Where has all the customer service gone?

Customer service is a dying art. Or is it a science? I get the two confused these days. Anyhow… the one thing I’m not confused about is what makes good customer service. Some of the simple phrases… like “please” and “thank you” and “how may I help you” and “please visit us again” are not phraseology commonly heard much these days.

Go to a moderately priced sit-down restaurant these days (like TGI Fridays, or Ruby Tuesdays, or Applebee’s… you know the kind) and place your order and the response you’ll get is “sounds good” or ask for an extra napkin and you’ll get a “no problem.”

I was at a restaurant and there was a piece of machinery in my soup (honestly folks, I can’t make this stuff up). I set it out on a napkin and when I told the waiter about it, he shrugged his shoulders and said “I wonder how that happened” and then he walked away! No “I’m really sorry about that” or “Let me ask the manager to cover over and talk to you about this.” I didn’t even get an offer for a replacement bowl of soup.

Of course I didn’t eat it. And when my bill came, the soup was still on the bill. When I asked the waiter to remove the soup from the bill, he said I’d have to talk to the manager. My reply was “gladly, please ask the manager to pay me a visit.” The manager took the cost of the soup off the bill but wasn’t much better at offering an apology for the hardware discovery.

I shared this story with some friends over dinner recently in Baltimore. My story opened up a litany of stories from everyone around the table about similar experiences. We concluded that customer service has, for the most part, become an extinct art (or science). What hasn’t befell the same fate is the expectation of a 15 or 20% tip.

When you're on the street serving your customer... remember to say please and thank you... even if it is your 10th EMS call in the shift... it is your first time serving that customer.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/

Ego eats the brain

Ego eats the brain. I had heard this saying some years ago from a wise sage in the fire service. He was talking about how some people become consumed with the power that comes with their formal authority. When this happens, they lost touch with reality and start to believe they are the smartest person in the organization and their way of doing this is THE way to do things. It’s sad to see because everyone around the egocentric leader can see what is happening. However, the ego-driven leader, by definition that world revolves around their perceived self-importance, cannot see it.

In the end, the egocentric leader is no longer a leader. Because, by definition, a leader must have followers and those followers must be willing to follow the vision of the leader. This essential quality is eroded with egocentric leaders… and every follower of the egocentric leader lives a miserable existence. They are often reduced to be “yes” people to the boss for fear of reprisal. This gives the boss yet another stroke to that mammoth ego: “I must be right because everyone agrees with me.”

If you were to slip a copy of this blog under the door of your egocentric boss, they'd surely believe it was intended for someone else... because their ego has eaten their brain.

Overcoming obstacles to get training

While attending the Firehouse Expo in Baltimore, I had the occasion to speak to two firefighters who took personal time off from work and paid their own way to the Expo. I asked them why they did that and in both occasions they said their city administrations would not allow them to travel out of state for training so they took vacation time and came at their own expense.

How impressive is that? After I heard their stories I conducted an informal poll of firefighters who I met on the exhibit floor and in my classes. I asked them if their employer would not give them time off or pay for the registration and travel expenses, would they take vacation time and pay for the conference out of their own pockets? In the framing of the question, I assumed that most everyone (sans the two I had already mentioned) attended with their city's approval and on their city's expense.

I was really shocked to learn that many of the firefighters who attended the Expo had taken vacation time off work and paid their own ways because their city administrations would not support their attendance. I asked if this was because of the economy. No... many had paid their own way there for years.

It is shameful that cities will not invest in the future leadership of their departments. I applaud the firefighters who use their own time and spend their own money to become smarter and safer. You have my admiration.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com
www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com

What's the chances?

I've been doing a little research for a class I am teaching at Firehouse Expo in Baltimore this month. The program is titled "Does someone have to die before things will change?" It is focused on the changes that have been made in the commercial airline industry as a result of catastrophic accidents. In preparing this material, I was curious about the odds of dying in a plane crash today. This led to a broader curiosity about the chances of dying other ways. Here's the 4-1-1.

Your chances of:

Dying from heart disease: 1 in 5

Dying in an automobile accident: 1 in 18,585

Dying from a bee sting: 1 in 56,789

Dying from a lightening strike: 1 in 83,930

Dying in a airplane crash: 1 in 8.47 million (flying in one of the 25 safest airlines)

Why are your chances of dying in an airplane crash so low? Because the airline industry has learned from their mistakes and invested a lot of money in design and training to improve airline safety.

Aviation accidents are front page news, even if no one dies. Vehicle accidents, even when someone dies (unless they are someone famous), hardly get a mention... maybe page three of the local section.

As expensive as it is for airlines to design and implement safety programs (and all of us who fly thank them for their investment), they also know the cost of accidents are far greater. The old saying... an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... applies here.

If you are one of those white-knuckle flyers, take respite in knowing that statistically speaking, you should be far more concerned with your daily commute to work than in taking that plane ride to you vacation destination. There... feel better? Now you can be a white-knuckled driver instead of a white-knuckled flyer. Safe travels... whatever your means of transportation.

By the way... your chances of dying (in general) are 1 in 1 (100%). We're all going at some point... so enjoy your time here.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/

It's all about your attitude

I've heard it time and time again. Ten percent of your success is determined by what happens to you and 90% by how you react to what happens to you. True... so true. If you are dealt some bad cards, you can get angry... become depressed... throw up your arms in despair... or you can choose to get energized from the situation... seeing it as a challenge to be overcome.

In everyone's life there is stress. There is good stress and bad stress. The good stress is called eustress... sometimes called positive stress. A stress that can compel change. The bad stress is called distress. Distress is a damaging stress... a form of suffering. Doctors will tell you that stress can kill you. When they say that, they are referring to distress, not eustress.

You are completely in control of your attitude. You may not be in control of the some of the things that happen to you, but you are totally in control of how you react to what happens to you. I'm sure you've been around people who are all fraught with drama. Anytime anything happens... it's a crisis. They bring on their own distress and, in turn, cause distress in others. You have probably also observed others who seem to be unphased by the bad things that happen or, better yet, are compelled to action by the adversities of life.

Everyone is going to have bad things happen. It's how you react to the bad things that is a display of how well you are in control of your attitude. You can moan and complain... or you can see that in all adversity there is a call to action... a call to change. Your choice... complain or embrace change.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/

Fire Department, Inc.

I recently attended the IFSTA validation conference in Oklahoma City. Setting aside it was the absolutely hottest weather I can ever remember enduring (108 degrees), the conference was excellent. Chris Neal and Bob England do an outstanding job.

During a reception on Friday evening I was talking to an associate I have known for several years and someone who I would classify as being among the best and brightest in the fire service. We engaged in a discussion about the current state of the economy and the challenges his department is facing.

It was his opinion that most fire departments are being challenged today because the tight economy is forcing city and county governments to look at their operations using a business model-one that is based on profit and loss. He noted that many fire chiefs are not adequately educated to run a business and thus, they struggle.

Being someone who has worked in both the private sector as a banker (perhaps the epitome of profit and loss) and in the public sector as a fire chief, I can relate well to what he was saying. I can recall many occasions when I was conducting meetings with members of my department and someone would vocalize their frustration with my leadership style... "We're a fire department, not a business!" they would say with such disdain that I would feel as though trying to run the fire department like a business was somehow... dirty. Nonetheless, I tried to be patient and help them realize that we are, indeed, in the public safety business.

This mentality is not confined to fire department members. Several years ago I was reading in a newspaper about a battle raging at a city council meeting. The city was looking to hire a new fire chief. The debate was whether or not the fire chief needed to have a bachelor's degree or not. One of the council members was quoted in the paper as saying "I cannot, for the life of me, understand why our fire chief would have to have a college degree to run our fire department." The department in question had more than 400 career employees and a $20+ million budget. The fire chief in a department of this size isn't the "top firefighter." He's an administrator of a very large business with all the challenges and complexities of running a corporation: Budget, personnel, legal, marketing, quality control... it's all there.

Like it or not, the fire department is a business and the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be. The fire department is not exempt from the fallout of a bad economy. It is going to take savvy business managers to survive these challenging times.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
RBG31oo@aol.com

Another perspective on taking one for the team

I was recently engaged in a healthy dialog with a fellow fire service professional on the issue of fire chiefs who are losing their jobs for standing up for what is right... refusing to make cuts that will impact the safety of the citizens and the safety of the firefighters. My friend inquired: "Where are the firefighters who are willing to put their careers on the line? If the chief is willing to give up his career because he will not violate his oath, what about the firefighters? Are they as willing to walk away from their careers when they know in their hearts they can no longer provide the services they were sworn to provide?

Before you kill the messenger (me), open up your mind and contemplate for a moment what might happen if there was such solidarity among the rank and file. Would it make a difference or would the city simply hire replacement firefighters as they do when they terminate the chief? Impossible you say? Are you old enough to remember when Reagan fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers and hired civilians? It can be done, but not without a cost, for sure.

When the rank and file are on the same page, there is strength. As Lincoln noted: A house divided against itself cannot stand. Of course, Lincoln was talking about slavery, not public safety. But the concept is still applicable.

Ladies and gentlemen, if there were ever, in the history of the fire service, a time to get together and stand united for the common good... that time has come. Set aside your differences... or your house may fall.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/

Righteous fire chief throws self on sword

Fire Chief Donald Barnes of the Shaker Heights (Ohio) Fire Department took a stand against more cuts to the fire department and it cost him his career. He is not the first chief to stand up for what he believed in and it cost him his career. I personally know several who have and I hold them in hero status. Nonetheless, it is a shame that fire chiefs have to throw themselves on the sword for the sake of trying to protect the lives and property of their citizens.

As fire chiefs, we take an oath to protect our citizens and that includes never doing anything that would jeopardize their safety. When a fire chief feels they are violating their oath, then they have to take a firm line.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of fire chiefs who would rather roll over and do whatever the administration wants done for the sake of saving their jobs. While that is shameful, it is also the stark reality that some leaders are more selfish than righteous.

I have always taken the stand that I would do what is right without regard to what the consequences are. It has cost me dearly on several occasions but at least I am able to wake up in the morning and look myself in the mirror and know that I did the right thing when I stood up to my boss.

There have been, along the way, a few times when I did acquiesce to the boss and did what I was told to do, even when I knew the outcome held great potential to harm public safety and firefighter safety. When that happened, I found myself wallowing in guilt and praying every one of many sleepless nights that no one would be harmed from the decisions I had been forced into making. It was a miserable existence.

I applaud Chief Barnes and I am confident he will land on his feet. As for the administration in Shaker Heights, I am hopeful that your residents will revolt against you for what you have caused to occur. You are one step closer to balancing your budget by saving $140,000 of pay and benefits from your fire chief. Congratulations. Your budget shortfall is nearly solved. Don’t worry at all about the consequences of public safety or fire department morale you have destroyed.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/

Do more with less...

"Do more with less." We're hearing that cliche a lot these days, especially in emergency services as elected officials have found ways to justify cutting core services - like fire protection - and making the claim that such cuts will not have an impact on public safety.

Take, for example, the recent story on CNN about cuts in firefighters and the impact it had in Flint, Michigan and Alameda, California.

LINK:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2009/07/06/meserve.budget.firefighters.cnn

Firefighting is dangerous and labor intensive work. Almost everything done on an emergency scene requires a team of four or five firefighters. Cutting down the size of the team has an impact. Elected officials can live in their denial if they wish, but it will show in the performance and in the consequences.

This is easy to see if you apply an example that is less emotional. In this case, a professional baseball team. The dialog goes something like this:

Owners: "Sorry guys, it's tough economic times. We're going to have to layoff some players and you're going to have to play the game with less players... 8 instead of 9."

Players: "Does the other team still get to have nine?"

Owners: "Yes, we're afraid so."

Players: "How are we supposed to win the game if we're outnumbered liked that?"

Owners: "You'll have to learn to do more with less."

This mentality assumes there are expendable positions on the team. Hmmm... who shall we cut.

The catcher? No... too important.
The pitcher? No... too important.
The first baseman? No... too important.
The center fielder? Yes! We'll cut the center fielder.

There won't be an impact. We'll just tell the left fielder and right fielder to run a little faster toward center field when the ball is hit there. We'll win as many games.

You know... and I know... this team is being set up for failure by myopic and dilusionary owners.

The problem is, baseball is just a game and no one is going to get hurt or killed if a team plays bad because they have less players. But firefighting isn't a game and there are real and lasting consequences when emergency services budgets are cut and firefighters are told to find a way to "Do more with less."

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
http://www.richgasaway.com/
http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/

Who moved my cheese?

If there was one book that I think contains on-point advice for what the fire service is going through right now it would be Spencer Johnson's New York Times Bestseller "Who moved my cheese?"

Who Moved My Cheese? has four characters. Two of them are mice named Snuff and Scurry and two are little people named Hem and Haw. The characters live in a maze that is the proverbial rendition of our life's environment... twists... turns... corners... unexpected things... you get the idea.

The characters are looking for cheese, which in this book represents one's happiness and success. Paired up, the mice and the little people set off on a trek through the maze in search of happiness and success (cheese). The mice and the little people come upon a cheese-rich cache at Cheese Station C.

The little people are content living off the success and happiness they are extracting from Cheese Station C and they develop a life around living off that cheese.

As it would happen, one day Sniff and Scurry arrive at Cheese Station C and find all the cheese is gone. They had been observing the cheese supply dwindling for some time so they're not terribly surprised by this finding. They were mentally prepared to set off on a new journey to find more cheese.

Later that same day, Hem and Haw also arrive at Cheese Station C and found the same thing... all the cheese was gone. They were angry and frustrated by this finding. Hem demanded to know "Who moved my cheese?" They were not prepared for this to happen. They fully expected their cheese would always be there for them. They throw a tantrum and go home hungry.

The next day Hem and Haw return to find the same thing... no cheese. Haw realizes the gravity of the situation and recommends embarking on a search to find some new cheese. Hem, still feeling victimized by the whole situation, voices his opposition to Haw's suggestion. Meanwhile, the mice searched and found a new cheese supply (at Cheese Station N).

And back at the cheeseless station (Cheese Station C) the little people are blaming each other for the lack of cheese and the situation they have found themselves in. Again, Haw proposes embarking in a search for new cheese. However, Hem is so comforted in his old routines and also afraid of the unknown that he continues to rebuke Haw's idea of moving on.

After days of living in denial the little people were still cheeseless. Eventually, Haw realizes he is gripped with fear and begins to laugh at himself. At that point, Haw realizes he needs to move on. As he enters the maze he chisels a note on the wall of Cheese Station C for Hem:

If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct.

Haw is still fearful though of the new journey and he continues to write:

What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?

He ponders the question... then he sets off on his journey. Along the way, Haw finds a few scraps of cheese here and there that provides enough nourishment to allow him to continue his search. Haw's denial slowly wanes and he realizes the cheese didn't disappear suddenly. Rather, the supply diminished from being eaten.

Haw came across another empty cheese station and be began to worry again about his unknown future. But he had a new mindset now and he set his fears aside, realizing:

When you move beyond your fear, you feel free.

Haw decided to go back and visit Hem with the few bits of new cheese he has managed to find.
Stubborn and set in his way, Hem refuses to eat the new cheese.

Haw is disappointed at his friend's behavior, and decides to head back into the maze - searching farther and farther for new cheese (and having only limited success along the way).

Along the way, Haw leaves a trail of messages in the wall of the maze, hoping Hem will eventually embark on a search for new cheese and come along and read these messages.

Eventually after an extensive search, Haw finds Cheese Station N which contains an abundant supply of cheese. After eating, Haw reflects on his experience and writes these incredibly valuable lessons on happiness and success:

Change Happens

They Keep Moving The Cheese

Anticipate Change

Get Ready For The Cheese To Move

Monitor Change

Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old

Adapt To Change Quickly

The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese


Change

Move With The Cheese


Enjoy Change!

Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!


Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again & Again

They Keep Moving The Cheese.


Now Haw inspects Cheese Station N every day and makes a habit of exploring different parts of the maze to prevent any complacency from setting in.

In this economy... the cheese is definitely being moved for a lot of people. Embrace these lessons from Spencer Johnson's great book. It may help you get through the turbulence that occurs when someone moves your cheese.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
website: http://www.richgasaway.com/
Another Blog: http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
E-mail: RBG3100@aol.com

Get Involved... Make a Difference

For the past eight years I have had the honor of serving as a peer evaluator for candidates seeking accreditation (Chief Fire Officer) through the Commission on Public Safety Excellence. Among the requirements to be accredited is the candidates must make professional contributions. Most often, these contributions are in the form of serving in local, regional, state and national committees or candidates serving as instructors at regional, state and national conferences.

Once a person reaches the top level of their career ladder it would be easy to sit back, relax a little and relish your accomplishments. In fact, many, many chiefs do just that. They have lots of reasons for not getting involved and making a difference on the broader scale. If you try hard enough you can think up a good excuse to avoid doing anything you want. Equally, if you try hard enough you can find the time to give more than what your employer requires. Once you climb to the top of your career ladder, get involved... make a difference. It feels good and it's the right thing to do. My hat's off to the CFO candidates for giving back and making a difference.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
website: http://www.richgasaway.com/
Another Blog: http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
E-mail: RBG3100@aol.com

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

You remember that famous line from the Wizard of Oz. The mere thought of the existence of these scary creatures was enough to mortify the characters of the movie. The problem is, the were so fearful of unknown that they worked themselves into a frenzy over it. This is what happens sometimes when leaders are asked to look at doing business in a new or different way... to go down a new road... a proverbial "yellow brick road." There's lots of danger and suspense. Bad things can be waiting around every corner. Indeed, that could be the case.

But great new opportunities could be waiting around the corner as well and if the leader is not willing to venture down the road, they'll never know what could await them. Go on... live life a little. Take some risk and try new things. Conservative leaders may survive, but they surely will not thrive!

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
website: http://www.richgasaway.com/
Another Blog: http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
E-mail: RBG3100@aol.com

A Few Good Men

I just got done watching A Few Good Men, one of my favorite movies. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is where Tom Cruise is prodding Jack Nicholson to admit he ordered a "Code Red." Cruise asks Nicholson for the truth and Nicholson responds with "You can't handle the truth!"

I can't tell you now many times throughout my 22 years as a fire chief I wanted to tell the elected officials and my bosses "You can't handle the truth" as they were contemplating budget cuts that would impact public safety. Most of the time, they didn't even ask the hard questions about impacts because... they couldn't handle the truth... and they knew it. Or, my boss would order me to make the council report devoid of the stark realities of the impacts... because the boss could not handle the truth.

As I read the headlines on fire service websites, I am saddened to see the fire service sustaining so many cuts, while other things move ahead full steam - like the one I recently read where they were cutting firefighter positions, but building a new baseball stadium. Good God!

It's easy for electeds to feel all warm and fuzzy when talking about building a new baseball stadium and it's damn uncomfortable to talk frankly about the stark reality that if you cut staffing, service levels suffer and the duties performed by the firefighters becomes more dangerous. There's not way to avoid it. That's the truth. But, as we sadly know, they can't handle the truth.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
website: http://www.richgasaway.com/
Another Blog: http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
E-mail: RBG3100@aol.com

Hyper Vigilent... it can save your life.

2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week is June 14-20. The purpose of this week long event is to get fire and EMS personnel thinking... and talking... about safety. Don't take your safety for granted. More than 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year. I bet not one of them thought it would happen to them, but it did. Today's buzz phrase... is hyper vigilent. To be hyper vigilent is to be extra perceptive of your surroundings and pay attention to the things that you might otherwise take for granted and overlook. When you go a long time without having an accident or a near-miss event you can became overly confident and complacent. Don't let that happen... become hyper vigilent.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
website: http://www.richgasaway.com/
Another Blog: http://www.woppyjawed.blogspot.com/
E-mail: RBG3100@aol.com

The importance of scientific research

At the National Fire Protection Association Conference, I attended a presentation about a study that is being funded by the FIRE Act grant program and is focused on firefighter staffing levels. The preliminary findings were presented and, for the fire service people in the room, the results were a blinding flash of the obvious. A firefighting crew of three can accomplish more than a crew of two; a crew of four can accomplish more than a crew of three; and, you guessed it - a crew of five can accomplish more than a crew of four. Now why (you might be thinking) would we use FIRE Act grant money to fund research that tells us what we already know?

Studies like these are absolutely essential research. They're not designed to convince firefighters and fire chiefs that staffing levels impact quality of service. These studies are designed to prove to elected officials, who for the most part, do not understand or appreciate how important it is to get tasks accomplished quickly and safely at emergency scenes. Studies like these provide the evidence to back up the statements made by fire service leaders... so it's FACT and not OPINION.

Hat's off to the researchers and the sponsoring agencies, which includes the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Firefighters, National Institute of Standards & Technology, National Fire Protection Association, the United States Fire Administration and more.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com

Five Ways to Climb the Ladder of Success

I am often asked by aspiring leaders how to ascend the ladder of success. I'm not sure that I have all the answers when it comes to this topic, but I can tell you some things I have done, and observed others doing, that helps.

1. Formal education: Oftentimes education is not a requirement for advancement, but it sure helps open doors of opportunity.

2. Life-long learning: Once you take your basic training or get a degree, don't stop there. Learning should be something you do for life.

3. Help others achieve their goals: One of the quickest and surest ways to achieve success is to help others succeed. You learn in the process and helping others feels good.

4. Networking: There's no doubt about it... success is partially based on what you know, and partially based on who you know. You never know how someone you meet today may help you achieve success years down the line. Don't discount building and maintaining relationship.

5. Share your expertise: Become a teacher and mentor to others. As you teach, you learn. As you mentor, you learn. As you learn, you have more success. It's synergistic.

Best of success in your climb up the ladder. Let me know how I can help you.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasway.com

Pay it forward

Have you spent the last 20+ years climbing the career ladder and now find yourself at the top? Excellent, congratulations! It takes a lot of hard work and determination to rise to the top of an organization... a position only held by one person... you. You've spend years and years acquiring knowledge expertise. Now what?

I say... give it all away. You owe it to the next generation to give away your knowledge and to share your expertise. Think about how much easier your climb would have been if you had mentors and coaches helping you along the way. People who gave away their knowledge to help you learn the lessons that would have otherwise presented you with challenges. Maybe you had people like that in your life along the way. If you did, you've been very fortunate. Now might be a good time to reach out to them and say "thank you."

The lessons you've learned along the way make you unique. You've got scars from your mistakes and if given the chance to script it all over again, chances are good you'd change a chapter or two. So give it away. Start teaching... start writing... start coaching... start sharing. It feels good and it's the right thing to do. You owe it to our profession and to the young people will represent our future.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com

Get outside the firehouse mindset

When it comes to doing things in new and innovative ways, no one is more creative than firefighters. However, there is a lot we can learn from other industries as well. Take for example the airline industry. They have found a way to achieve incredible safety performance... or Motorola, who has achieved phenomenal accuracy in the production of their electronic components.

Their success did not come by accident. Quite the opposite is true. To achieve excellence requires a commitment to be excellent at every level of the organization. If you want to achieve exceptional results, look to those who have accomplished it. There are plenty of articles and books that tell the story about how great companies excel.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a good book that tells the story of a successful corporate leader(or as a friend of mine does... go to Barnes and Noble and read it in the store while you sip a latte). Either way, I encourage you to get outside the firehouse mindset and learn from others outside our profession.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com

The "new economy"

This "new economy" is going to create some wonderful opportunities for the fire service. Let me explain. There's an old saying that goes something like this "You don't worry about where your next meal will come from when your belly is full." In other words, it's the hunger that drives our instinct to "hunt" for food. Budget cuts will mean there will be less food (money), forcing us to go on a hunt for new and creative ways to survive.

This can be a good thing because it will force fire administrators to look at solutions that before were not attractive. Again, back to my example, if you're not hungry, ants may not look like a tasty treat. But if you are starving, you may eat it (and might even enjoy them... I hear they're quite good when covered in chocolate). But if you are never forced to consider ants as a meal choice, you're far less likely to even consider them an option.

A fire department who has been able to survive on the budget plan that next year's budget will be equal to this year's budget plus 3% is in for a rude awakening. The new economy is going to force them to go on the hunt for new ways of doing business. What do I mean? Here's an example.

Let's say there's a fire alarm activation in a high school during school hours. Logic (and experience). Using my high school as an example (enrollment of about 2,500). There are no less than 1,000 cell phones in that school (my kids contribute 3 of them). If there is an actual fire in the school, the 9-1-1 phones are going to light up like a Christmas tree. So why is it that some fire departments send 3 engines, 2 ladders, 2 chiefs, a boat and a helicopter (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration... maybe they don't send the boat) to a fire alarm activation at a fully occupied high school. Send one company. If you get additional calls, upgrade. Controversial? Perhaps. But this type of response is, in my opinion, excessive and expensive. Helps to keep the numbers up and justify the staffing levels, for sure. But those staffing levels are going to change in this new economy and departments are going to be forced to hunt for new ways to do business.

Regionalization of services, consolidations, mergers, cooperative ventures... all on the table. Some years ago (age won't allow me to remember the year) we were going through some tough economic times and I wrote an article where I noted the tough economy will force departments to do things in new ways. Unfortunately, the economy turned around quickly and everyone was able to recover before they changed or starved and it was back to business as usual.

I am far less optimistic that this economy will turn around as quickly and we are all going to be forced to go on the hunt for new and innovative ways to survive... and thrive.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com

This commentary was also posted on the Fire Service Chief Officer's Group on LinkedIn. My thanks to the visionary leadership of Fire Chief George Esbensen (Eden Prairie, Minnesota) for starting this group. I encourage you to join in the discussion here and there. Sharing thoughts and ideas makes all of us smarter.

Much to be thankful for

As we all know, the type of work we do does not take a holiday during the holidays. In fact, many fire and EMS services are often busier because of the stress and anxiety people have in their lives. In our profession we see the best and the worst of humanity and the Christmas holidays often put us in a position to see some pretty bad things.

Please take time to reflect on how good your life is and how fortunate you are to have been called this this vocation. No everyone can do what you do. That is why firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, police officers and all who provide public safety are so revered. Under the worst conditions, when everyone else would turn away, you rush in to help. It's your nature... its your duty... it's your calling.

During this holiday season, pause, give thanks to God for all your blessings, and thank those around you for standing by you in the good times and the bad times. Your support system (family and friends) is so incredibly important. Don't forget to let them know that. Merry Christmas to you all... and to all a good and fire safe night.

Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, EFO, CFO
www.RichGasaway.com