BY RICHARD MARINCUCCI
“Never argue with an idiot. He will bring you down to his level and then beat you with experience!” I wish I knew to whom I could attribute this quote. Although witty and certainly attention getting, the basic premise of this statement appears more true to me every day. It seems that in many of the day-to-day dealings with people—whether citizens, bosses, or employees—simple discussions turn emotional. When this happens, logic and reason take a back seat, and I sometimes think that people feel they win the debate if they talk louder and faster. The facts of the situation are irrelevant.
EMOTIONAL ARGUMENTS
Recently, I attended a study session of a city council (where I live, not work). The topic was whether or not to place a ballot issue before the voters to raise taxes to fund public safety, specifically police and fire. The decision before the council was not whether to raise taxes but merely to offer the citizens a chance to decide for themselves. Someone (I will not speculate about who) invited a group of antitax citizens to the meeting.
At their first opportunity, the antitax citizens let go with their emotional arguments as to why taxes should not be raised. They did so loudly and off the cuff. They were making up facts as they went. They rarely heard any comments from the council; when they did, they responded emotionally. As an example, one woman told everyone in the room what a scam emergency medical services (EMS) were. She claimed she received a $5,000 bill for a ride to the hospital. There is no way that is even close to being the truth, but it didn’t matter; she was on a roll. It was evident to me that there was no way to respond to this group, as they had their mind set and there was nothing that could be done, short of giving them their way, that would appease them. They were like children having temper tantrums in public with hopes that they would get their way.
Another example of this emotional debate can be found on the Internet. Blogs and comments following articles can be vicious. Some citizens take the opportunity to blast all firefighters, mostly about lucrative pensions and benefits. Everyone gets painted with the same brush. Firefighters are not exempt from this behavior. Blogs posted by firefighters in response to an article or some other posted event many times get off topic. Watch some of the discussions that take place. Often, it deteriorates into sarcasm and name calling, disregarding the issue and the need to remain civil and open. If you disagree, not only are you wrong but you have many “flaws” in your personality and character!
This is a problem for the fire service (as it is for many others). With the proliferation of the Internet and 24-hour news, almost anyone can get a forum where they can spout their beliefs. These beliefs do not even need to be true or factual to get others to buy into the ideas. To further make this a bigger issue, injecting emotion and theatrics helps with the ratings, gaining even more attention. The result may be that more people begin to believe things that are not true. The more something is repeated, the more it has the chance of becoming the “fact” regarding an issue.
Although I do think it is a waste of my breath to argue with some folks, I don’t believe that a response is not in order. Collectively, we have a responsibility to correct misinformation and promote our service so as not to let misinformation become facts. For example, I was in a meeting where an elected official was bragging about how his community was receiving “free” EMS service. I respectfully disagreed. I asked if his community also responded to EMS calls with its fire department. The answer was yes. I then pointed out that EMS was not “free” and his community was subsidizing the private ambulance service with personnel. Further, it was helping keep response times lower than would have been possible. In responding, I consciously did my best to be respectful, unemotional, and factual. I am fairly certain that I probably did not change the person’s mind, but I responded so others in the room would have the other side of the story.
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE RESPONSE
When dealing with emotional and sometimes irrational people and situations, it is important to remember a few of the following tips:
- Always stay calm and composed. Although it is not likely to affect those making the outrageous or incorrect statements, it helps with those on the periphery. They will appreciate your professional approach.
- Do your best to correct incorrect information. If you do nothing, then most, if not all, in attendance will assume what has been said is true.
- Always be respectful. Do the best you can to not embarrass anyone.
- Try to stay on the issue, not the person or people.
- Be an expert. Know your business. You want everyone to acknowledge that you know what you are talking about.
- Accept that everyone has a right to disagree. Even if you present your perspective and have a good case, not everyone will agree. That is okay. Your job is to present arguments in a manner that allows people to make educated choices. A percentage of people disagree with everything.
- Stay calm. I know I already said this, but it is extremely important. Do not lose your cool no matter what.
- Listen to what the others are saying. Even if you don’t agree, it might give you some insight as to their perspective, which may help you frame your position better.
- Do not get defensive.
- Do not present your views in such a way that they appear self-serving. Stay on the message that discusses the greater good of the community. It is about quality service and a benefit to all.
- Try to view the issue from the other side. Try to think like those not in the service. We might “get it” because we live it every day, but civilians have a different view of the world. Try to frame your response so that it addresses their issues, not yours. Avoid slang and firefighter jargon.
- Be as brief as you can. We live in a sound-bite world, and you need to be able to express yourself within that context.
- Do not present yourself as being in an official capacity unless you are.
- Look professional. First impressions are very important. Some people will make up their minds based on how you look.
Unfortunately, not every opportunity that arises will be civil. Not every citizen, elected official, or other party will be open-minded and reasonable in discussions. In some of these cases, the people will act like bullies, trying to force their way on others. You may be tempted to “fight fire with fire” (pun intended), but you must refrain and always take the high road. You are representing not only yourself but also your organization and, in many ways, the fire service in general. You must be prepared. You must be professional. You probably will not be able to change the minds of the extremists, but you will influence those who are more moderate. That is the true audience for your response and comments.
RICHARD MARINUCCI has been chief in Northville Township, Michigan, since January 2009. Previously, he was chief in Farmington Hills (1984-2008), president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and chief operating officer of the U.S. Fire Administration. He has bachelor degrees from Western Michigan University, Madonna University, and the University of Cincinnati. He teaches for EMU and MFRI.
