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VolunteerFD.org Member News April 2008 |
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| Volunteer Professionals | |
| 'No Problems Here' | |
| By Jason Zigmont, VolunteerFD Columnist | |
 When I visit departments across the country, it always starts off the same: "We have no problems here," people tell me. I have been to enough departments and have heard this comment enough to know that it is not true. The reality is that we all have problems but we do not necessarily want to share them with others as we "keep our trash at home."
 While I understand that keeping our problems internal is good for public relations, I wonder if it is hurting our departments and the profession overall. It may be that we are not only hiding our problems from the public but from ourselves, and therefore we may not be able to address them until it is too late. This is most evident in departments that are collapsing or have already broken down. Departments do not fall apart just like that, it is a result of ongoing problems that are often overlooked or ignored. This may be a conscious choice or a result of a culture of denial, even to ourselves. It is not a far leap from denying our problems to others to complete denial. The end result is that problems tend to grow or come out through other seemingly unrelated fights, errors, or at worst, people getting hurt. This may sound like stuff you would hear from a personal therapist, but it applies to organizations, too. Organizations are an extension of the lives within the organization and therefore they can be dysfunctional, negatively impacted by the withholding of problems and affected by both internal and external issues. In addition, what can things worse is the fact that the fire service tends to be a "macho" organization full of "alpha dogs" who cannot admit their weaknesses or check their egos at the door.  Full Column |
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Ill. volunteer dies after structure fire [Lewistown, Ill.] Report: Health and safety initiatives can prevent volunteer firefighter deaths [Emmitsburg, Md.] Fire chiefs seek policy change in Pa. township [North Huntingdon, Pa.] Two volunteer firefighters, pilot killed in Colo. wildfires [Ordway, Colo.] Volunteer firefighters help catch thief at Calif. fireground [Arcata, Calif.] Texas county disallows volunteers with criminal records [Parker County, Texas]
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