By Robert J. O’Brien
There are still those in the fire service that think all we do is fight fires, but responses to fires account for less than 10% of most fire departments’ total emergency calls. In some fire departments, EMS is joked about as being the last three letters in the word problems, while other fire service organizations see EMS as an Economic Means of Survival. Which one is it? At some point during our careers, many of us have joked about making sure our leaders don’t lay any dinosaur eggs-but maybe it’s some of our current workforce that is laying eggs.
Recent negative press covering internal strife between suppression and EMS professionals proves that some fire departments haven’t been able to clean up their houses. How do you explain to the public that the ambulance crew that will respond to emergencies isn’t allowed in the fire station after hours because it “might disturb the rest of the crew all night running calls”? Is it appropriate for a fire engine to respond to a medical call, just to sit and wait for the ambulance to arrive before they get off the rig? Even worse, is it appropriate for that engine company to leave the scene as soon as the ambulance arrives? Negative press gives us all a bad name, and sure leaves the public wondering if there aren’t alternative services that can meet its needs. Fortunately or unfortunately, the private sector can and does provide good quality EMS. With most fire departments facing budget cuts, this is not a time for the public to lose faith in the fire service. If a negative story hits the 6 o’clock news in your region of the country, it might as well have been your department that was targeted.
Where does this negativity come from? It comes from a variety of places, including poor leadership. If upper and mid-management don’t set the stage for a respectful workplace, and doesn’t instill this in your company officers, you might as well forget about ever changing the culture of your organization. Surprisingly, when you ask paramedics or EMTs where they see the problems in their organizations, many will tell you they don’t come from the seasoned veteran officers. Rather, much of the time its coming from those that have been with the organization from 7 to 10 years, and usually from those that never wanted to become a paramedic or advanced EMS professional. Whether it’s jealousy, arrogance, or ignorance, these individuals need a serious wake-up call. But maybe, it’s not all their fault. Maybe it was the way they were recruited? During the past ten years, if your organization used promotional videos, published posters, or used other advertising media portraying the firefighter job as a smoke-eating hero, with little attention to the EMS-related part of the job, it may be time to change your recruiting processes to show your future employees what we really do.
Robert J. O’Brien is the EMS division chief for the Fremont (CA) Fire Department and is a 27-year veteran of the fire service. He is past president of the California Fire Chiefs Association EMS Section. O’Brien has an associate of arts degree in fire science, has fire officer certification with the State of California, and graduated from the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy. He graduated from the Stanford-Foothill paramedic program in 1986 and maintains a California paramedic license.
