“The More Things Change …” (Editor`s Opinion, February 1997)
Derryl B. O`Neal, M.P.A.
Deputy Chief–Operations
Charlotte County (FL) Fire & EMS Department
As I reviewed the above editorial, I was convinced that the title correctly described a large portion of today`s fire service. Many fire officials still believe the fire service should be limited to the suppression of hostile fires. To those anchored in tradition, expansion of our paramilitary organizations into other areas of public service is not welcomed or desirable. [We have been] protecting the public from this destructive force, which has been the role of the fire service for the past 200 years. In the eyes of some, this is the way it should remain–a fire service restricted and hampered by the thoughts, actions, and ideals of those intimidated or afraid to progress into the next level the community deserves.
In case no one has noticed, this is the 1990s. The populace is no longer willing to fund the exorbitant cost of a fire department limited and restricted to fighting fires. The public is demanding more. While “jumping through the EMS hoop” is one area that will prove to increase the value of our service, there is so much more we can and must do to survive. Very few departments generate enough fire calls to justify a sole fire department. Check the 911 statistics. Nationally, the majority of the requests for service are medical emergencies, not fires. Who hasn`t heard the battle cry of doing more with less?
The same individuals who refuse to progress in one area often refuse to progress in another. Modern management theories and philosophies immediately come to mind. The old fire service generates an image of a large, cigar-smoking fire chief barking out orders–and that`s in the fire station. Today, there are proven ways to reach our goals and objectives that encourage our employees to perform to an established standard. Motivation, not intimidation. Also, there are rules, regulations, and laws that govern, dictate, and demand change. Consider the past, and think of the effects that legislation such as the ADA and the Family Medical Leave Act has had on the fire service. The organizational environment is transforming; the fire service must be ready and willing to adapt with it.
While I agree with Bill Manning`s concept that we need additional firefighters and that rules and regulations should be followed, I know there is a changing environment that demands empathy, cooperation, and participatory teamwork among all members of the government, the fire service, and the public. There are new threats to our organizations, such as privatization, downsizing, and rightsizing, that compel us all to progress or step aside. The fire service, as a career and organization, is rapidly changing. Those who feel the fire service should remain stagnant and unyielding are probably the same ones who complain about the use of SCBAs and refuse to consider advances in fire technology. With time and perseverance, the old fire service will fade away and succumb to the new progressive fire service. Until then, we will be plagued with the rituals of the antiquated past.
