Get In The Boat!

Welcome, fellow OGs, to our latest fire division blog. Today, we're diving into a topic that's at the heart of our profession: leadership and mission. So, let's get started.

Get In The Boat!

In this article, we'll discuss a topic related to leadership and mission that I am most passionate about. Specifically, why do people become part of an organization and stay with it long-term?

When we think about the fire service, most of us who have been in for a long period of time will think that just being a fire department and being a firefighter in that department is enough to make people want to join and stay with us long-term. Unfortunately, we're learning that it must be more than just fighting fires that draws people to become firefighters and keep them with us.

We must recognize that people are drawn to something larger than themselves, a desire to give back that's part of our human DNA. But this must be more than a vague feeling. It must be something that everyone clearly understands and actively drives what we do. This is what ensures that we all have a clear and meaningful purpose.

So, my question to all of you reading this is, what is your department's purpose? Something fundamentally is missing if you cannot readily cite your organization's mission statement and purpose. Think about it another way: think about someone asking you to get on a boat, but nobody tells you what you're going to do, where you're going to go, and what you get to look forward to when you arrive at the destination. Another question is, do you trust the captain and the crew to provide you with a safe work environment and ensure your safety upon arrival at the destination? As I described, if you have anything other than a solid affirmative to these ideas, your organization has work to do, especially its leaders.

When I think about my role in the fire service organizations I have served with, I don't rely on the organization to give me purpose. I take pride in public education, providing engaging station tours and a high level of customer service with every member of the public I interacted with in either an emergency or non-emergency interaction. Selfishly, this was as much about the gratification that I received from a job well done as it was about the service delivery that our organization could provide. And there's nothing wrong with that! We must embrace the things that make being a firefighter fun! But, in the same way, the organization must empower its members and give them the latitude to embrace the organization's mission in their own way to give themselves pride, swagger, and purpose in the organization's mission in their small part of the overall mission.

So, when we think about whether I have a purpose in the organization, this stems from the top of the organizational chart. The fire chief and the organization's leaders must communicate what the organization is about and then empower its members to follow through with specific ways to support its mission and service delivery. However, if members do not see and understand the explicit purpose of the organization, then they are lost and left having to question what they're doing and why they're doing it at every turn.

There is an everyday leadership idea out there about organizations empowering their members and encouraging them to not only get in a boat but also grab an ore and roll with vigor because they're enthusiastic about the journey and the destination they will experience. We all must understand that if we don't have a clear destination, there's no excitement about the journey and no reason to get in the boat.

So, as we start on this journey of the OG's, we all need to remember why we would get in the boat of the fire service in the first place. Not only do we get in the boat, but we must also be willing to grab an oar and row with intensity. Everyone must use efficient techniques and work with those rowing with us to arrive safely at the destination. However, we must also clearly understand what to do at the destination so that we're prepared to act when we arrive.

We must all remember that communication is the Achilles heel of virtually every public safety organization, whether historical or modern. This communication must start at the top and work efficiently and effectively throughout all ranks and members, right down to the newest recruited firefighter or member. If there is a failure at any point throughout the organization to communicate its purpose, then the organization is at grave risk of failing to provide service delivery to its community.

Many books and other resources are available to read, videos to watch, and articles to read online to help with communication. However, we must all remember that effective communication also requires reason and purpose for why we exist as an organization. Without purpose, the organization's members float in time without a valid reason to be part of a fire service organization. We should focus on recruiting new firefighters and retaining our existing members in the long term.

So, the purpose of our initial fire division blog is to ask a straightforward question and for you to dwell and think about your organization and purpose. Specifically, what is your organization's purpose, and why do you need members to serve as firefighters? If you cannot answer that question in a way that motivates people to be part of what you do, then you have homework! You and your organization must consider your purpose and why you exist. It's not as simple as we're here to fight fires or we're here to protect our community. Both are noble ideas, but they are not what will draw people to be part of something like the fire service because they need to get something in return.

Think about what the fire service means to you and why you became a member of the fire service in the first place. Likely, that purpose and that reason that motivated you will also motivate others to do the same thing! But don't just focus on yourself; talk to the other members of your organization and find out why they also became part of the fire service. You will find that while there may be multiple reasons why someone should be a firefighter, those reasons will resonate with potential members and encourage people to become part of the future of the fire service.

In the same way, make sure that the reason that people became firefighters in the first place is also the reason why people continue to be firefighters. We need to ensure that we do not unnecessarily encumber people and make it hard for them to do the things they love and are driven to do in service to others. Ensure that the purpose that initially brought them into the fire service is still relevant and empower them to continue, which is equally important as getting them to join the fire service. We cannot only focus on recruitment but also forget that retention keeps our organizations operational in the long term.

Does your organization support people wanting to become firefighters and continue to be firefighters long term? If the answer is no or I'm not sure, then the question you should be asking is, why not? This is a critical failure within your organization's culture and leadership. Once you identify the cause of your organization's failure, it's time to fix it! The sooner we identify the cause of this problem, the sooner we can identify solutions to fix it and implement them as quickly as possible. But we must also remember that if we fail to admit that we have a problem, the problem doesn't exist and will never get better.

Everyone in America's fire service has a role in its future success. It's not just service delivery for today's calls. It's also identifying the next individuals who want to become firefighters and making sure those who are currently serving are happy and motivated. We must do both, and we must be equally good at them!

We must all work together to ensure that we leave the fire service better than we found it. This is the founding principle and mission of the OG society.

Remember, friends… Nobody will get in the boat and row if we don't know why we need to. At the end of the day, if we know where we're going and the why is something I can get behind, I’ll get in the boat and row willingly. But I'll gladly stand on the shore if we cannot effectively communicate where we are going and why. I can decide either way. The fire service and its leaders must convince me that getting in the boat is a good idea in the first place!

Be well, brothers and sisters, and stay safe!