Speaking Well for the Fire Service

BY CRAIG SCHWINGE

Firefighters are pretty good at talking. Much of our culture is formed around the firehouse table in conversations that many times are direct, off-the-cuff, and inappropriate for the average living room audience. I don’t expect that many firefighters signed up so that they could stand in front of a camera and talk with reporters. Most of the firefighters I have been fortunate to work with are observant and intelligent and excel at delivering verbal messages (sometimes with a little added body language for emphasis). However, I’ve also observed otherwise confident, competent, and experienced firefighters succumb to the “fright or flight” syndrome and, on one occasion, sweat profusely, have shaking knees, stutter, and make unintelligible noises when in front of a reporter’s camera and microphone. These are not particularly attractive characteristics for our otherwise handsome, turnout-clad colleagues.

Like effective firefighting, public speaking is a skill that is learned and a craft that is developed through knowledge and experience. It requires accurate listening, clear thinking, appropriate word choice, and particular attention to one’s posture and eye contact. On occasion, the incident commander (IC), the public information officer (PIO), or another department member will need to speak through the media, which provides opportunities for positive and negative outcomes to one’s career, a department’s reputation, and the fire service as a whole. The digital age of smartphones, videos, and instantaneous Internet connectivity and information retrieval has changed our fire service communication world. The vast array of communication devices and capabilities like immediate uplinks and postings differ considerably from that “old school” PIO who carried rolls of quarters so he could contact reporters using pay telephones.

Whether speaking to an audience at an event, a ceremony, or a council/board meeting or through the media, remember some important communication tips that I have modified from Alan Brunacini’s book, Timeless Tactical Truths, which apply equally on the fireground and in front of a reporter’s microphone or camera:

• Play your position.
• Take the job/process seriously, not yourself.
• Be honest.
• Keep it simple.
• Know when to stop before you stop.
• Get the job done.

PUBLIC SPEAKING MAXIMS

Great fire service communicators connect with an audience, whether it’s a listener, a viewer, or a reader, by instilling ethos (credibility) and creating pathos (an emotional appeal or feeling). “Shaking hands with the audience” builds rapport, gets attention, creates a responsive atmosphere, and has emotional impact, according to William Safire. A good introduction gains the audience’s attention and may include an interesting quote or anecdote that may be referred to throughout the talk. Provide a clear purpose statement that establishes the significance of your topic. Great speakers also provide the audience with a map or preplan of where they are going. This organizational framework is a purposeful structure for the audience to hang onto throughout your talk. A good fire service communicator also gives one or two key points or “takeaways” for the audience to remember. Leave them with the desired feeling you gave them in the beginning of the presentation. Finish strong, leaving a positive, lasting impression.

Know thy audience, know thy message, and know thyself. All speeches begin with knowing your audience. This includes understanding its attitudes, beliefs, and values, which will help tailor your presentation for appropriateness and effectiveness. A good speaker needs to keep the audience in mind and use words appropriate to it. Organize and outline your message in an understandable and logical way. Use your unique style, be yourself, and be comfortable. Your style reflects your attitude, your world view, and your place in it as a fire professional.

“Speak plain and to the purpose” (Shakespeare). Speeches are meant to be heard, which requires simpler sentences, and are less formal than written communications. Always use clear, simple language and avoid slang or jargon. Say what you mean and mean what you say. A good speech has a strong introduction to get the audience’s attention, main points that support the theme of the talk, and a memorable closing that leaves them with something to take away.

“It’s not just the message, it is the messenger” (Peggy Noonan). You are the fire service when you speak to an audience. Be attentive to that responsibility and deliver a memorable (positive) message that reflects well on the fire service, your department, and you and your firefighting partners. People want to know you care before they care about what you know. Your ethos and pathos are often best conveyed through nonverbal communication, which often is more powerful than the words you speak. Pay attention to your voice, your gestures, your eye contact, and your physical appearance. How you say it may be more important than what you say. Be credible. Be personable. Be approachable. Use good word choice, appropriate tone, and appropriate pauses and body language to convey the direction and importance of your message. There’s no second chance to make a good first impression.

Communicating well for the fire service includes making a strong, positive first impression. Be aware of your professional appearance. For a great introduction, get the audience’s attention, make a clear purpose statement, establish the significance of your topic, and preview your main points. A quote, an interesting fact, or a tasteful joke is an effective way to begin some speeches. Develop your own style, and make sure your words and body language represent the best of your department.

Short is sweeter, brief is better. Communicate more with less. Make your mantra “short, smart, and sharp.” Communication has been described as a weak link during fire operations, and the same may be true for the IC/PIO at emergency scenes. Both situations have serious downside potentials. More information is not always better communication. Limit your message to no more than a couple of key points.

Words, like master streams, are powerful. Be careful and simple in your word choice. Be informed, concise, credible, factual, direct, and plain. Use bite-sized phrases, and strive for clarity. A firefighter’s words are a measure of his character; be careful in their selection and use. Like an engine sputtering on the vapors from an empty fuel tank, a poorly worded or delivered speech will fall well short of its intended purpose and make a poor impression on the audience.

MEDIA MAXIMS

It is not necessary to gird one’s loins before talking to reporters. It is necessary to be prepared, professional, and ready for follow-up questions from reporters whose jobs depend on the news stories they create. Be aware that the media environment is a unique ecosystem awash with unknown hazards into which an unknowing IC or PIO may stumble. Be that as it may, it is a symbiotic relationship that serves our ultimate audience, the residents in our communities. The media provide a valuable and indispensable conduit for life safety messaging, and you are a major asset for the reporter to capture and deliver that message. Developing positive, preincident relationships with the media will pay big dividends. Be as comfortable in your job as reporters are comfortable in doing theirs.

Points made in Brunacini’s Timeless Tactical Truths adapted [in brackets] particularly for speaking to the news media are below.

• “If you aren’t interested in doing the things required to get ready to fight [speak] before the fire [media, audience] (plan, train, think), you’ll never be much good at firefighting [public speaking] when you have to do it.”
• “The IC [the PIO] must be careful of what he says in difficult situations … off-handed, dumb, thoughtless command comments are like aluminum beer cans; they last forever in the environment.”
• “The fire department [the PIO] doesn’t have to be out of control just because the fire is.”
• “The time to get excited about a fire [a media event] is before it occurs and should involve doing all the preparation stuff it takes to get ready … this creates the capability to be calm while the fire is occurring [the reporters are asking questions].”
• “If you can’t control yourself, there is a really good chance that you can’t control anything or anybody else.”

As the “face” of that incident or spokesperson for your department/agency/organization, communicating risk is your focus and message. Viewers and listeners want to know what is in it for them-how this incident affects them. Give short, concise key messages on what they need to know. Television and radio use short sound bites to get their message across. My C-shift colleagues would often remark that I had “a face that was made for radio,” which at that time I took as a compliment. Newspapers and magazines are often more in depth and will allow for more conversation and details. Pay attention to the questions, and drive the direction of the interview; you are the subject matter expert, and the reporter and audience want you to give them the facts-just the facts. Fire officers have the additional tasks at emergency events to be the cool, calm, collected voice of factual dissemination of information that is accurate, timely, and reliable. For a comprehensive list of other public speaking tips, see the sidebar, “Media Interview Pointers.”

CRISIS COMMUNICATION

Crisis communication refers to an unusual event or incident that may greatly impact a fire department or organization. Crises require an effective communication plan to release verified information quickly to reduce confusion and media speculation, to show empathy for any losses, and to reassure the public that the agency is taking actions to limit further damage. Such communication is not in the “normal” scope of emergency incidents that the fire PIO routinely handles. Breaking news quickly gets the attention of the media, which has a tendency to fill information voids. A professional crisis response by the PIO can avoid inaccurate or misleading perceptions. Explain what is known at that time and that more information will follow. Be clear about what is not known or confirmed. Provide accurate and reassuring information to calm the media and public. Natural and man-made disasters may require a joint information center in which the PIO will provide details on the fire department’s mitigating actions as part of the larger crisis. Do not speculate on unconfirmed information. If you don’t know something, say it, or explain that an answer is not yet available. Temper expectations with realism.

Each year, dozens of fire departments have to deal with unfortunate and tragic line-of-duty deaths. Thousands of departments faced serious line-of-duty injuries. Television, radio, and print media all have vested interests in disseminating the regrettable facts and circumstances involving our fellow firefighters. Our first priority should be notifying the family before releasing the victims’ names to the public. Acknowledge the loss and express empathy to the family and loved ones. Below are some sample initial statements you can use to address the media at such a sad time.

“We come together in shock, in grief, in sadness, and in sorrow.”

“Our department mourns the loss of [name], and we join the [city/county/state] in remembering his/her service and honoring his/her sacrifice.”

“Our hearts go out to the firefighter’s family, whose members are experiencing a level of tragedy that goes beyond our ability to comprehend.”

“[Name] selflessly worked to protect the people of [city/county/state]”

“[Name] took an oath to dedicate his/her life to public safety.”

“This is a very difficult day for our department and those who know and respected [name] as a firefighter and a friend.”

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of [name]. Our thoughts, prayers, and concerns are with his/her family.”

“In this moment, words are extraordinarily inadequate.”

“An investigation is ongoing, and when information becomes available, we will certainly provide it.”

“It would be unprofessional to speculate at this time.”

Work hard to communicate well. Develop and refine your crafts of clear thinking, clear writing, and clear speaking; it will serve you well. At emergency scenes, we make educated guesses, and much of what we do is the result of judgment and experience, which cannot be replaced. This is also true for the IC or PIO speaking to the media. Plan, prepare, practice, and perform so you can speak well and deliver a professional message. It will reflect well on the fire service, your department, you, and your firefighting partners.

References

Brunacini, Alan. Timeless Tactical Truths. Uptown Graphics and Design, 2003.

Noonan, Peggy. “Americans Vote for Maturity.” Declarations, Wall Street Journal, November 5, 2010.

Safire, William. Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History. W.W. Norton, 1997.

Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2, Scene 3.

CRAIG SCHWINGE, a 28-year veteran of the fire service, retired as a captain assigned as public information officer with the San Jose (CA) Fire Department in 2009. He has been an adjunct instructor in fire technology at Cabrillo College since 1991.