friend.
–Nervous in New Mexico
 
Dear Nervous,
The heartwarming news is that your buddy can go to a fire department right down the street. The bad news: There’s a strong possibility that they won’t want to train and do all those good things that constitute a fire department either. And I’m not just talking about volunteer departments here; there are plenty of “anykinda” fire departments where the members don’t want to train. Surprised? I am too, particularly since it’s nearly 2013. Wow.

“But we are just volunteers,” says a group of whiners. Quit the damn whining. What did you join for? Oh, that’s right. It was to get away from “the wives,” watch TV, etc. Damn. Now what? OK, let’s autopsy this.
 
You and the community are up Shinola’s Creek. Deep shinola. But no one knows it–except maybe you. That’s because, in most cases, the handful of fires your department responds to will go relatively OK. Or maybe they won’t; maybe they’ll burn the structure to the ground. But the public is often no wiser. The way you describe it, your FIRE DEPARTMENT doesn’t want to be what the public perceives the FIRE DEPARTMENT to be. So now what?
 
Well the first thing I would do is shut off 9-1-1 until we figure out this mess. Find out wherever that on/off switch is, and shut that damn place down now. That way no one can call for help. It’s a start. OK, OK, you don’t like that option. I get it.

You need to understand that this is a deep-rooted issue. I mean, seriously, if the people in charge don’t want to train, and the members don’t want to train, then you have yourself an untrained fire department. So who cares? Internally, just a few of you. In the community? Probably few–until they have a fire. A really bad fire. Or when one of your firefighters gets hurt. Or someone gets killed. But even those events might not change anything. All that has happened in other places and the fire department hasn’t changed. But in some cases, it has changed. For example, for one well-known fire department in the South, it appears by all accounts that the horrific death of nine firefighters has indeed forced the needed actions and changes.
 
As for your situation, I wish your friend hadn’t quit. He can’t impact change when he’s no longer on the department. I don’t know you, your friend or the personalities involved, so I can’t judge the situation on that, but maybe your friend doesn’t have the right personality to impact change. And it definitely takes the right kind of person to get this done. Getting a whole bunch of unpaid people to do what they DO NOT want to do takes some amazing talent and skill. So now, now what?!
 
You may choose to become the “change-agent” in a direct, but probably more effectively in an indirect, way.
 
I definitely understand that volunteers have limited time, and that time is precious. I also get that they want to “enjoy” the time they have at the firehouse, but I have trouble believing that they don’t want any training. So because I don’t have all the facts about your department, let me try this: Maybe your department is trying to be everything to everyone and their bubble has burst … their cup runneth over … their bank account has been overdrawn. In other words, it is JUST TOO MUCH. And that’s OK. Not every department can be everything to everyone. I liken it to the way EMS is regulated. Some areas can “afford” BLS, some ALS and some first responder basic service. It’s all about what the community wants, what they will fund and what the organization can handle. I believe that fire departments working within their resources (time and interest are resources) must determine what they realistically can–and cannot–do.
 
If they don’t want to train, they need to become a basic fire department, which in Nozzleheadville, means their motto should be, “We’ll protect your exposures and deck gun the house … and that’s about it.” Little training required. That seems to be where your department is now. Hopefully the community is OK with that. But maybe it’s not!
 
Do you want to change your department members’ attitudes? Work ’em. But work ’em with less emotion and more fact. Show them articles and remind the bosses that they don’t do it to make headlines. Let them see articles about the legal jams that other chiefs and officers have been drawn into. Don’t be a jerk or slam it in their faces with an “I know it all” attitude. Do it peacefully. Sounds like your officers aren’t into the “in their face” communication. That’s OK. Keep throwing this info at them and something just might stick. It’s really in their hands. For now.

You can also go to the elected officials, the community, the Rotary club, the Elks, the Odd Fellows or whoever else will listen. And if the community is concerned, understands the facts and is willing to pay for improved and dedicated service, then it may be time to partially or fully eliminate the volunteer company and replace it with career paid firefighters. After all, it’s about the community, the folks who dial 9-1-1.

It sounds brutal, but so often I’ll hear a firefighter state that they had a fire last week. A quick reminder of what I’ve shared many times before in this column: You and your fire department had nothing. Someone in your community had their fire, and they invited you to do something about it. If you and your department are unable to deal with that problem, the community’s options are clear. It has the option to shut down the fire department and replace it with a career paid department. What?! Get rid of our volunteer fire department?! Now what?  That’s what.