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Fire leaders bring order to chaos, improve our people’s lives, and strengthen our organizations. (Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 6)
What does the statement "improve our people's lives" mean?
Organizations say their #1 priority is their people, but do their actions match their words. When the fire call comes, does anything else matter? Fire or be fired seems to be a too often heard demand from fire managers, especially with temporary employees.
The wildland fire service is facing a recruitment and retention problem. Members of the fire service bounce from federal agency to federal agency and many times out of federal service altogether. This tells me we are not doing something right—we are not caring for our people properly.
Reasons we face these issues are as varied as the reasons that motivate individuals. Some include, hazard pay, night differential, Sunday premium, overtime, job classification, ability to work in nature, seasonal employment for college students, adrenaline rush, camaraderie, family history, stability of government employment (career-seasonal/PFTs), and the escape from day-to-day chaos.
I saved "escape from day-to-day chaos" for last because I want to talk about the other side of the coin—work-life balance. This blog was inspired by Haley Britzky's Task and Purpose article "The Army Chief of Staff wants you to have work-life balance. Seriously." Britzky shares Army Chief of Staff General James McConville sliding work-life balance scale he developed when he was a Major. His people were his priority. Due to copyright laws, I won't reproduce his work; but I do encourage you to read about it for yourself. In a nutshell, McConville developed a sliding scale for work and daily events from routine to vital. Even during vital work moments, certain life events took precedence. If a general can provide for life events, so can wildland fire leaders.
Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge - Digging a Little Deeper
- Take a moment to read Britzky's story and reflect upon how you can create a similar sliding scale for your team. We know it can be done. The pandemic showed us that crews could run with fewer numbers to ensure the health of individuals, their families, and their teams. Just because it has always been done this way, doesn't mean it has to be.
- Send us your sliding scales for work-life balance in the wildland fire service.
- Lead by example and make your people your priority.
Pam McDonald is a writer/editor for BLM Wildland Fire Training and Workforce Development and member of the NWCG Leadership Committee. The expressions are those of the author.
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