“Cheating Scandal Rocks State Fire Academy”; “3 Years for Pyro Fireman”; “Fire Chief Given Prison Sentence for Embezzlement”; “Firefighters Busted Looking at Porn on County Computers.” These are just a few headlines from countless news stories that chronicle bad behaviors in the fire service. Immoral, unethical, inappropriate and criminal behavior among firefighters seems to be on the rise, and it’s tarnishing the reputation of the fire service as a whole.
In March 2010, the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association (CVVFA) released a white paper on this topic in the hopes of starting a national discussion of how to prevent these behaviors, manage them when they occur and regain the nation’s high regard of the fire service. (Download the full white paper at http://www.cvvfa.org/.)
Why the CVVFA?
The CVVFA was established in 1901 as a group of regional fire service leaders, but today it addresses national issues including highway and roadway dangers; it maintains the Web site www.respondersafety.com.
Steve Austin, director and past president on the CVVFA board, spearheaded the group that drafted the white paper “Fire Service Reputation Management.” He explains, “The issue of the growing number of problem behaviors was raised in our group almost 3 years ago. An ad hoc group within our association met, and there was some discussion about the erosion of the moral high ground in the fire service.” Because the CVVFA had been successful in raising awareness about highway safety, the group thought it could be successful doing the same for the danger to the fire service’s reputation. The end result was the white paper.
“Most of the people involved in the white paper have been personally involved in resolving specific problems within their own departments,” Austin says. “They have dealt hands-on with issues that went across the whole list in the white paper; some even had people in jail as they were working on this.”
Serious Behavior Issues
“Fire Service Reputation Management” outlines seven problem areas:
1. Cheating on examinations;
2. Firefighter fire-setting;
3. Theft and misappropriation of fire service funds;
4. Use and misuse of departmental and personal information technology;
5. Misuse of departmental facilities;
6. Alcohol use and other substance abuse; and
7. Harassment and discrimination.
Chief Kelvin Cochran, U.S. Fire Administrator, who added a statement to the white paper, says, “We have some trends and patterns of behavior that are becoming more frequent. There are indicators that these patterns could be a growing impact on the reputation of the fire service.”
Part of the problem has been that these behaviors are dealt with locally, with no one looking at the big, national picture. “Heretofore, people usually dealt with [bad behavior] as isolated incidents–each case led to crisis management,” Austin explains. Chief Cochran adds, “Of course, most of these issues start local, but if the patterns transcend the city or county, this could be a big problem.”
When the CVVFA white paper task force started researching recent instances of bad behavior, they found that it is getting more common. “What we found is that this kind of behavior seems to be on the rise,” Austin says. “Our people are not willing to accept the theory that the fire service is a microcosm of society, which [is getting worse]. I don’t think we can accept this.”
An Impact on the Industry
Even if you believe isolated incidences of firefighter wrongdoing are over-reported, they still have a serious negative impact on the reputation of the department and the industry as a whole.
Chief Jeff Johnson, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), says, “These are individual people who are exhibiting these behaviors–but it takes just a few to tarnish the whole profession.” He continues, “The fire service is going through a tough time right now. If post-9/11 was a high point for how we’re perceived by the public, then these are really bumpy times.”
Austin points out that negative perceptions can also harm departments’ funding. “For example, I got a call recently from a chief in Massachusetts who said that some of his funding seems to be tied to bad things reported in the news about another department in the state,” Austin says. “So incidents of bad behavior can affect our funding and support.”
A National Code of Ethics?
The white paper calls for a national Fire Service Code of Ethics “as a guide for improved ethical decision-making,” which would be included in the training of every firefighter, from basic recruit training to leadership courses. “We’d like to get a national debate started about a code of ethics,” Austin says. “The CVVFA would like to be part of any discussion, but we certainly don’t have all the answers.”
Various national associations and government agencies may be included in drafting the code. “With the release of this white paper, departments now have the capacity to work the findings into their own rules and procedures, to create their own formal code of ethics and make it enforceable,” Cochran says. “But this also needs to be embraced at the federal level, by organizations like the International Association of Fire Firefighters, the IAFC and the National Volunteer Fire Council. If there is going to be a national ‘standard’ of ethics, for lack of a better word, I believe the U.S. Fire Administration should have a seat at the table.”
The IAFC already has a code of ethics for its members, along with formal rules of conduct and an enforcement process in place.
But not everyone agrees such a code is needed, and its future remains uncertain. Asked whether such a code might be included in the curriculum at the National Fire Academy, Superintendent Denis Oneial says, “I don’t know that you need to teach a code of ethics. If you need to be trained to be ethical, perhaps you need to seek another line of work.”
What Company Officers Can Do
The CVVFA hopes that the information they’ve provided will spur action at the department level. “We have suggestions in the white paper, but we don’t provide answers,” Austin points out. “It’s clearly the role of the company officer to set standards for the department.”
Chief Johnson agrees: “It all boils down to managing our behaviors. For chiefs, that requires that we hold our organizations accountable. That means that sometimes people cannot belong to that organization. As a chief, you’re the watchdog of that organization. So you have to set the standard, and then make sure that standard is enforced.”
Company officers should read the white paper and consider what actions they should take to prevent these types of behavior–and deal with them effectively when they occur. “I think anybody who looks at this white paper needs to do a self-analysis,” Austin says. “Ask, are we doing things here that would protect our reputation? For example, one of the easiest things to deal with is the issue of embezzling money. Have your books reviewed by an independent accounting firm. Have checks and balances in place–this is an easy fix.”
Austin says that departments should also review how they select new candidates. “There was a news item a couple of years ago about a firefighter in West Virginia who set a fire,” he recalls. “Another firefighter was injured while putting out that fire, and it made the news. A neighboring fire chief recognized the name of [the arsonist] and checked his files. That department had rejected him as a candidate due to a background check. All kinds of problems showed up on that check. It’s not hard to do background checks on all your candidates, including candidates for volunteers.”
Austin emphasizes, “It’s not like we’re breaking new ground here. Policies that address these issues are out there. Fire departments need to take a proactive approach to find those policies, institute them and enforce them. Take swift action and deal with it.”
Evidence Online
The CVVFA plans to launch its new Web site, www.firefighterbehavior.com, this spring. It will chronicle inappropriate conduct within the fire service. Modeled after www.respondersafety.com, the site uses Internet search technology to compile all reported incidents online. “This really shows the magnitude of the problem,” Austin says. “If we start gathering all the information that’s out there, we think people will start to realize how prevalent these problems are.”
Action to rein in these behaviors is critical, both at the department level and nationally. “The history of this nation’s fire service is rich with the service and sacrifices made by the many men and women who have faced fire since the founding of this nation. Through their efforts and behaviors, this nation has come to trust and depend on all firefighters for the safety and protection of their homes,” Cochran says. “It is imperative that all firefighters recognize the actions of a few have the potential to diminish this hard-earned trust. We must all work together to discuss, understand and act as firefighters in our behavior as to not only pay respect to those who have served before us, but to continue to be the emergency service all people have come to depend on.”
Managing the Media & Public Relations
Pete Piringer, a long-time public information officer (PIO) currently working for District of Columbia Fire & EMS, believes that the media has changed a lot in recent years. “There used to be newspaper, radio and TV, all very different in their needs, interests and deadlines,” he recalls. “Now we’ve got newspapers shooting video and putting stories online, trying to beat TV. Everything is digital and everything is fast. The news cycle is constant and they always need information, they need stories. [They have an increased] ability to break news and spread news easily.” Perhaps just as importantly, Piringer believes the media doesn’t view the fire service as it once did: “We’re not up on a pedestal anymore,” he points out.
And of course, firefighters behaving badly is news. So, if one or more members of your department is caught behaving immorally or illegally and you know it’s likely to hit the Internet (if not the local newspaper’s front page), then Piringer’s professional advice is to control the story from the beginning. “‘Be truthful,” he stresses. “Get the story right and get it out.” And he says he always keeps the same “news angle” in mind: “The most important thing I do is assure the community that we’re able to respond quickly and respond well.”
