I recently sent one of my friends an article from a prominent on-line magazine that really tore into firefighters from a few different angles, including whether it is appropriate to refer to them as real heroes. My friend has been a fire service leader for many years and is very well respected in the industry. His response to me contained only seven words, and they were quite profound. He simply said, “What a difference 10 years can make.”
A few weeks have passed since I received my friend’s email, so I’ve had time to reflect on what he said and realize how right he is. Ten years ago, firefighters were on the top of the hill when it came to respect, prestige and support on many fronts. Now, that reputation seems to have come under attack and shifted somewhat. Ten years ago, the public witnessed many heroic acts by their beloved firefighters, including (but not limited to) the incredible courage and personal sacrifice displayed by FDNY members at the Sept.11, 2001, World Trade Center attack. The outpouring of public support was significant. In the years that followed, firefighters and the fire service reaped the benefits of this elite public recognition.
About three years ago, however, at the onset of the recession, one could sense things were changing in terms of the public’s perception of the fire service. If this shift is allowed to continue unchecked, there could be an irreversible change in public support for firefighters that could seriously impact the overall level of influence held by the fire service at the national, state and local levels.
• Salaries, pensions and other benefits – Ten years ago, firefighters were considered underpaid and there was strong public sentiment that they should be better compensated. Because of major obstacles to higher levels of pay, pensions and other benefits were enhanced in many jurisdictions. Not only did pensions provide financial security in retirement, they also enhanced firefighter and public safety. Firefighting, EMS, hazardous materials, and special operations are demanding and strenuous. It was thought that high levels of performance could be maintained by moving firefighters into retirement before their mid-50s. Elected leaders and other public officials embraced this idea and developed total-compensation packages that offered better pay, realistic pension programs, adequate health insurance and a standard menu of other benefits.
• Outsourcing and privatization of emergency services – These are not new concepts. Local government agencies, including fire departments, have instituted these practices for many years with varying degrees of success. Fire departments have done so mostly in several non-emergency functions. But in recent years, we have witnessed a change and now see departments outsourcing and privatizing emergency services more than in the past. Bottom line, this is a dangerous path to take, for it will negatively impact service delivery, firefighter safety and the safety of the public. From a financial perspective alone, savings can be realized only by cutting corners in staffing, training, compensation and equipment within the fire department.
• The economy and current political climate – We all understand the seriousness of the current economy and the need to stabilize budgets at all levels of government. But perhaps we lack a clear understanding of what caused this recession. No, it was not caused by the greed of firefighters, teachers, police officers and other government workers, as some would have you believe. Instead, this recession was created primarily by the greed and irresponsible acts of some of the most wealthy and influential people in our society. Firefighters have been unfairly derided for financial problems plaguing jurisdictions in our nation, yet firefighters throughout the country have willingly stepped up to help in these troubled times. They have taken reductions in pay, furloughs and days off, and are now making higher pension and health insurance contributions to help their employers balance their budgets. But this is not the headline. Instead, the headlines are about a few salary and pension abuses that have occurred in systems that are now being represented as the norm.
• Final thoughts – The fire service has always had our detractors, and there will always be those who try to impugn firefighters in the eyes of others. In many cases, these people are not new players on the scene; they are some of the same people from before simply acting out old agendas and using the current economic and political climate as tools to do so. We should not accept what is going on around us.
The fire service needs to redouble our efforts to enhance our political standing and our public image beyond what we have achieved in the past. Our leaders need to become even more innovative, efficient, creative and progressive in the management of our nations’ fire departments. All fire department members must conduct themselves (on and off duty) in a way that reinforces the positive image the fire service has enjoyed for so long.
We can do this by working together to build, financially and operationally, more effective fire departments. This will create political and public support that is stronger than ever before. If we are willing to put forth a collective effort at all levels of government, perhaps the members of the fire service can look back in the year 2021 and say, as my friend did, “What a difference 10 years can make.”
