“It came out of nowhere.” A request by a fire officer gets an agitated and emotional response from a paramedic/firefighter. Is it because of the two-month shutdown? Frustration at the convoluted and contradictory process in recording COVID-19 work exposures? Maybe something to do with the urban violence this past week?
This confrontation may be an example of clashing psychological contracts. Professor Harold Patrick looked at IT organizations, describing them as a “… marriage under stress, characterized by poor communications and low levels of trust.” This is similar to the “war years” FDNY environment that is the basis for Hugh Caulfield’s Winning The Fire Service Leadership Game and the 1973 FDNY strike.
Patrick (2008) describes psychological contracts:
Psychological contract refers to mutual unwritten expectations that exist between an employee and his/her employer regarding policies and practices in their organization. Psychological contract influences job attitudes and performances of the employees.
Each of us has a system of beliefs that define our unwritten expectations with the fire department. Our beliefs are shaped by our values, on-the-job experiences, and broader societal norms that we agree with (Dabos 2004). When a decision or situation occurs that is in conflict with our unwritten expectations, we often respond emotionally.
For example, reading Trey Smith’s description of a confined space rescue performed by the Charlotte Fire Department in the middle of the protests Saturday night made me both proud of their actions and angry at the situation they were operating in.
A brick thrown at our apparatus (by rioters not protestors) came a little too close to my head and my crew last night. Trey Smith
At least 5-6 Charlotte Fire apparatus or chief vehicles were struck by thrown objects during a confined space rescue incident in the middle of the protests/riot in uptown.
What an incredible sight to see 30+ brothers and sisters working together to free a person who fell 25′ into a transformer vault below grade and enduring objects being thrown, flash bangs detonating around you, pepper grenade smoke choking out your ability to breathe or see, all while wearing your body armor and making a technical rope rescue in just under 15 minutes.
Fire Officer Response to an Emotional Confrontation
When we get emotional (scared, angry, or euphoric), adrenaline fills up the prefrontal lobes of the neocortex of the brain, creating an emotional bubble that interferes with the ability to hear or consider any response to the issues that make up this confrontation.
Rich Gasaway also identifies this emotional deafness while firefighters are operating at emergency incidents. This link takes you to Episode 130 “Auditory Exclusion” within the Situational Awareness Matters podcast.
Michael Taigman described this conflict management process that he learned when having to build a paramedic ambulance service from scratch under an extremely tight timeframe while working with a very stressed workforce. There were many conflicts and confrontations. The Taigman conflict management model follows four steps:
1: Drain the Emotional Bubble
Listen deeply, actively, and empathetically. Write detailed notes but do not explain or make excuses. Allow the firefighter to completely express themselves. Ask questions and encourage responses to allow the firefighter to completely express grief, regret, pain, censure, or resentment.
There are three ground rules and one suggestion:
- Conduct this process in private
- There is no physical contact
- Avoid personal attacks and focus on work issues.
If you anticipate an intense session, consult with your chief and consider placing the fire company out-of-service, or getting replacements for you and the firefighter until this process is completed. These sessions generally last 20 to 45 minutes.
2: Understand the Firefighter’s Viewpoint
The initial emotional response to the decision may be a sign of a larger problem. Unresolved department conflicts, grievances, or issues may have been present for a long time, perhaps wrapped up within the department’s history or traditions. Asking open-ended clarification questions may help reveal the reason for the emotional confrontation and the root cause of the objection.
3: Help the Firefighter Feel Understood
The “Listen deeply … write detailed notes” part of the conflict management model allows you to paraphrase and feedback on what you heard from the firefighter. Your goal is to understand the firefighter’s perception of the issue. Occasionally an issue is resolved if the firefighter feels that the fire officer understands the issue, conflict, or problem.
Captain Caulfield’s perspective as the primary instructor of the FDNY Line Officer’s Development Program was that the Lieutenants and Captains felt that the chiefs were insensitive to the requests made to provide wiggle room with some rules and regulations that were having a negative impact on the crews working the stations that were handing 10 fires a day and under constant civilian attack.
For an example of the headquarters/street relationship, scroll to 3:04 and 4:20 in this YouTube copy of the 1972 “Man Alive: The Bronx Is Burning” BBC television show. In the first snippet, the Deputy Chief is complaining to Battalion 27 about the police not chasing the kids off the fire trucks – ordering the BC to go the 42nd precinct to “straighten them out.” In the second snippet, the Deputy Chief is leaning on the Battalion Chief over roof operations (… “OK, alright.”) At 47:40 Rescue 3 is transporting a firefighter from first-in Engine 94 suffering from severe smoke inhalation/chest pain.
4: Identify the Firefighter’s Expectations for Resolution
Hopefully, the firefighter has drained the emotional bubble and feels like the fire officer understands the issue, problem, conflict, or grievance. This is the first time the firefighter is able to listen and is emotionally ready to consider solutions. The fire officer asks what the firefighter expects the fire department to do to resolve this issue.
This will lead to an internal process to address and resolve the issue within the capabilities of the jurisdiction.
Aggression, Anger and Acting Out
Some people have trouble handling their anger. Some have very abrasive personalities, others launch vicious verbal attacks, and a few may physically act out their feelings. The fire officer needs to monitor the situation and the firefighter. If, in attempting to drain the emotional bubble, there is a rise in rage, then take a time-out.
If there is a physical action or a threat to do serious harm, follow your department’s procedure on workplace violence. Caulfield makes clear that any threats to harm or violence against an officer must result in corrective action or progressive discipline.
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Dabos, Guillermo and Rousseau, Denise (2004) “Mutuality and Reciprocity in the Psychological Contracts of Employees and Employers.” The Journal of Applied Psychology. Vol 89, No 1, 52-72. Accessed July 6, 2018, at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Denise_Rousseau/publication/8881161_Mutuality_and_Reciprocity_in_the_Psychological_Contracts_of_Employees_and_Employers/links/5424bd9b0cf238c6ea73b6ea/Mutuality-and-Reciprocity-in-the-Psychological-Contracts-of-Employees-and-Employers.pdf
Patrick, Harold (2008) “Psychological Contract and Employment Relationship.” The ICFAI University Journal of Organizational Behavior. 7. Accessed July 6, 2018, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228196969_Psychological_Contract_and_Employment_Relationship
Caldwell, Cam (2018) “Chapter 7: The Psychological Contract and Leadership Insights” from Humility as Enlightened Leadership. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
Caulfield, Hugh (1985) Winning The Fire Service Leadership Game. Saddle Brook, NJ: Fire Engineering Books and Videos
Taigman, Michael, and Dean, Stephen (1999) “Complaints” from Secrets of Successful EMS Leaders: How to Get Results, Advance Your Career and Improve Your Service (audio-cassette). Midlothian, VA: Sempai-Do.
Featured Image: Atlanta Fire Department, May 30, 2020