作者：John Tippett.
有一个时间消防队员是一个简单，简单的工作，被社区中的每个人都普遍钦佩。消防局是社区中的注意力符号。在美国小镇美国，消防局（或大厅）是社区生命和存在的焦点，部门的成员是社区的支柱。在中大城市，消防站锚定街区。邻里消防站是一个你可以放弃并与一些世俗但友好的人交谈的地方，并以某种意义地走开，当你晚上睡觉时，有些人可以依靠。
在很大程度上，概念的概念消防部门仍然是一样的。在很大程度上，我们许多人都知道消防员（如果我们在20世纪70年代或更早版本中进入消防服务）就发生了根本性的变化。事实上，在短短的10年跨度，2001 - 2009年，消防服务经历了令人毛骨悚然的令人毛骨悚然的令人遗憾的是，在公众身体上令人沮丧的令人沮丧。传说中的地位如同悲剧获得的，通过悲剧获得了悲剧的变化侵蚀了几个因素。这些因素包括社区期望，我们可以称之为“使命”;我们自己的表现，我们可以称之为“动机”;并在进入我们的消防部门的人的类型中转移，我们可以称之为“我”。
For all of us navigating in today’s消防，有两项公理我们需要记住：（1）不断变化，不断调整改变是我们的生存，（2）社区，表现和人民的三个因素。我们越来越努力地抓住我们昨天的一切，我们落后的未来越远。我们从未来落下的越来越远，我们就越不可能让我们仍然有动力履行使命。未能适应的结果或“站立”，或者“常设”，包括公众信任的进一步侵蚀，通过内部冲突和世代的策划来解体我们自己的团队。
我们为服务提供了很高的期望。这些期望是我们通过世代和公众对政府服务的一般性向公众播放的信息的组合。即使部门都是volunteerand has minimal government support, the fire department is considered an instrument of government and, therefore, is expected to provide timely and competent service. As communities grow and expand, service expectations are raised. For communities shrinking and experiencing fiscal distress, the fire department is still expected to provide the same level of service it did when it was fully funded. We would do well to keep our senses closely focused on the public’s expectations and tolerance for us.
Changes in the operating environment are not limited to community perception. The way we handle incidents (and the expectation of how we will handle incidents) today is a far cry from what it was 25 to 30 years ago. “Traditional” firefighting was often a visceral, emotionally charged, reactive operation. The more riled up the teams could be whipped, the more aggressive and fearless they would perform. Emerging science on human performance and fire dynamics is telling us that a more calculated assessment and controlled approach result in a more effective fire attack in every aspect from incident management to property conservation and personnel safety. Even the public has begun to weigh in more regularly with a lower tolerance for firefighter伤害and fatalities.
在“惊人的恩典”的最后一条垒之后，没有长时间播放，这些部门发现自己在激烈的审查下，因为他们在消防员的损失中的角色。越来越多部门在确定“历史悠久的”策略适用于现代的火场情况时，在悲剧之后发现自己在火灾之后发现自己。留出了这些争议的争议，不仅使部门造成爆发，而且还可以保护它（和成员）免受公众信任和信仰的丧失。
构成我们组织的成员是建立成功的第三个，同样批评，成功组织. The current leadership cadre is largely made up of Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers replaced the Greatest Generation and are soon to be replaced by Generation X. Generations Y and Z are entering the service at an increasing pace, continuing the unstoppable march of time. Each generation has its own perceptions of itself, those who came before, and those who will follow. Those perceptions can generate their own share of stormy weather if organizations are not prepared, or willing, to share knowledge and be flexible or resilient.
成功并蓬勃发展消防队员in today’s world is a far more complicated endeavor than in times past. Every member, from thechief新成员,needs to be aware of the magnitude of constant change required and the special set of skills needed to remain relevant. If we hang our helmets on too much tradition, we will go the way of the horse-drawn steamer, aluminum helmet, and three-quarter boots. Remembering that our primary purpose is to help others, not to fulfill ourselves, will keep us focused on the highest tradition of the service. The best way to fulfill our mission is to incorporate the finest of what we know with new skills, to exercise the agility to accurately forecast the next challenge and be prepared to handle it, and to maintain an astute understanding that what we knew and relied on as our foundation yesterday may be the quicksand of today and the tar pit of tomorrow. In other words, if we fail to change, we can’t be successful.
BIO
约翰蒂普特is deputy chief of operations for the Charleston (SC) Fire Department. He has more than 35 years of firefighting and leadership experience. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science and is pursuing a master’s degree in emergency services management. He was the 2006 ISFSI Instructor of the Year.
