BY RAUL A. ANGULO
Flames were blowing out of the A and C side of the apartment when Engine 33 showed up. This second-story apartment was definitely “fully involved” with flames rolling up to the third floor. We had confirmed that everyone was out of the apartment; now the challenge was to get the fire out before E-28 arrived. That friendly rivalry has been there for years and will continue long after I’m gone.
When the battalion chief (BC) arrived, the fire was pretty much out and E-28, E-13, and Ladder 12 were checking for extension. He left me in command, and that’s when the press showed up. Usually, the BC or the public information officer (PIO) speaks to the media on camera, but company officers should be ready to rise to the occasion, especially captains. It pays to listen to TV news interviews to learn what sounds good and what doesn’t. No one likes to sound like an idiot on TV. We need to sound professional and confident and project that “command presence” everyone expects from the fire department. Having the media stick microphones and cameras in your face can be intimidating. Unfortu-nately, company officers don’t get enough opportunities to become comfortable with media interviews.
In talking with the news media about an incident, give your company appropriate credit without being obvious and appearing to take all the credit. In a TV news interview, I try to have the cameras set up so viewers can clearly see the number of the engine company in the background, and I wear my helmet with the Engine 33 helmet shield and try to mention Engine 33 during the interview. Such was the case this day.
On the way back to the station, I realized I missed an important opportunity to broadcast to the Seattle viewers a paramount fire department issue that is the number-one concern of our firefighters’ agenda: four-person staffing. I promised myself that if I got another opportunity to speak on camera, I would be ready to weave the issue of four-person staffing into the interview. The opportunity came a short time later at another incident.
E-33 responded to a report of a person in the water at Lake Washington. After the successful rescue, Helen Fitzpatrick, Seattle Fire Department PIO, called and asked if we would discuss the rescue for the media. I agreed and met the news crews at the lake for a live evening news interview. After discussing the rescue, I quickly transitioned to the reason for this rescue’s success: It was because E-33 is staffed with four firefighters. Had the incident happened in E-28’s district just up the road, the rescue would have been more challenging because that engine is staffed with only three firefighters. Survivability and life safety are increased when units are staffed with four firefighters instead of three, allowing us to work more efficiently, safely, and quickly.
I concluded with a safety message and warned viewers of the dangers of cold water and hypothermia. It’s always good to leave the audience with a safety message to prevent a similar event from making the news in the future.
Well, the safety message made it, but the reference to the four-person staffing issue was cut when the story aired on TV. Even though it was edited, I did get ample time to talk with reporters about the issue of four-person staffing while they were waiting to go live from the location. It was a great opportunity to educate them on the issue and plant the seed. This is an NFPA 1710, Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments, issue that benefits all fire departments that are understaffed. Every company officer should think about this strategy and mention it every time they get a chance to speak at an incident. You can spin the issue to your advantage either way. If you are an engine company with a crew of four and the fire or rescue went well, you can attribute the effectiveness to four-person staffing. If you’re an engine company with a crew of two or three, you can say the incident was more challenging because your staffing was limited. Had the staffing been four firefighters, additional options may have resolved the incident sooner with more efficiency.
The message we need to send is that staffing all fire units with four firefighters is better for the citizens and the firefighters. It allows us to rescue faster, extinguish fires faster, and treat patients more effectively; it allows units to go in service more quickly to respond to other alarms; and, most importantly, it allows us to work more safely. Isn’t that what the citizens want? They have a lot invested in their firefighters. They want us to be there for them, ready to respond. It’s not in the citizens’ best interest when firefighters are injured and off on disability. Such can be the case when two or three firefighters are doing the work of four.
You are only going to have between 10 and 20 seconds to get your message across, so practice your phrasing. “The first-in unit was staffed with four firefighters, making it easy to …” or “The first-in unit was staffed only with three firefighters, which presented a challenge to ….” Try to integrate the message in such a way that it will make it difficult for the media to edit it without losing the main point of the interview. Remember, every time that microphone and camera are in your face, they represent thousands of dollars worth of free publicity to get your message across. It’s a great opportunity to educate the media, the local politicians, and citizens. Over time, this should help with negotiations in making four-person staffing a reasonable request that is beneficial to all.
If the incident is of any significance, you won’t have to worry; the PIO or a chief officer will be handling the media. It’s the smaller house fires and rescues that will bring the attention back to the first-in units. Usually, the PIO will set it up with the local stations, which gives you the OK from the fire chief’s office to conduct the interview. The PIO can help you and answer any questions you have on what not to say regarding the privacy laws.
Journalists, like firefighters, love their job. They really want to come to work and do the best job they can. We need to help the media do their job. If we show a genuine interest in helping them be successful and meet their deadlines, they will do their best to maintain a positive and trustworthy relationship with the fire department. That’s to their advantage. Give them what they want, woven in with what you want. After all, they are the ones who will be carrying your message of four-person staffing to the viewers and voters in your city.
RAUL A. ANGULO is a 24-year veteran of the Seattle Fire Department and captain of Engine 33. He is on the Educational Advisory Boards for FDIC and FDIC WEST. Angulo is an instructor of fire service leadership, company officer and crew development, and fireground strategy and tactics. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Firefighters, Seattle-Puget Sound Chapter.
INTERVIEW TIPS
Before the interview
- Find out exactly what the press wants to talk about and why they want the interview.
- Give yourself time to prepare. Gather the facts and information, especially if this is a high-profile or controversial situation.
- Get questions ahead of time so you can think over your answers before the interview.
- Set the ground rules on what you will and won’t discuss.
- Plan an honest and straightforward response.
- Consider the primary message you want to get across.
- Keep answers short and to the point. Condense your message to between 10 and 20 seconds. This helps to keep it from being edited.
- Background images are powerful. Think about the impression you are trying to convey. Suggest or select the camera angles.
- Your manner conveys more than words. Relax. Take deep breaths. Try to relax your neck and shoulder muscles.
- Control the interview. Don’t start the interview until you are ready; otherwise they will start firing questions.
During the interview
- Have command presence. Let your face project confidence and assurance.
- Choose your words carefully. Take time to think before you answer.
- Stick to your theme and the impression you want to convey.
- Be honest and candid. Tell the truth. Never lie or elaborate on the truth.
- Honesty doesn’t mean telling everything about an incident that went bad. If the reporter doesn’t ask, don’t volunteer bad news.
- Keep things simple—don’t try to explain every detail.
- Don’t fall for baited, leading, or loaded questions. Choose the part of the question that best helps to make your point; answer only that part of the question.
- Make your answers interesting enough for follow-up questions from the reporter.
- End on a strong note, and include a safety point.
- Thank the reporter for taking the time to report on the fire department. Everyone tries to do a good job, and your acknowledgment and appreciation go a long way in gaining their respect.
- Set the stage for future positive stories about what the fire department is doing in the community, and encourage them to contact you for future stories.
- Watch to see how you did on TV. Listen to the criticism of others, and make adjustments for the next time. (Blow off the fire station razzing. It will come; that’s part of the culture.)
After the interview
Many firefighters mistrust the media (and for good reason), but they are not going away. If there is a story, they will report it, with or without your cooperation. Like a sharp sword, the media cut both ways. Sometimes they swing against us, sometimes in our favor. However, we make the news. They need us, and we need them. We must foster a cooperative relationship, not an adversarial one. But, as in any relationship, sometimes we will get burned.