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One piece of data that jumped out at me from the recent What Firefighters Want survey related to factors that affect firefighter retention. The top issue affecting retention, according to the 1,300 survey respondents, was poor leadership, with 49% reporting high or very high impact. This is not surprising, as it echoes the adage that people don’t quit bad jobs, they quit bad bosses and managers. Rounding out the top three negative retention impacts were staffing challenges at 43% and compensation at 35%.
The factor identified as having the least impact on retention was fireground dangers, with 75% reporting no or low impact. This also was not really a surprise, as responding to fires is what being a firefighter is all about, and most firefighters wish they could do more of it.
It was actually the second-lowest factor that interested me. Approximately 10% of respondents indicated that paperwork or writing reports negatively impacted their desire to stay on the job. While survey respondents said paperwork was not a factor in their attitude about the job, when I talk to firefighters who promote into supervisory ranks, I get a different story. All of them express some frustration with the amount of paperwork associated with moving up the promotional ladder. Some say that the paperwork/administrative side of the position is enough to make them want to step back to a previous rank. In some cases, it has contributed to people choosing to leave the job altogether.
So what accounts for the disconnect? Here is one theory: Young people who are considering becoming firefighters don’t envision paperwork as being part of it, and rightly so; that’s not the essential mission of being an emergency responder. Once they’re on the job, they are completely consumed with challenges related to learning technical skills, improving strength and fitness, and adjusting to station life and fire service culture. As a young firefighter, it is easy to be unaware of the role that paperwork and record keeping play in doing the job.
However, paperwork is not incidental either, especially as one moves up in an organization. Keeping accurate records and writing good reports are important elements of effective emergency response and organizational accountability.
More than one good firefighter has had a rude awakening upon becoming an officer when it comes to the paperwork involved. Emergency reports, inventories, incident reports and performance evaluations are all essential responsibilities of the position. Those administrative tasks just increase the higher up you move.
Firefighters should not be blindsided by these duties. On the contrary, they should be well prepared. Maybe report-writing isn’t the highest priority for someone’s first six months on the job, but it should certainly be introduced in the first couple years. Young firefighters can learn to write well, whether it is a station inventory or a requisition for a new piece of equipment. Writing well is a skill that many people do not come by naturally, but it can be learned.
Fire departments make a big mistake if they allow firefighters to avoid writing tasks but then expect them to display mastery of these skills upon promotion. New officers may feel disappointed or overwhelmed to recognize the administrative expectations associated with the new position. Lack of attention to these skills can lead to errors and potential liability. Discomfort with these responsibilities can result in poor performance and even attrition.
So, how can fire departments better prepare their members? The formula is the same as for all other relevant skills: training and experience. Writing is a skill that can be learned and improved and there are focused training options for those who work in the emergency services. Likewise, newer firefighters can be given responsibility for some writing tasks. Inclusion on committees such as Health and Safety or Grant Writing will give members the opportunity to do research, write coherently and make presentations with a specific goal in mind. And everyone should know how to write a run report long before they test for promotion.
Training and experience with writing should go beyond just how to do it; that preparation must also include conveying why it is important. Include discussion of what can happen when incidents are improperly documented. Present examples of successful grant proposals.
When writing is treated as an important job responsibility, it will not be considered as different from any other skill that is necessary for maintaining competence and effectiveness on the job. Communicating the importance of good writing and providing the training and support to enable it is a winning proposition for all.
