Life Safety Initiative #1 Cultural Change

Over the next several posts, well 16 to be exact, I am going to be discussing the 16 life safety initiatives for the fire service.  The initiatives were put together by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation's Everyone Goes Home Program.  Information on the 16 initiatives can be found at www.lifesafteyinitiatives.com.  The Everyone Goes Home Program was developed to help prevent line of duty deaths and injuries within the fire service.  The 16 life safety initiatives were developed in 2004 and are intended to be the foundation for helping to reduce line of duty deaths.  The 16 initiatives are somewhat broad in nature but they are meant to be a starting point.  Each initiative gives a starting point for departments.  They are meant to get firefighters thinking and to expand upon them.  The fact that they are more vague allows each individual and each fire department to mold the initiatives to meet the needs of their department.  They are not a magic wand that can be waved to magically make these injuries and deaths go away but they are a foundation.

The first of the 16 life safety initiatives is cultural change.  Wow, that is a big one.  I don't think that it is a by coincidence or chance that this is the first initiative.  If your department has an unsafe culture or a culture resistant to change then none of the other 15 initiatives will be successful no matter how hard you work to implement them.  We all know the fire service can be resistive to change.  We are a culture with very deep roots and great pride.  Our history predates that of our government.  As you can imagine, with that much history and tradition it can be very difficult to affect change in the fire service.  I think there are some departments that wold fight fire without SCBA's or still wear 3/4 coats and roll-up boots if you would let them.  A common statement heard in a fire department is "that's the way we have always done it."  I love the history and tradition of the fire service but lets not be naive.  The fires we fight are not the same as the fires of old.  The world has changed and technology has evolved so we too must evolve.  We no long use steam engines pulled by a horse.  Why?  Because there is better technology available to us now.  Equipment has evolved so we evolved with it.  We must continue to evolve so we can keep up with the times.

Cultural change is the process of changing ones culture.  Pretty simple right?  Wrong.  Not only is the fire service made up of individuals from a very diverse background but the fire service is quite diverse as well.  Fire departments vary from city to city, state to state and region to region.  You could take a group of fire departments together from all over the country and it could literally seem like you were at a United Nations gathering.  Each department has its own identity and two neighboring departments could have values as different as night in day.  I'll even take it a step further... if you a take a department with multiple stations you will see individual personalities and values for each station.  Needless to say, cultural change is not as simple as making sweeping changes from one end of the country to the other.  Needless to say, each department will need to adapt these initiatives to meet the needs of their department.

So why is it difficult to affect change in the fire service.  As I mentioned earlier, the diversity and the history make it difficult to make changes but honestly its not really change that is the issue.  If you were bringing in the latest and greatest technology and using do-dads and whatchamacallits with all the cool bells and whistles it probably wouldn't be all that difficult.  The biggest resistance typically comes in regards to safety.  Are job is dangerous, there is inherent risk in what we do.  Many of us are macho.  In fact, many people think that they are indestructible!!  Why would you think that!?!  Just because we put on a navy blue shirt with a Maltese cross does not mean that we are super human.  I am pretty sure we bleed just the same as someone who is not a firefighter.  I am not saying we need to tip toe through this job in bubble wrap and be afraid of what might happen but come on, lets use some common sense.  If you look over the last 20 years the average number of line of duty deaths is around 100.  Some times its more, sometimes its less but typically it averages about 100.  Over the last 20 years we have also taken some pretty big steps as far as technology.  Trucks are safer, turnout gear is lighter and more heat resistive.  We have a lot more technology at our disposal that is supposed to make us safer yet we still average around 100 deaths a year.  Obviously there is a bigger issue at hand.  I think a lot of that is the BS idea that we are invincible.

How do we get our department to change its culture?  Cultural change will be easier in some departments than other.  Larger departments will take longer to get the change rolling than smaller ones just because of the sheer number of people on that department.  It will also depend on how extreme your department's culture is and how willing they are to have the "Courage to be Safe."  So how do it then.  The biggest key is to be an advocate for change.  Lead by example.  Promote the new ideas, don't shoot them down.  Believe it or not, peer pressure works in this situation.  Trust me, firefighters are good at peer pressure.  If someone is not conforming to the values or culture of the shift or department, most times the others on that shift or in that department will pressure the non-conformer until they change.  Change can and will happen in your department you just have to be patient.  You may have to chip away bit by bit but it will happen.  Find your allies and get them on board, your strength is in numbers.  Hopefully your administration is on board because the chief's backing can be a huge help.

Cultural change will not be easy.  It will probably be one of the toughest tasks in making your department safer but you can't give up.  If these initiatives are really important to you then you must have the resolve to push forward.  It may take months and it may even take years but stay the course and work to promote the safety your department deserves.

St Florian

It’s time again for another installment of history and tradition of the fire service.  So far we have discussed the Maltese cross and the Shamrock.  These two images have great meaning and are widely found in the fire service.  This month’s topic is also well known in the fire service and I would bet that you could walk into almost any firehouse in the country and find someone wearing or carrying the image of St Florian.  St Florian is a Christian saint and is the patron saint of Linz, Austria, chimney sweeps and firefighters.  A patron saint is a saint or angel who is chosen as a special guardian or protector over areas of life.  These areas can range from occupations, illnesses or really anything that is important to us.  Typically patron saints are chosen by the Pope and they are usually chosen because of an interest, talent or event in their lives that overlaps with a special area.  While there are a couple other saints that are associated with fire and fire prevention, St Florian is the most widely known in regards to firefighting.  If you look at a fire catalog or website it is not difficult to find items carrying the image of St Florian available for purchase. 

So why is St Florian the patron saint of firefighters?  Florian was an officer in the Roman army in the 3^rd century.  Florian had converted to Christianity but had kept it a secret until he was ordered to kill a group of Christians during the persecutions of Diocletian.  Florian refused to follow the order and professed his faith.  Once it was known that Florian was a Christian he was ordered to be put to death.  Typically during this time people were put to death by fire.  This did not scare Florian as he challenged the Roman soldiers to light the fire, saying “If you do, I will climb to heaven on the flames.”  So instead of burning him to death, the soldiers beat him, set him on fire, and tied a stone around his neck and threw him in the river.  Because he was not afraid to die by fire, St Florian became the patron saint of firefighters.  St Florian is also known for stopping a fire with a single pitcher of water thus adding to his connection to firefighters.  St Florian is considered a powerful protector in danger from fire, and floods and against drowning.

Whether you are a spiritual or religious individual or not St Florian is deeply rooted in the history of the fire service.  Like a lot people, I tend to be a little bit superstitious.  I wear a St Florian medallion every day.  Do I think it is going to save me from a fire? No, I don’t but I like what it stands for and I like to think there is someone watching over us when we go to work.  Whether it is St Florian, or a lucky penny or some other keepsake someone carries, I don’t really think it matters.  I think it is the meaning or personal connection to that item that really matters.  If it makes you feel safer in a fire, or closer to your family when you are away, then carrying that item is great.  Sometimes it is the little things that make some of the terrible things we see in this job more bearable.   It is for that reason that you see so many firefighters carrying items that bear St Florian’s image.  St Florian is forever rooted in the traditions of the fire service.  May he watch over and protect us all.

Family Support

This morning I read an article titled "Adaptability: A Necessary Quality For the Firefighter Spouse" by Anne Gagliano.  Anne is a firefighter's wife and in her article she talks about how being adaptable has enabled her marriage to be successful.  Its a great article and I highly recommend reading it.  After reading the article it got me thinking about my wife, our marriage and what she means to me.  With that being said, I want to dedicate this post to my beautiful and awesome wife Samantha.  This ones for you Sam!!

Firefighting is a crazy job, our hours are hectic and many times our families are left to fend for themselves as we head off to work for 24 hours at a time.  Volunteer firefighter's families experience similar frustration as it seems like the pager goes off at the most inopportune time...during dinner, Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Needless to say this job can be stressful on a family.  Thats why its important to have strong family support and a strong relationship.

When I go off to work each day my most important goal is to get back home the next day and see my wife.  I have a big family, a lot of friends all of which I care about very much but at the end of the day the driving factor for me is my wife.  I am very lucky in the fact that I have a very awesome wife.  She is truly my best friend and she has stood by me and supported me through my toughest times.  In her defense though, I don't think she truly understood what she was getting into when I joined the fire department.  I started as a paid on call firefighter so I was on call every third night.  It seems like the pager would always go off at the most inopportune time.  While I am sure my wife was frustrated most of those times, she new it was something I loved and she supported me.  Now I am a career firefighter every third day I am gone for 24 hours at a time.  I know its hard on my wife but again, she knows how much I love the job so she supports me.  I am sure there are times she worries about me while I am at work or is afraid that I might not come home but she is strong and doesn't let that concern show.  She is an amazing women and an amazing wife and an amazing friend.

The article than Anne wrote talks about adaptability and the need for firefighter's spouses to exhibit that quality.  I think it is also important for the firefighter to be adaptable as well.  I am not talking about on the fire ground or in the fire house,  I am talking about at home and with the family.  Once I became a firefighter, I was instantly in love with the job.  I wanted to spend every opportunity I could at the fire house.  Unfortunately I focused on being a firefighter too much and ended up putting the fire department before my wife.  I wasn't being adaptable.  I was expecting her to adapt to the department and my needs but I wasn't willing to adapt to her needs and wants.  That absolutely wasn't fair to her.  She deserved much more than that from me.  It took time and hardship but eventually I realized what my true priorities were in my life.  Once I refocused my life and reset my priorities things definitely got better.  My wife still has to be adaptable but I am trying to be more adaptable as well.  Despite my hectic schedule I try and prioritize my time at home with my wife.

What it really comes down to is this.  We all have people in our lives that support us.  When we go off to work for a day, they carry on with their lives.  They take the kids to school or to games while we are gone.  In my eyes, my wife is truly my biggest hero.  She doesn't complain when I have to work weekends or holidays or if I have to work overtime or whatever the situation may be.  She listens to me yap on and on about different fire stuff even though most times I think she could care less.  She is my test audience for my presentations and provides me feedback to help make me better.  She is truly awesome and the best wife a guy could ask for.  Her support is amazing and without her I would be lost.  I think every firefighter should be lucky enough to have a support system like I do.

Wildland Firefighting

With what seems like all of the state of Colorado on fire right now I wanted to dedicate this post to the brave men and women who are out west battling those wild fires right now.  I certainly would not want to be in their shoes right now.

I have fought grass fires in my career but the thought of going up against a blaze that has consumed hundred and hundreds of acres is downright intimidating.  The biggest grass fire I have ever battled was maybe 40 to 80 acres.  Thankfully there was a farmer near by with a disc and he was able to create a nice fire stop for us.  That made our jobs a lot easier that day.  Right now there are countless firefighters gearing up with not much more than axes, saws and Pulaski tools and hiking in to battle this raging wild fire.  That just amazes me.  The task at hand is very daunting to say the least.  I don't know how they do it.

Typical gear of a wildland firefighter

I have a very limited knowledge of wildland firefighting and the tactics they use.  We learned about wildland firefighting in FFI but it was very limited to say the least.  That basic knowledge and the experience I have fighting grass fires is really all I can draw on to try and envision what they are going through.  Firefighting, whether it is structural or wildland, is very physically demanding.  In fact, it is really very difficult to compare the two since the two tasks are so different and that really isn't the point of this post.  These men and women can be gone for weeks at a time fighting these fires.  They are out there with nothing more than what they packed in with them. They battle huge fires that can change directions as quickly as the wind does.  These men and women are busy digging fire stops, cutting trees and doing what ever they can to slow the blaze down.  Its tough work and they need to be recognized for the job they are doing.  Seeing pictures of the current wild fire with 30 and 40 feet tall flames is incredible.

These people do a truly amazing job.  I have heard that wildland firefighters think structural firefighters are crazy for going into a burning building and I think that most structural firefighters think the same about wildland firefighters.  We each have our specialty and we respect the other group for what they do.  We may fight different types of fire but at the end of the day we are all firefighters and because of that they are my brothers and sisters.  They have done a tremendous job with the task at hand and I wish them all the best!