Keeping it Safe Robert Tutterow
The fire service is currently addressing unprecedented, sometimes overdue, issues. These issues include post-traumatic stress disorder; cancer; human behavior; inflation; supply change issues; PFAS; staffing; recruitment and retention; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
These are critical issues that must be addressed and are being addressed. The Metro Fire Chiefs Association (consisting of fire chiefs of the largest departments in the country) have made DEI their key focus area. I hope they make an impact that spreads to all size departments.
One issue where truly little discussion occurs is customer service. The late Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Chief (Ret.) Alan Brunacini was a strong advocate of providing good customer service. We are missing his voice on such a critical component of having a strong service delivery system. Is anyone talking about customer service these days or is it lost among other critical issues?
What is good customer service? The obvious answer is to provide a quick response and mitigate the incident effectively. To do that we must have quality training, well-maintained and well-designed apparatus, the best personal protective equipment (PPE) available, and the proper tools and equipment to mitigate the incident.
But there is another element to providing high-end customer service, and that is how we treat the people we encounter. Brunacini was known for sharing his experiences when he heard from customers. Often, he received letters from citizens who had recently received service from his department. He said a typical letter started with three or four sentences about how effectively they mitigated the incident. Then they wrote three or four paragraphs about how nicely they were treated by his firefighters. In fact, he was known to carry stickers to give to his audience that simply stated, “Be Nice!” Being nice became part of the fire department’s culture, as it was stressed from the top of the organization to the recruits just entering the department. Brunacini would often share the citizens’ letters with the department to help cultivate the culture.
Part of incident mitigation included assessing the situation (once it was under control) to see what else the firefighters could do to help their customers, something they would appreciate—within reason. These could be small token-type measures or larger ways of being nice. For example, he shared the story of an engine company that responded to a heart attack. On fire department arrival, the man having the heart attack was in the process of pouring concrete. The on-scene company knew of another firefighter in a neighboring station who was skilled in concrete work. They requested he come to the scene, and he quickly finished the concrete work. Imagine the positive impact that had on the family and neighbors—and that was property conservation.
So, what does all of this have to do with firefighter health and safety? It might be a challenge to find a direct correlation, but there is, no doubt, a significant indirect correlation. When firefighters deliver great customer service that is acknowledged by the community, the firefighters feel better about themselves and their co-workers. This leads to improved hu