By Thomas A. Merrill
Many times in discussions with the public, I am asked whether I am a professional firefighter or a volunteer firefighter. I take exception to that and politely explain that there are paid firefighters and there are volunteer firefighters, but all firefighters, including volunteers, can strive to be professional.
When I consult the dictionary, I see various definitions for the word professional, including “characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession” and “exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace.” Can’t these definitions apply to paid firefighters as well as volunteers? For years I have been preaching that a volunteer fire department certainly can be professional.
No doubt, there are probably some paid fire departments that cannot be considered professional, and there are many volunteer fire departments that are nothing but professional. Professional means much more than being able to handle emergency calls proficiently and adequately, although that certainly is a large part of it. Also, being considered professional has nothing do with the age of the fire equipment, age of the firehouse, how many runs a department responds to, or how much equipment it has. So, what makes the department professional?
What Makes a Department Professional?
To me, professional has everything to do with a department’s attitude, appearance, commitment, and dedication. It has to do with how members approach the job, how they prepare, train, and take care of their equipment. It includes how they treat not only the public but their own members as well. It also has to do with behavior on and off duty. All of this plays into the equation of the professional firefighter, and volunteers certainly can meet these criteria as well as paid firefighters.
The professional volunteer fire department takes the time to drill on a regular basis. You cannot use the excuse that because you are a volunteer, you don’t have the time to drill regularly. That is unacceptable today. In fact, there are more potential drill topics than time to do them all. And, as we have heard many times, the fire doesn’t treat volunteer firefighters any differently than paid firefighters.
The professional training drill is well organized and ready to go on schedule. Members taking the time to attend the drill should not find that time wasted while officers scramble around trying to get things set up–or worse yet, deciding at that time what the drill topic should be. In most volunteer fire departments, members are usually coming to drill after working a full day. They rush home from work, maybe have time to eat a quick dinner with the family and rush through homework with their kids (if time), and then rush off to the firehouse. Or, they are giving up a Saturday or Sunday morning to spend time drilling at the firehouse. They are owed well-prepared and pertinent drills that will lead to good fireground performance.
Good fireground performance is certainly an important trait of the professional volunteer fire department. The emergency call should be handled calmly and efficiently. We cannot possibly prepare for all emergencies, but there is no excuse not to be prepared for the routine emergency response, and most fires are in this category. Preparedness includes considerations such as the following:
• Is the apparatus running order clearly defined?
• Are apparatus roles and responsibilities at emergency scenes clearly defined and communicated to the membership?
• Are the tools cleaned up and in good working order?
• Is there a strong working agreement with neighboring departments, and are we acquainted with their apparatus and equipment?
• Are plans in place ahead of time to account for short staffing or that dangerous building in your district necessitating special equipment or tactics?
It is one thing to think you have taken care of these items, but the information also must be clearly communicated to the membership. The ranks in most volunteer fire departments can fluctuate greatly with new members coming in and more tenured members leaving. It is important to review all of this important information on a regular basis. We are back to drill topics again!
Radio Communications
Another item that can impact a department’s professional reputation is radio communication, especially inappropriate and unwarranted transmissions. Members should be trained on the importance of radio discipline–transmitting only pertinent and important information in a clear, calm, and concise manner. There should be no unnecessary radio traffic, no babbling, and certainly no nasty or mean-spirited transmissions. Even if another member were to make disparaging radio transmissions, the other professional firefighters must strive to remain focused on proper radio procedures.
If you are the fire chief or fire incident commander, are you yelling and screaming when you are confronted with fire, or, are you calm, poised, and in control, which certainly portrays a professional image?
Sometimes, as volunteers, we often get more help at the scene than we might need. Maybe four or five members are needed inside to perform emergency medical services (EMS) work on a medical call and the other responding members assemble outside, ready to help if needed. How do we expect these members to behave? Are they laughing and joking in full view of the patient, concerned family members, or neighbors? It is totally understandable that our firefighters are going to make random conversation as they stand around ready to assist, but they must understand that their behavior impacts the department’s reputation. At a fire scene, members should show compassion and refrain from overzealous behavior when mopping up. Laughing loudly, joking, smoking, or swearing while someone is having a really bad day creates anything but a professional image.
Even off-duty behavior impacts the department’s reputation. Once somebody knows you are a firefighter, in his view you are a firefighter 24/7. Just being a firefighter elevates you to a higher standard, and we all must work together to uphold the standard. Every action you take and every word you utter is as a firefighter. Every time you are out in the public, every community event you attend, you are representing your fire department. Like it or not, how you act impacts the reputation and professional image of your department.
In my travels with my fellow volunteers, oftentimes we are wearing our department T-shirts or job shirts. Many times while sitting in airports, people feel compelled to chat with us and bring their kids over to talk to us. No doubt, it’s because as firefighters, we all enjoy the great reputation of being warm hearted and friendly people. Now, imagine the damage we can do to that reputation if we act inappropriately or are rude and nasty.
Speaking of T-shirts and job shirts, if your volunteer department is like mine, there is no shortage of them. They are a wonderful way to advertise our great departments and our profession. But, what do those shirts say? What image do they portray? Can they be considered professional? Do they have a neat, clean logo, or do they offer some disparaging comments or drawing? It is bad enough if you are wearing it out in public, but what if a call comes in and you show up at someone’s house wearing it? Certainly, it does not portray a professional image and could diminish the confidence people have in our abilities and lead them to believe we lack compassion and concern for their problem.
Appearance affects a department’s professional reputation as well. Now, it is perfectly understandable that as volunteers, we often are alerted to respond to calls while working around the house or doing something else that might not have us looking all that neat or clean. We cannot be wearing uniforms all day just in case we get alerted for a call. However, there are things we can do to help identify us as firefighters and present a more professional appearance not only to the citizens we serve but also to other responding agencies such as law enforcement.
Keeping a department T-shirt or sweatshirt in your vehicle is one way to quickly cover up and present a decent appearance. In the cooler weather, keep a nice department jacket handy. Some members I know have quickly donned their turnout pants to cover up bathing suits, gym shorts, or tattered jeans, even at EMS calls. My department created inexpensive membership cards, laminated them, and put a lanyard on them so members can keep them in their vehicles and quickly put them on if they respond to the scene directly so that they will be properly identified as a firefighter. Far be it for me to tell members what to wear off duty, but we need to understand that when a call comes in, we are considered on duty and looking clean and easily identifiable as a firefighter helps to create a respectable and professional image.
Professional behavior does not apply only to training and call responses. The professional experience also applies inside our firehouses. It starts the minute any member of your local community expresses an interest in joining your department. Is the process for bringing them into membership organized and efficient? Does a member or a committee sit down and discuss your department rules and expectations? How about after they are formally accepted? Do you just throw equipment at them and tell them to show up, or does someone or a group of members mentor them on expected behavior and other important department roles? A formal orientation program is a great way to start new members off in their volunteer firefighting career.
In my department, we created a booklet we hand out to interested parties. The booklet outlines how the department operates and details expectations and requirements. When a potential member formally applies, the individual meets with a board representing a broad cross-section of the department. This board reviews the booklet in more detail and answers any questions the candidate might have. Once the new member is accepted, the first night on duty involves a formal orientation program during which gear and equipment are issued and much of the important information shared the new volunteer at the orientation is reviewed to ensure the new member understands the expectations and requirements and agrees to abide by them.
This formal step-by-step process leaves a positive impression on new members. Even if they do not follow through and join the department or can be with us for only a short time, they are left with the impression that they were involved with a well-organized, proficient, and professional operation.
The fire service is the greatest profession in the world. Our ranks are filled with hard-working, dedicated, caring, and extremely competent members. At all times, we should strive to be professional firefighters, whether paid or volunteer.
BIO
Tom Merrill is a 32-year member of the Snyder Fire Department, Amherst, New York. He served 26 years as a department officer including 15 years in the chief officer ranks and, recently, five years as chief of department. He has conducted various fire service presentations throughout the Western New York area as well as at FDIC 2014. He also is a professional fire dispatcher for the Town of Amherst Fire Alarm Office.
