We have finished our deep dive into Hugh Caulfield’s Winning The Fire Service Leadership Game. This included a look at the environment FDNY first-line officers were confronting during the “war years” and city bankruptcy. Staying with the game theme, FDNY remains the SuperBowl-level of fire officer challenges. Many departments provide NFL-level challenges for today’s fire officer. Let’s look at the issues you face.
Fire Company Workload. Dennis Smith wrote in 1972 that FDNY Engine 82 responses in the South Bronx were one-third Malicious False Alarms, one-third structure fires, and one-third everything else: automobile crashes, outside fires, etc. In 1968, Engine 82 had 9,111 runs with 3,803 workers. The definition of a worker is “A unit arrives on the scene and performs their specific task.” The jump in fires during the war years showed in 1976 Engine 82 made 6,433 responses and handled 5,607 workers.
Engine 290 was the busiest in 2017 with 6,820 FDNY runs:
- EMS responses accounted for 44.6% of the runs
- Non-Fire Emergencies accounted for 42.3% of the runs.
- Fires accounted for 13% of the runs – 896 events
- All hands or Greater Alarm accounted for 1.5% of the runs – 105 fires
Engine 290 ranked 9th for All Hands or Greater Alarm fires in 2017, Engine 275 was ranked #1 with 125 such events.
EMS assist: There is an excellent chance that 50% or more of your fire company workload is handling EMS calls, including “lift assists.” (Unless you are in New Jersey).
In looking at big city fire departments that provide EMS transportation, the same socio-economic conditions that generate a lot of high-acuity EMS runs in a census tract also generate a lot of outside and structure fires.
Workforce. Local governments have struggled to recover since the Great Recession of 2008. That meant no firefighters were hired for a couple of years. When the process restarted, many departments experienced issues of access, diversity, and nepotism. For example, the first Los Angeles recruit school since the recession had 70 students. About 30% of the school had family members that were active in the LAFD. The group was 60% white with 1 female.
The Baby Boomers that held on to their firefighter jobs during the recession are hitting mandatory retirement age, or are at the end of their DROP period, or are finally ready (or have) to go. This surge of retirements creates an institutional brain-drain and results in a younger and less experienced fire company … as well as more promotions.
Some of the responses to the Hugh Caulfield deep dive articles included descriptions of today’s fire station conditions: “untouchable firefighters,” “retired-on-duty chiefs,” “human resources running the fire department,” and “toxic employees.”
Community. You are working in the 24/7 infotainment environment, where all of your activities may be recorded, posted and evaluated seconds after it occurs. Colleagues within the department may post videos of practical jokes, hazing, and activities going on within the station.
The polarization of national politics has seeped into communities. Some assume municipal employees are overpaid, underworked or incompetent. There are stories of increased confrontations with community members when firefighters are at the grocery store, gym or fast food restaurant.
Issues confronting today’s fire officer are different but just as challenging as issues FDNY officers encountered during the “war years.” What are the issues that affect you? Please take 3 minutes to answer 4 open-ended questions describing your challenges as a fire officer. Click here: