Dear Nozzlehead: I belong to a busy all-volunteer fire department that runs approximately 1 000 fire calls and 1 500 BLS EMS calls annually. Of the fire calls, we respond to about 80 actual “working” fires. We–the gung-ho active members–are proud of our training response times and level of service provided by our 100 members.
Here’s the problem: Of the 100 members, about 30 of us carry the load. We have some members who just come around once in a while. We have others who haven’t been on a run in years. And naturally we have other members who make runs but don’t attend training. We need some advice on how to get them to come around.
–Overworked in New England
Dear Overworked
It sounds like a decent volunteer fire department. It also sounds like no one is in charge there, but that seems to be the case in career and volunteer fire departments alike. Even boats without rudders sometimes make it to port. Funny how that works. This reminds me of something a firefighter said following an incident in which he fell into a burning basement after failing to carry out orders: “Well we all get burned sometimes. It’s what we do as firefighters so I’m glad I got it out of the way.”
How about that moron? Our hero. I’d like that “clown in PPE” to meet some of my friends–friends who don’t look like they did before they were burned in a house fire when doing what was expected of them. Talk to them about what it’s like to have multiple skin grafts or to lose a hand. Yeah, it’s just part of what we do. Right.
So where am I going with this? I’m going to the common denominator for most solutions to these types of problems: bosses, fire chiefs, fire officers–leadership. And that can also include “informal leaders”–those firefighters who end up as the “go-to” person regardless of who’s in charge. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes it’s not so good, but it’s reality.
Overworked, your problem exists in MANY volunteer fire departments–volunteer departments that chose to ignore the problem. Now let me dig a little bit.
Let’s start with the old timers, the geezers, the very senior members–the ones who arrived with the horses. Members of a volunteer fire department with 25—30 or more years on should be able to enjoy their membership with less asked of them as long as they are not responding to calls. If they are, then they must train. More on this later.
Then there are the members who have 10 or 15 years on. They should have some privileges, but no less responsibility as long as they are still responding to calls.
Now let’s look at the members who are off probation but have less than 10 years on. They should carry most of the load, function at full capacity and respond to many many calls, or at least a number that’s fair to everyone.
And lastly we have probies. For more on how I feel about probies, read my August 2007 column, “Shut Up & Train More, ” which lists 50 tips all probies should know. Bottom line: They do what is expected as a probie and all the other “stuff” that no one wants to do.
As a probie, you’ll learn firefighting and rescue work. These are VERY exciting skills that you couldn’t have learned at home. You’ll also learn other essential skills ,such as how to clean, cook without a microwave, eat without a drive-thru, do dishes, fix anything mechanical, use your hands for more than texting, actually “earn” things, be responsible, respectful and polite, communicate with people who have less than you, help people who have much less than you, and other stuff like that. Welcome to the fire department, skippy.
So what does all this mean? Simply put: Anyone who is riding in the apparatus MUST maintain a basic level of training and skills. If you have 50 years on the department and you respond to calls, you MUST attend training at the level of service you’re expected to perform. It’s unfair and dangerous to you and other firefighters if you’re NOT present for training but then show up and jump on the apparatus because you feel like it that day. I’m not saying you have to do SCBA training, that is, unless your seat on the apparatus has an SCBA in it! And I’m not saying you have to go to rescue-tool training. But if you go on a run and are expected to work the Jaws of Life, then you should have at least trained on it recently so you have the chance of making a difference. That’s why you joined.
Without question, the more “senior” a member becomes in a volunteer department the more privileges they earn. But regardless of whether you’re going to get on the apparatus 1 or 1 000 times a year you must maintain the skills you’re expected to perform–and that requires training.
So who fixes that? The bosses, the chiefs, the company officers? Some volunteer departments use the lame excuse that “If we push too hard and ask too much of our members they won’t come around.” But this excuse doesn’t make any sense because they aren’t coming around NOW! Plus I’m not proposing pushing too hard; I’m proposing basic training on a regular basis so that when they do get on the apparatus they have a clue about what they’re doing.
Chiefs, commissioners or whoever’s in charge must establish a minimal level of service for all members in a volunteer department. The less time you have on, the more you do. The more time you have on, the less you do, but your training requirement must still reflect the service you provide and may be asked to perform.
Put simply, if you belong to a volunteer fire department then BELONG! Do what’s expected. It’s unfair and potentially dangerous for 25 percent of the department to do 90 percent of the work. Why belong if you aren’t going to do the minimum? Turn your gear in and go join the garden club. They have less stringent requirements–like you only have to bring your hoe to meetings in the springtime.
If you LEAD a volunteer fire department, then you must set the rules and make it fair across the board based on the standard you determine is best for the community you serve and the members performing that service.
And finally, to the chiefs, commissioners, officers (whoever’s in charge): Whatever you do, DO NOT allow anyone a free pass. Do not waive the rules the bylaws or the organizational constitution. (An exception: family or health emergencies. Then offer a leave of absence, but when they come back they must make up for the missed training.) Just enforce what the rules say or change them, but DO NOT give a free pass to someone who’s simply not coming around because before you know it, many many more members of the organization will stop coming around.
And by the way, Overworked, don’t ever forget that many of the more “senior” members who aren’t coming around as much were on your fire department before your parents started dating. They do need to attend training to stay current, but remember that they still bring a lot to the table because of their years of experience. This is “their” volunteer fire department too. They earned it then as you are earning it now. Make sure they feel welcome and want to come around “all those new kids.”
