BY ERIC G. BACHMAN

Dispatching to an investigation, the telecommunicator advised responding units, "Not sure what you will find…. There is a language barrier." This scenario occurs daily all over the country. With all of the situational challenges that responders encounter, communicating with the reporting party, the victim, or the customer can be extremely difficult. As communities change and expand, so can the cultural diversity, challenging the emergency responder. If these distinct populations and their unique language and cultural challenges are not identified and prepared for, this factor can contribute to an unfavorable outcome.

Preparedness is not just ensuring all of the fire department tools and equipment are ready. It also means identifying contingencies and developing preincident plans. Most fire department preplans concentrate on factors of the built environment—i.e., construction type, fire detection and suppression systems, utilities, processes, and hazardous materials. Preplans, however, must be comprehensive and must account for any response facets that will challenge or influence incident operations beyond structural and infrastructure elements.

The United States was built on the premise that it is a melting pot of people from all lands. In some cities, certain areas are home to specific populations; the areas often reflect the prevalent ethnic group or dialect—i.e., "Chinatown," "Little Italy," and "Germantown." However, today, the concentration of specific populations is broadening and expanding. As communities grow, so does the melding of the populace.

Many fire service leaders preach the art of customer service and how it influences support of the fire department. As important as customer service is, a fire department cannot be as efficient or as effective in addressing the customers' needs if it does not know who its customers and their special needs are. One chief remarked to me that his department is aggressive in public relationships, boasting that fire department personnel conduct fire education programs at schools during the first week of October; host an open house annually; and mail out educational literature with its fund-drive letter. Understanding the citizens the department protects, however, means more than just providing fire education. It requires constant outreach, including to special populations to better prepare them and the fire department for interaction at an emergency.

There are too many facets of diversity to address comprehensively in one article, but communication and cultural diversity are two common circumstances that affect the emergency services. I am not singling out any particular group or culture but am sharing examples that can be adapted to other locales.

IDENTIFICATION

Sometimes, identifying a special population is easy. A business, church, or other place of assembly can be an obvious clue (photo 1). Identify the special challenges these sites present, and develop contingencies. Often, when we do not understand something, we tend to distance ourselves. Fire departments that protect elements they do not understand tend not to engage them, a reaction that is detrimental to the facility and the department. Effective interaction with such sites is critical to improved emergency preparedness.

1 Photos by author.

Identifying the presence of specific populations can be difficult. Preparedness, however, is key, and includes research. There are several research avenues including the United States Census Bureau. It collects demographical information and publishes ethnicity breakdowns, which can be helpful in determining the presence of special populations in a local area. A second source is the local municipality. Local governmental departments and nongovernmental entities, such as the local school system, may possess special population data that can aid fire department preparedness.

Displaying 1/3 Page 1, 2, 3 Next>
View Article as Single page