A week or so ago I posted this picture and I had so much
that I wanted to say about it that it wouldn’t have been feasible to do so in a
single post. I haven’t written a blog
post in a while so I figured this would be a great opportunity to do so. My motivation for this picture was the
increase in messages I have been receiving through the page. Interacting with the followers of the page is
my favorite part of doing this, so please keep the messages coming! I have been getting a few messages here and
there where people tell me what the page has done for their passion, how
frustrated they are with what goes on in their own department, or that the page
has been able to put many of their feelings into words. These interactions started making my brain
spin about what I write on the page versus what I am able to accomplish in my
own department.
First and foremost I think we all need to understand that
EVERY fire department in America is the same in different ways. We all have motivated people, unmotivated
people, good rules, bad rules, guys who are great at the job, guys who aren’t
so great at the job, problems, solutions, and every gray area in between. What makes us different is the way each of
those components influence and create the culture within our firehouses. It is very easy to look at someone else’s situation
or operation and draw conclusions about your own. It is also very easy to become discouraged
when what they are doing doesn’t necessarily work in your agency.
It is much easier to tell others what needs to be done than
make it happen yourself. Telling someone
to stop accepting the bullshit or implement a huge change may be the right
advice, but can be extremely difficult to accomplish depending on the
environment that individual is working in.
“The road to success is easier to navigate when plotted on another man’s
map” is something I came up with when thinking about all the advice that is out
there. Simply put, it is easier to fix
someone else’s problems than your own.
Sure it is easy to get on social media or correspond with a colleague in
another agency and solve the problems of other departments, but how does it
translate to your department? One of the
most difficult parts of affecting change is trying to figure out how to
manipulate the advice, passion, and ideas you receive from others into a
product that will work in your own organization. I frequently feel like a hypocrite when I
write things on the page that I am unable to change in my own department. However, there is a massive difference
between saying and not doing versus trying and not succeeding. Every tour I strive to make some sort of
positive change whether it is in my department, on my shift, within my crew, or
in the community.
When our craft becomes how you make a living, there are certainly
limitations on how hard you can fight depending on your rank and
influence. We must test the waters and
push the limits while ensuring we do so with enough respect and mindfulness to
prevent us from being terminated for our efforts. Pushing for improvement in a manner which
costs you your career does not solve any problems but rather creates much
larger ones! There is no road map or
fastest route to making change in your organization. The most influential people of a field are
called pioneers for a reason; they forged their own paths. The best course of action is to find
acceptable ways to make an impact and exploit them until you wear the opposition
down.
One of the most exhausting parts of trying to change things
is preaching to the choir. The majority
of us have a somewhat limited sphere of influence.
You will likely spend most of your time sharing ideas with
people who have a similar outlook. This
is because those who oppose you don’t want to hear it. However, just like a real choir, the more you preach the more people will join your cause. Influence as many people as possible and watch the culture of passion spread. Just be sure you are realistic about the time it may take to see results. Not every change has to be a huge one. Sometimes many small changes end up creating a larger change in the end. While it is true that change can start at the
bottom, it certainly gains much more traction when it is started and supported
on the top. The power associated with
our top ranks generally aids in the successful implementation of cultural
changes in many cases. Regardless
of the larger impact, the most important thing is changing what you can and
influencing others to change the things you can’t whenever you are given the
opportunity.
It is extremely discouraging to dedicate yourself to making your organization better only to have those efforts rejected by the other members. When you are passionate and
outspoken, you can unfortunately end up with a target on your back. People will pounce on every opportunity to
mock, correct, or punish you because what you believe makes them uncomfortable. You have to be prepared for the resentment
and abuse pushing for change can bring. This
normally has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. Most people do not like change and those who
are insecure about themselves like it even less. Usually, they have learned to hide behind the
status quo and are scared their flaws will be exposed if change is implemented. 
Being passionate can be a lonely place depending on the
people you are surrounded by. This doesn’t
mean you have to give up it simply means you have to pick your battles. While making friends is not a primary mission
of our profession, we still have to be able to work with each other and
sometimes that means you must get creative with how you apply your passion to
our craft. Brush off what you can and
enlist the help and support of like-minded people for the things you cannot. While I think it is complete bullshit we
sometimes have to dumb down our passion, it is an unfortunate reality of the
current state of the fire service.
Remember, if you push so hard they shut down you will never be
successful at changing things for the better.
We all wish we could take the highway but the road of the passionate is
usually the scenic route.
I think the most impactful thing I have learned since taking
on this endeavor is that there are fellow firefighters all over the place that
are simply refreshed to hear someone tell them it is okay to love the job. There is such a lack of passion and commitment
across the board that many of our brothers and sisters are simply relieved to
read and hear that there are those of us out there who agree with them. They are empowered to continue fighting
knowing that they are not alone. In many
ways they rely on posts, books, and speakers to reinforce their passion and
beliefs as a way to stay motivated. This
is why it is imperative we continue to communicate, influence, and support
each other!
While it may be easier for someone to offer ways to fix the problems of
departments other than their own, don’t take the advice in vain. It will always be easier to interject your
opinion on matters which do not directly affect you. This does not make their advice or beliefs any
less valuable, it simply means that the perspective and environment will
greatly influence how those ideas are or are not implemented in your own
agency. The goal should always be to
implement as many positive changes as possible in your department. However, don’t be discouraged if it is not as
simple as a post or class may make it seem! The reality of the situation, which I have
learned from interacting with followers of the page, is that regardless of what
you can do in your own department, your advice can and will help others.
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