The Fire Service and Work/Life Balance
The title begs the question “Is it really possible to have a work/life balance as a volunteer firefighter”? In fact, many readers will likely chuckle at the mere prospect of achieving a work/life balance when considering the many roles and hats worn by the typical “Vollie”. There are several factors to consider in order to achieve a balance between the volunteer fire service and a personal life. Make no mistake though achieving a work/life balance in the fire service is no easy task.
There are two major reasons for this. The fact that being a firefighter is a rigorous, time-consuming profession relative to training and being on the fireground. Also, in the past few decades there are more and more personal demands than ever but still only 24 hours in a day.
Understand that the term “balance” is relative for each firefighter. For some balance is literally 50/50 while others it’s a 90/10. This is all dependent on the life circumstances of a particular firefighter. The term imbalance as used here is simply defined as a circumstance that changes a firefighter’s current participation in the fire service for the foreseeable future and does not necessarily imply something negative. An imbalance could either be from the fire service side such as a change in department policy and/or new leadership or the personal life side such as having children or a divorce. Regardless, it is important to have the ability to identify what is or could potentially cause an imbalance.
The last significant factor would be to come to terms with the fact that there are ebbs and flows to finding a happy medium and that there isn’t a specific time frame that those ebbs and flows will take place. Some firefighters are more active during the summer than winter or on weeknights as opposed to Sundays. Still, those waves may take years to develop; the vast majority of firefighter careers and volunteer service see significant participation in the younger years but as those same firefighters age and take on relationships and family the personal side takes more of a precedence but then shifts back (albeit a potentially different role) later on in life, when as an example, excursions to various little league sporting events begins to wind down.
The difficult part is how to quantify an imbalance. It’s one thing to “feel” that something is off; realistically it is a bad sign when a firefighter (even a Chief) thinks the department will fall apart without them. That said, is there some tangible metric to show an imbalance? In fact, there is. Every department has minimums for attending calls, drills and meetings. Every firefighter should be keeping tabs on their participation in these categories and if the numbers show a drop off then there is a good chance there is a potential imbalance that requires attention.
It is important to note here that when analyzing participation numbers that while it is important to know company totals firefighters really should try to focus more on comparisons to themselves. For example, ask yourself “How many calls had I attended at this time last year”? Focusing on a required minimum percentage of company totals only puts undo self-induced pressure on firefighters which in the end will only result in lower participation.
Ok so once an imbalance is identified, how can a firefighter resolve that issue relative to their participation in the fire house. The first thing is to understand how the system works in your respective department. If, as a firefighter or in life are starting to feel overwhelmed and the result is not being able to get to the necessary number of calls then consult an officer/Chief about what the options are and how the department can assist.
Considering the recruitment and retention issue in the fire service across the country it is imperative that Chiefs know these options to properly advise firefighters to keep them in the game. One relatively common solution is to change your status from active to social membership or apply for a leave of absence. This typically results in calls during a specific time frame to not be counted in the total call volume for that firefighter. This will allow a firefighter to resolve whatever imbalance is present (personal/professional/fire service) and not get “dinged” for calls not attended.
Department assistance can range from employee assistance programs for mental health issues through simply helping a firefighter around the house with a couple of projects so they can get back to responding to calls and going to meetings.
It has been said that the only firefighters that worry about their participation numbers are those that aren’t getting to any calls. This is typically said in a negative connotation as if to say “get off your butt and get to some calls”. Whereas that has some validity consider another angle. What if you overheard another firefighter concerned about call or meeting attendance? Instead of being critical wouldn’t it be better to ask yourself “What can I do to help another firefighter get back on the apparatus?” Firefighters help each other; not just criticize. That’s what we do on and off the fireground so get off your butt and see how you can help another firefighter get back that work/life balance and responding to calls.
The other aspect of knowing how the system works is understanding Length of Service Awards Program or LOSAP. Because LOSAP is comprehensive it is a discussion for another day but in a nutshell (Using New York State as an example):
1) Firefighters must accumulate 50 points annually
2) The categories are Drills, Calls and Meetings (there are some miscellaneous activities that can be
included for points such as fire classes, writing fire service articles etc..)
3) In most cases the call volume for each firefighter is 10%
4) Points are not prorated – it’s all or nothing so 9% of calls gives you no points at all
5) Each category point value is capped (going to more meetings and drills in lieu of calls will not
result in more points for a given category)
Knowing the parameters is essential to achieving a work/life balance in the fire service. Once a firefighter knows what the options are a balance is achievable. When your life as a firefighter and as an individual conflict just remember to take a step back, take a deep breath and prioritize what is important at that moment, talk to your Chief, talk to other firefighters and design a solution.
To reiterate, it is ESSENTIAL for firefighters (Chiefs and Officers especially) to not only be able to recognize when a colleague may be in trouble but also know and apply the solutions your department offers. Lastly, in spite of the recruitment and retention issues always remember that the firehouse is not going to fall apart without you. In the long run firefighters attend more calls and meetings when a work/life balance is in place so there is no shame if you have to take a step back for a time.
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