Community trust is a firefighter's greatest asset

Firefighters are society’s first line of defense against natural disasters. When catastrophes like wildfires, floods or earthquakes ensue, these professionals aren’t just tasked with preventing the disaster from spreading; they’re also responsible for keeping community members safe from harm and maintaining order under high-stress situations.

As climate change wreaks havoc on the planet, both the impact and frequency of severe weather events are growing by the day. Firefighters are leaders in their communities charged with setting expectations during emergency situations, but this takes significant relationship-building and cultivating the trust of residents.

The burden on firefighters will only increase as climate change persists. That means they need ample resources and training to ensure they’re fully equipped to keep their communities safe when disasters unfold. Let’s explore how firefighters can use risk management strategies to stay prepared and build trust with the folks they’re responsible for protecting.

Why does trust matter?
While firefighters are the ones doing the grunt work during natural disasters, the community at large has an important role to play, too. Preventing a fire from spreading or conducting a risky search and rescue is already difficult enough without facing pushback from community members.

Nobody wants to evacuate their home before a storm, or be told that it’s unsafe for firefighters to enter a burning building because the flames have left it structurally unsound. But disaster response is a coordinated effort, which means it requires buy-in from everyone who might be affected. In my tenure as a firefighter, for example, I encountered homeowners who were unhappy to see firefighters cutting holes in their roof while a fire raged below. And I never blamed them—who wants to see even more damage done to their home during a fire?

This is why it’s imperative for fire services professionals to be accessible members of the community. We attend public events and meetings as a way of both educating folks on the ins and outs of disaster response and making ourselves available to answer pressing questions. It’s a simple way to foster relationships with the people we serve, set expectations, and let them know that everything we do during a disaster is, ultimately, in their best interest.

Preparing the community for every scenario
As a former firefighter, I can confidently say that becoming better risk managers is crucial for navigating changing environmental conditions. Evaluating the potential impact of storms is the best place to start. As a department, begin by identifying the risks specific to your region. For coastal communities like mine, this looked like educating locals and our internal team on the risks of tropical storms and hurricanes.

It’s an uncomfortable conversation to have, but we need to confront the realities of what happens when there’s no relief. When emergency preparedness groups and our personal circles are aware of what the worst-case scenario looks like, they’re more likely to get on board with the processes that ensure prevention. It’s not easy to tell your spouse, for example, that she might have to pack up and evacuate your home one day so that you can do your job effectively, but the emotional aspects of risk management cannot be ignored.

Being honest about the harshest realities of navigating a natural disaster is key to building trust within your community. Locals want to know that their fire department is prepared for anything that might threaten their safety, so don’t sugarcoat for the sake of avoiding unpleasantness.

The power of risk management
Risk management can be defined as a series of coordinated activities to direct and control an organization/its community during a potential risk. As natural disasters become at once more common and more severe, risk management becomes an even greater necessity for emergency preparedness.

Key activities of risk management include:

Risk management should first and foremost be approached as a partnership. After a disaster ensues, re-entry teams, for example, might be made up of firefighters and law enforcement professionals. But it’s the utility companies in public works who are responsible for clearing the road when a power line is down or when a gas line must be shut off.

This requires a significant amount of training that aligns with departmental and community needs. Firefighters can lay the groundwork for a coordinated response via community engagement and education, but it must be supplemented by ample training. When they have access to resources that train them on real-world scenarios, firefighters are better equipped to lead their communities and counterparts through emergency situations.

Risk management requires community members and emergency responders to work together as a cohesive group, no matter what emergency they’re forced to face. As natural disasters increase in frequency and severity as a result of climate change, firefighters must develop an obsession with building trust in their communities in order to keep people safe.

Robbi King currently serves as director, PS Solutions Engineers at Vector Solutions, the leading provider of compliance-based software solutions that help customers drive improvements in compliance, safety, performance, and preparedness. He is a veteran firefighter of 27 years and former Chief Officer. King’s hands-on experience with training and the fire service makes him passionate about firefighter preparedness at all levels. His email address is [email protected].