Building Trust in the Fire Service

How to Build Trust in the Fire Service Through Compassion

From FireChief

By Dave Horsager
Who do people trust more firefighters or mortgage brokers? Why are some professions trusted more than others? One of the biggest reasons for trust is the perception that someone is concerned beyond themselves. Firefighters care for others by nature of their job. Even though this attitude is expected, do not underestimate the impact of compassion. The ability to show care and empathy is a heavy component of trust. As fire chiefs, you have the unique opportunity to assist people who are in a time of great emotional distress and need as well as support the firefighters who serve them. With this responsibility comes the need for compassion to both the victims and your crew. To build trust everyone needs to know that you as the leader care. This advantage is called The Trust Edge.
There are four key ways to show we care. I call them the LAWS of Compassion. These four actions show care and compassion in the workplace and out in the field: Listen, Appreciate, Wake up, and Serve others.
Listen: I understand budgets are tight and cities are cutting funds which leads to rising tensions. As fire chiefs, you need to show you care for your department by listening to their needs. The benefits of listening include greater trust, better understanding, and increased respect at work.
Appreciate: An overlooked need in every person is the need for appreciation. Everyone longs to be recognized for his or her hard work and valuable contributions. You serve people in extreme situations, but do not forget that your firefighters are in the thick of the trauma too. The key to appreciation is sincerity. Personally thank your crew and publicly recognize a job well done. Consider giving hand written notes as a sign of appreciation.
Wake up: Many people are asleep to opportunities and conversations every day. It is so easy to be focused on the future that we forget to be present with people today. It starts early. Kids can’t wait until they are 16 years old and can drive. Then they can’t wait until they are 21. Parents look forward to their kids growing up. Employees look forward to vacation and to retirement. Soon life is gone, and they were never really present with the people or opportunities that were in front of them each moment. Be engaged in the people and situations around you.
Serve others selflessly: To build camaraderie within the crew, you as the fire chief need to serve sacrificially. You set the standard for all others to follow. As the leader, making it a priority to put others before you leads to increased trust amongst crew members and better care for victims.
No matter your position, challenge yourself to start thinking like the firefighters you serve and the victims you aid. Think of their needs and their challenges. Care about THEM. Make them feel valued. Not only is it fun and self-gratifying, but it will also help you gain The Trust Edge.
David Horsager is a St. Paul-based business strategist, professor, keynote speaker and author of the upcoming book The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line.

Car bomb in Michigan ? Hard to Imagine that....

MONROE, Mich. (AP) — A car bomb caused a powerful explosion on a Michigan street that seriously injured a father and his two sons, who are "very fortunate" to have survived the attack, which turned their vehicle into a blackened hunk of metal, a federal official said Wednesday.
Investigators were poring over what remained of the vehicle after the Tuesday evening blast, looking for clues about how the bomb was made and who might have planted it, said Donald Dawkins, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
"There was a lot of power behind it. The victims are very fortunate, very blessed, to be alive," Dawkins said.
Among the things investigators are trying to determine is whether one of the victims was targeted or whether the attack was random, Dawkins said. The vehicle exploded on a tree-lined street under a highway in Monroe, which is about 35 miles southwest of Detroit.
Authorities declined to publicly identify the victims, but said they were in serious condition at St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio, about 20 miles south of Monroe.
The victims were lucky to survive, said Dawkins, who described the attack as a "heinous crime."
Read the rest of the story here at Yahoo News.

USFA firefighter fatality–Annual Report

USFA Releases Annual Report on Firefighter Fatalities in the United States (PDF, 2.5 Mb)

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) Reports Eighty-seven on duty firefighters from 31 states lost their lives as the result of 83 fatal incidents that occurred in 2010. This is the second consecutive year of substantially fewer firefighter deaths in the United States.

Emmitsburg, MD. – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) today released the report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2010 (PDF, 2.5 Mb). The report continues a series of annual studies by the USFA of on duty firefighter fatalities. The USFA is the single public agency source of information for all on duty firefighter fatalities in the United States each year.

Illinois experienced the highest number of fatalities with nine firefighters killed; New York and Ohio had the next highest totals with eight firefighter deaths each.

Three more LODD notices

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Bausman, PA

Keith Gregory Rankin of the Lancaster Township Fire Department in Bausman, PA has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-09-25 00:00:00.0.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Kinston, NC

George W. Fisher III of the Sandy Bottom Volunteer Fire and Rescue in Kinston, NC has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-09-22 00:00:00.0.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Shelby, IA

Michael Collins of the Shelby Fire & Rescue Department in Shelby, IA has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-09-18 00:00:00.0.

In the news–Really? You just can’t make this stuff up

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A hunter attacked by a wounded grizzly in a Montana forest was killed not by the bear, but by a gunshot fired by a companion trying to save him, authorities said Friday.

Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe said an autopsy determined 39-year-old Steve Stevenson of Winnemucca, Nev., died of a single gunshot to the chest. The cause of death was determined by a medical examiner with the Montana State Crime Lab.

The shot was fired by 20-year-old Ty Bell, also of Winnemucca, as he attempted to stop the bear's attack. No charges are expected, Bowe said.

The autopsy found bite marks on Stevenson's leg caused by the bear.

"We're fairly convinced it was obviously an accident," Bowe said. "But the county attorney will review the final report once we're done."

Read the rest here at Yahoo News or Victim in Mont. grizzly attack was shot by friend - Houston Chronicle

4 days ago – Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe said an autopsy determined ... Bell and Stevenson were on a black bear hunting trip with two other ... BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A hunter attacked by a wounded grizzly in a Montana forest ... but by a gunshot fired by a companion trying to save him, authorities said Friday.

Fatalities in Residential Buildings Report

USFA Releases Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings Report

Fires can strike anywhere - in structures, buildings, automobiles, and the outdoors - but fires that affect our homes are often the most tragic and the most preventable. Over 75% percent of all fire fatalities occur in home fires. This topical fire report focuses on the characteristics of these fatalities.

EMMITSBURG, MD – The Federal Emergency Management Agency's United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a special report focusing on the causes and characteristics of fires in college and university residential buildings that include dormitories and fraternity and sorority houses. The report, University Housing Fires (2007-2009) (PDF, 788 Kb), was developed by the National Fire Data Center and is a part of the USFA's Topical Fire Report Series. An estimated average of 3,800 university housing fires occur each year. Annually, these fires are responsible for 25 injuries and $9 million in property loss. This report is based on data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS).

According to the report:

• 95 percent of university housing fires occur in dormitories or dormitory-type residences, and 5 percent occur in fraternity and sorority houses.
• University housing fires occur most frequently in the late summer and fall - peaking in September - and mainly in the early evening hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., when students prepare snacks or cook meals.
• Cooking accounts for 88 percent of all university housing fires and is the leading cause.
• Confined cooking fires, those confined to the container, account for 81 percent of all university housing fires.

Topical Fire Reports are designed to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem as depicted through data collected in NFIRS. Each report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. Also included are recent examples of fire incidents that demonstrate some of the issues addressed in the report or that put the report topic in context.

For information regarding other topical reports or any programs and training available at the USFA, visit www.usfa.fema.gov.

LODD Notices recently

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Britton, SD

William Waldner of the Sunset Fire Department in Britton, SD has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-09-15 00:00:00.0.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Britton, SD

Jacob Waldner of the Sunset Fire Department in Britton, SD has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-09-15 00:00:00.0.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Jonesboro, LA

Christopher Peterson of the Ward Four Fire Protection District in Jonesboro, LA has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-09-03 00:00:00.0.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Cairo, MO

Henry "Jay" Branscum of the R-IV Rural Fire Association in Cairo, MO has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-09-02 00:00:00.0.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Bountiful, UT

Steve Cox of the South Davis Metro Fire Agency in Bountiful, UT has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-08-26 00:00:00.0.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: Jasper, TX

Anthony Quinten Meyers of the Angelina River Volunteer Fire Department in Jasper, TX has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2011-08-28 00:00:00.0.

Economy Boost?

Weather Helps Slow Growth of Boundary Waters Wildfire | KSTP TV ...

Weather Helps Slow Growth of Boundary Waters Wildfire. Calmer winds, cooler temperatures and a few moments of sleet and light snow

Boundary Waters wildfire boosts Ely area economy

ELY, Minn. (AP) — The forest fire that has burned over 147 square miles in northeastern Minnesota has given a not entirely welcome boost to the Ely area economy.

The roughly 600 firefighters fighting the Pagami Creek wildfire in and near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness have meant new business for restaurants and outfitters that have provided meals and canoes for crews heading out to battle remote sections of the fire.

read more

Gota see Video

A traffic accident near Utah State University in Logan, Utah on Tuesday left a 21-year-old

motorcyclist trapped underneath a burning car.

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/September/Utah-Car-Rescue-Video-Goes-Viral-/

Uncle Jay Explains Sep 12, 2011

From: Uncle Jay Explains  Sep 11, 2011 

Has America REALLY changed since that day in 2001? Or has it been more like the word "change"

was tossed around in 2008? And has Obama changed since then? Uncle Jay explains!

 

Another E-Mail pass on

If this doesn't cheer you up, nothing will.....
You know the honeymoon is over when the comedians start. The liberals are asking us to give Obama time.

We agree...and think 25 to life would be appropriate.
--Jay Leno

America needs Obama-care like
Nancy Pelosi needs a Halloween mask.
--Jay Leno

Q: Have you heard about McDonald's'
new Obama Value Meal?

A: Order anything you like
and the guy behind you has to pay for it.
--Conan O'Brien

Q: What does Barack Obama
call lunch with a convicted felon?
A: A fund raiser.
--Jay Leno

Q: What's the difference between
Obama's cabinet and a penitentiary?
A: One is filled with tax evaders, blackmailers,
and threats to society.
The other is for housing prisoners.
--David Letterman

Q: If Nancy Pelosi and Obama were on a boat
in the middle of the ocean and it started to sink,
who would be saved?
A: America !
--Jimmy Fallon

Q: What's the difference between
Obama and his dog, Bo?
A: Bo has papers.
--Jimmy Kimmel

Q: What was the most positive result of
the "Cash for Clunkers" program?
A: It took 95% of the Obama bumper

stickers off the road.
--David Letterman