Preplanning to Address Cultural Diversity

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.

A third information source is corroboration with other local emergency services. The police department likely interacts with the community most often and may share its encounters with special populations. If your fire department does not operate emergency medical services (EMS), discussions with local EMS providers may also reveal unique experiences. Communication with medical facilities such as hospitals and local clinics can reveal special circumstances as well.

The examples above are only a part of more comprehensive preincident preparedness. If you are not aggressive in determining challenges beyond the built environment, you certainly won’t be as prepared as possible. This is especially true when confronted with people you cannot understand.

LANGUAGES

A fire department can encounter a tremendous number of languages and cultures from all over the world (photos 2, 3). With non-English-speaking people, communication is difficult for most fire organizations—and not just verbal communication: Sign language can be challenging and frustrating as well.

2
3

CONTINGENCY PLANS

Developing contingency plans depends on recognizing that deficiencies exist. By researching and comprehensively cataloging the areas the fire department protects, you can improve diversity intelligence and develop contingency plans. When a facility or an area with a language issue has been identified in a fire district, the fire department must develop plans to overcome the challenges ahead of time.

At fixed facilities where language diversities are beyond the fire department’s comprehension, establishing rapport is imperative. It is likely, but not always guaranteed, that someone who can speak some level of English will be available and you can initiate efforts to improve communication. Your department can develop several cooperative programs to improve communications. One is to develop a language training program for your personnel. Although it may not be feasible to learn the intricacies of an entire new language, understanding some essentials is a compromise. Learn and practice common questions or phrases, including some basics as, “Is everybody out?” This also applies to sign language.

Other methods include developing a translation sheet with illustrations corresponding to the words in each language. At an incident, an occupant can point (on paper) to the word in his language or a picture illustrating the condition that corresponds to the word the fire department understands. The key is working cooperatively with the facility for solutions to potential response challenges.

INTERPRETER

Another area to investigate is the availability of an interpreter. Does your fire department have a resource list for interpreters? If not, investigate local resources as well as commercial language services for preincident contingency development. Be aware that a commercial language service may cost something. To offset costs, try partnering with other agencies that may share similar language issues with their customers.

Investigate other entities that may have language services or programs not typically considered an emergency resource. Explore local higher education—some colleges and universities have language arts programs that may be able to provide interpreters or other resources you can use for emergencies.

CULTURAL ISSUES

Language is not the only element that can influence incident operations. A community’s or a group’s culture can also affect preparedness—for example, the Amish. The organizations that protect them need to understand their beliefs and methods. Amish homes are not equipped with electricity. Lighting in an Amish home can be powered by other sources such as batteries, natural gas, and propane. Amish do not have telephones in their homes, so emergency notification could be delayed. Although some may consider their methods archaic and extreme, the emergency services must be cognizant of the situation and prepared to effectively serve, regardless of the culture.

A bishop leads the Amish community in my county; he has a means of communicating with members of the order. With any culture, it is essential to discover its hierarchy and coordinate preincident activities accordingly. In this example, establishing a rapport with the bishop is the most effective means of coordinating special activities with the Amish.

The Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Amish, unfortunately, were drawn into the spotlight in October 2006 when a gunman barricaded himself inside an Amish schoolhouse and took female Amish schoolchildren hostage. He shot 10 girls, killing five before fatally shooting himself. There were many coordination issues during and after the incident, including resource management, access and traffic control, and public information. The local fire department was a community icon, and many incident aspects (i.e., incident management team efforts, the food unit, and other logistical operations) were coordinated from the fire station. Although the incident involved primarily law enforcement, the local fire department was heavily involved because of its close ties with the community.

Coordination issues quickly arose. The Amish culture shuns picture taking. This presented challenges at the medical facilities treating the victims. It was difficult to identify children at regional medical centers, including out-of-state facilities.

A second challenge was reuniting the families with their respective children. Some children were transported by air to medical facilities; some were hours away by road. The Amish do not drive cars, and their cultural beliefs prohibit them from flying. Local emergency service personnel drove Amish parents to medical facilities to be with their children.

The large public interest and local and worldwide attention heightened during postincident activities. To help maintain family privacy, especially during the funeral services and procession, the department developed an incident action plan. To convey the operational support, it was imperative to coordinate with the bishop, who then communicated with members of the Amish sect.

Although this was an extreme event, it shows the necessity for and value of understanding the inner workings of special populations. Regardless of the language or culture, identifying these populations and their special needs in concert with preincident coordination is necessary.

•••

Regardless of the size of your district or the type of fire department you have, knowing the hazards that await you is imperative. Notwithstanding structural elements, you must also identify situations that can have incident-altering effects. Communication is a common denominator at every incident. If we can’t communicate with those we are sworn to protect, we are not effectively doing our job. It does not matter whether you agree with the customs of a culture. We, as a service, are entrusted to protect and serve without bias. To do that effectively, we need to understand whom we protect. Although we all may not speak the same language or share the same beliefs, we all must be on the same page.

ERIC G. BACHMAN, CFPS, a 29-year veteran of the fire service, is former chief of the Eden Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He is the hazardous materials administrator for the County of Lancaster Emergency Management Agency and serves on the Local Emergency Planning Committee of Lancaster County. He is registered with the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications as a fire officer IV, fire instructor III, hazardous materials technician, and hazardous materials incident commander. He has an associate degree in fire science and earned professional certification in emergency management through the state of Pennsylvania. He is also a volunteer firefighter with the West Hempfield (PA) Fire & Rescue Co.

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