We continually hear that working with a particular employer 2–5 years, and then moving on, is becoming the norm in today’s employment world. But this is not the case in fire departments, nor is there any indication that such a trend could be coming in the foreseeable future. Fire department careers are very long, often totaling 30 or more years of service with the same department. It’s safe to say that most people who join fire departments will spend the majority of their adult work life as a member of that organization.
Very few of us leave the job or the fire service until we retire—or die. Our members simply don’t leave. And even if there are some members who get fed up with the job, they don’t get fed up and leave; they get fed up and stay. Fortunately, most firefighters and fire officers navigate their fire careers as positive, productive and healthy contributors to their organizations. It’s hard to argue the reality that most of us are in the fire service for the long haul.
Simple yet powerful advice
One of my best friends in life was a man named Gary Pykare. Gary was a captain on the Phoenix Fire Department (PFD). He and I worked together for several years as the two engineers on Ladder Company 1 in central Phoenix. Gary passed away about 20 years ago from occupation-related cancer. Gary was also the business manager for the United Phoenix Firefighters Association – IAFF Local 493. I mention this for an important reason: Gary was the key union representative who played the difficult role of representing members of the Local who found themselves in significant trouble with the fire department due to issues related to their behavior or performance. I was the assistant fire chief who dealt with those same department members in an effort to keep order and correct their situations. If we were good at dealing with these uncomfortable circumstances involving our department’s members, it was probably because we respected and trusted each other—and we both maintained our commitment to do what was best for the fire department and our members in each circumstance. Of course, we didn’t always agree on solutions to these problems, but our close relationship seemed to get us through some of the difficult days that occurred from time-to-time.
Gary and I shared similar goals related to members of the PFD. As labor and management representatives, we were constantly looking for effective (preventative) ways to keep members from getting out of balance with the fire department. That was best for the members and the department, as well as the City of Phoenix.
One day, I walked into Gary’s office, and on the wall was a new 8½ x 11-inch framed sheet of paper with the words Live Your Interview typed in large print. That’s all it said, but what it meant was much more important than the words on the paper.
The more Gary and I talked about the document, I came to agree with him that the key to a positive, productive and healthy career in the fire department was for the members to simply be the firefighters and fire officers they said they were going to be when they took their initial firefighter recruit hiring interview, as well as the promotional interviews they participated in during their careers. Every firefighter or fire officer in the department had been a candidate in one or more of these selection processes—and they knew exactly what was expected of them in those positions. In fact, each one of them had articulated those expectations to the interviewers, and had said they would live up to them.
Promises made
Just think about the content of those entry-level and promotional interviews for a moment. The candidates were asked specific questions about being a firefighter or a fire officer, including details about their character, their commitment, their leadership capabilities, etc. Had they not been able to adequately respond to the questions, they would not have received a passing score from the panel and, therefore, would not have been hired or promoted.
During their entry-level interviews, those firefighter candidates said things like:
- I want to be a firefighter because I want to serve other people.
- People respect firefighters, and I like that.
- If you hire me, you and the department will never regret it.
- It is critical that I take care of myself physically, psychologically and emotionally throughout my career; this would be an important part of my job responsibilities as a firefighter.
- I like and respect the teamwork and camaraderie among firefighters. I want to be part of that team concept.
During their promotional interviews, those desiring to become fire officers said things like:
- I know what the fire department expects and needs from a captain, battalion chief or deputy chief, etc. If promoted, I will always lead by example and do my best to live up to those expectations.
- If you promote me, you and the department will never regret it.
- The fire department members who work under my supervision will always be well trained and deliver exceptional customer service.
- My safety and the safety of my firefighters will be my primary responsibility. I will always keep that in mind when making decisions, especially at emergency incidents.
To this day, 46 years into my fire service career, when I visit with firefighter and fire officer candidates about how to achieve long and successful careers, I ask them about their hiring and promotional interviews. We discuss what they were asked by the interviewers back then—and how they responded to those questions. By the time we have finished talking, it is obvious to both of us that they know exactly what the fire departments expects of them. They also know the basic behavior and performance-related requirements that they will be responsible for and held accountable for.
It’s simple
There is a lot of discussion in the fire service about a firefighter code of conduct, ethical behavior and performance, and generational differences in our values. Hopefully, those discussions will continue and lead us to an even better place as a service. There are certainly a lot of technical and supervisory details that end up impacting firefighter and fire officer performance, behavior and success. With that said, I’m not trying to over-simplify things, but some things are actually much simpler than they are complicated. If a member of a fire department wants to experience a positive, productive and healthy 20–30-plus year career, they should remember Captain Gary Pykare’s very pointed career guidance: Live your interview.
