In Kurt Vonnegut’s “The Sirens of Titan,” one of the characters says, “I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine.” It isn’t far-fetched to believe that it’s a sentiment that’s shared by many in the communities that we serve.
At the foundation of this high regard is the calling of our profession, which has defined our mission, cultures, values and traditions since the days of the bucket brigades. It’s built on generations of men and women who followed the calling to serve their fellow men and women despite the inherent dangers of the profession.
For many who are in the fire service, the calling is innate; others acquire it during the performance of their duties. It’s what fuels our discipline and drives our commitment. It’s what gets us up early and to bed late. It’s what unites the differences of our members into a uniform delivery of service. Ultimately, it’s why we’re afforded the trust of perfect strangers who surrender their homes and loved ones to us without question in their darkest hours.
Distractors
Despite its importance, the calling of the fire service is under siege from bureaucracies that steal our time, effort and focus from what matters most: the mission. We have convinced ourselves that we’re a business instead of a service, using the metrics of our data to chase efficiency instead of effectiveness. We have forgotten that the only “business” that we’re in is that of protecting life and property, ignoring the stark difference between customers who get to select their service provider and victims who blindly trust the service of whomever responds to them. We continue to pursue peripheral responsibilities while pushing the notion that firefighting is nothing more than some outdated, cumbersome, ancillary duty. Our newfound fascination with “customer service” makes us far too comfortable with trading our blue-collar roots for some sort of white-collar status, pushing away those who choose our profession to serve others, not themselves, in the process.
When we forget why we serve, we put ourselves before our citizens, which invites mediocrity into our firehouses. Standards turn voluntary while opinions become rigid, and that makes feelings more important than facts. The appearance of readiness becomes more appealing than the actual ability to perform. Our skills and equipment are neglected in favor of another mundane meeting or the growing mountain of paperwork that now is more critical than our ability to carry out the actions that are contained in it. Who we know becomes more valuable than what we do, because without the calling, service no longer comes before self.
We can’t allow individuals to create fraudulent contracts with our citizens just to benefit their career. We must promote people who consistently demonstrate their commitment to the calling instead of to paperwork that’s obtained only for advancement. We need fewer wannabe CEOs rising through our ranks and more executive-level firefighters who are as talented at producing a balanced budget as they are at knowing when to hold the balance of the alarm. Our staffing, training and resources can’t play second fiddle to egos, perks and positions. We should be far more concerned with what transpires on the fireground than with what occurs in the firehouse. We should issue fluid guidelines that produce outcomes, not regulations that micromanage our actions.
Man’s humanity to man
In a time when we are asked to sell our profession to those who we serve, we must remember that our only bottom line is protecting those who we serve, which always will be more important than any line item. If we want rigs staffed with firefighters instead of “employees,” it’s imperative that we preserve the calling of the fire service by upholding standards that reflect the mission and are inflexible when they conflict with personal comfort or desire. If we spend a little more time showcasing those who live our calling every tour instead of wasting attention on those who don’t, we will realize, at its core, that the calling of our profession still is alive and well in firehouses.
Marc Aloan will present “Building a Tradition of Passion” at Firehouse Expo. To register, visit firehouseexpo.com.
