Think it’s time to eliminate “BS” calls? Think again.

Putting the Service Back in Fire Service: Think it’s time to eliminate “BS” calls? Think again.

By Chief Jeffrey D. Johnson, EFO, CFO, MIFireE

From the April 2010 issue of FireRescue magazine

Money is tight, and times are tough in government. Firefighters, along with all other public employees, are finding themselves unemployed, browned-out, furloughed or short-staffed in an effort to balance the budget. With few exceptions, our customers—the taxpayers—aren’t in any better position. They too are facing lower pay, forfeited pension contributions, furloughs, trimmed compensation packages and heavier workloads. Even volunteer departments are feeling the pinch as volunteers must dedicate more time to their work or take on jobs that limit their ability to volunteer. So what do we do?

The most important thing we can do for our industry is demonstrate that we “get it”—that we understand that this is an unprecedented economic storm and that it’s not business as usual. The second thing we can do is understand what our customers need and strive to fulfill it. While all the hats and shirts you and I own have the words “fire department” on them, let’s face it, responding to fires is not what we do with the bulk of our response time. The overwhelming majority of fire departments in this country respond to EMS and customer-assistance calls at least 10 times more than pulling lines on a working fire. With that in mind, let’s spend a few minutes understanding this part of our profession.

People call 911 for one reason: The problem is more than they can handle. Because people are different, some call when they have a headache or an over-flowing toilet, while others drive themselves to the hospital with crushing chest pain.

If you’re reading this article, odds are that you’ve been trained and have functioned as a firefighter for many years. That means you’ve seen deceased victims, you know the difference between smoke and steam, and you have mechanical and medical skills that most people don’t. The BS (bovine scatter) call occurs when we use our knowledge and experience to judge our customers (e.g., I can’t believe that idiot didn’t know how to turn off a toilet. They woke us up for this?) Expecting people to know what WE know will always lead to the customer feeling and sensing our frustration and judgment. If we’re grumpy, do you think that reduces repeat calls? Do you leave the scene happier? Does our customer have a favorable opinion of us? Is our customer likely to vote yes when it comes to a funding request? Probably not.

The truth is, if we stop judging people based on our skills and knowledge, we’ll feel that we have a lot fewer calls that aren’t worthy of our assistance. Let’s spend more time doing our job with a smile on our face and a demeanor that says, “I love this job and I love serving you. I’m glad we could help.” Remember that what you think turns into how you act and what you say. You may be shocked at how far you’ve drifted from that recruit firefighter who was happy to run on any call and to help anyone who needed it.

One last thing: When someone thanks you, quit saying, “I was just doing my job.” Our customers hear that as, “You don’t matter, and I don’t care; it’s just about doing a job.” That’s not the message you need to send. I know you’re being humble, but try the teachings of Dr. Robert Cialdini. When someone thanks you, say, “You’re welcome. I love my job, and I know if we ever need you, you’ll be there for us.”

Do you know when we need them? Right now, when times are tough and difficult choices have to be made. I’ll bet city planning departments can’t fill the council chambers with people who are thankful and grateful for everything they’ve done. But we can.

Chief Jeff Johnson began his career as a firefighter in 1978, and he has served as fire chief of Tualatin Valley (Ore.) Fire & Rescue since 1995. He is past president of the IAFC Western Division and Oregon Fire Chiefs Association. He is a member of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and has been active in many IAFC sections, including Fire & Life Safety, Volunteer & Combination Officers, EMS, and Safety, Health and Survival. Chief Johnson is a National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer graduate and has received his Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designation.

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Comment by Mark A. Sexton on May 9, 2010 at 12:34pm: Chief Johnson, I agree with your article. We are all guilty at one time or another of having the additude of why people called for our services in non-fire departmental situations. When we joined the fire service, we joined to "serve" and "protect" not "gripe" and "complain" When people call on us they are in desperate need, the citizens look up to us as the ones' to fulfill that need in time of despire. I will work harder to change my way of response to these type of calls.

Comment by Triple J on May 9, 2010 at 11:21am: It's times like those that we need to remember that the person who called us is having a much worse day than we are. Even though we may gripe on the way to the call for what seems like a 'B.S.' call, my crew puts our best faces forward whether it's a millionaire or a homeless person. When we're thanked, we tuly answer "glad to have helped". Face it, at heart, we all want to help turn people's bad situation into a better one, even if it's turning off their overflowing toilet or changing the battery in the smoke alarm we heard beeping when we were there for 'Granny' who fell and needed help back into bed at 0300.

Comment by Lesley Coit on May 7, 2010 at 7:09pm: I hear you and do understand, but then when you hear the patient stating they feel bad for getting you out of bed in the middle of the night or I dind't know what to do or who to call. It makes me proud when the do call, bceaue you never know what might happen if they attempt to do these things on their own. Its a way of giving back to your community!

Comment by Tommy Thombs on May 6, 2010 at 4:10pm: You're absolutely right Chief! Never let a positive public relations opportunity go to waste.

Comment by Alan Wilcher on May 6, 2010 at 1:03pm: Chief Johnson, you hit it right on the nosewith that one. We have a Fire Prevention show that we put on for the kids on Fire Prevention Week and we see around 4000 kids. We teach fire safety as well as seatbelt safety. The kids have a blast and don't forget the message. This is a great time to teach them how important our job is and how much we care for them. This sets up the children to appreciate what we do and they remember that when they become adults and registered voters.

Comment by Peter Lupkowski on May 5, 2010 at 9:58pm: Thanks for the important reminder! We do the "ah shucks" act too often. A thank you we're glad to help is never misplaced. Some even ask what they can do for us. Never let an opportunity for a kind letter to the editor pass you by. Then keep them in a book or electronically for the future.

Comment by Roy Walker on May 5, 2010 at 3:11pm: Wow chief that's quite an overview. Though I have never been indifferent to a call or individuals plight I certainly have been guilty of the just doing my job dogma. Iwill view my reponses in a more positive light in the future and share this article with my department.

Think it’s time to eliminate “BS” calls? Think again.

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