INDIANAPOLIS — Showing a photo of a “Defund the police” sign, The Colony (Texas) Fire Chief Scott Thompson explained that his forthcoming warning to firefighters wasn’t rooted in politics, but rather, reality. During his Wednesday keynote presentation at FDIC International, Thompson cautioned that the backlash against police we’ve witnessed over the past several years could someday befall the fire service as well, particularly as it is typically the next largest slice of the local government budget pie.
What would cause such a seismic shift? What would cause the public to demand that firefighters act differently? Using the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting as an example, Thompson argued that all it takes is one fire incident in which the public perceives firefighters as protecting themselves over fire victims to unleash this type of scrutiny within a community, if not across the country. This is possible, he argued, “if we don’t shift our mindset” around the culture of safety.
Thompson underscored that outcomes are determined in seconds, not minutes, and that a firefighter-safety mindset is warranted “right up to the point that it takes seconds away from saving people.”
Echoing Chief David Rhodes’ earlier presentation in the General Session, Thompson noted that problems arise when we employ the word “aggressive” in a negative way: “We need to allow firefighters to be aggressive problem-solvers. We must be OK letting firefighters be firefighters.” He urged firefighters to rethink their mission statements so the public understands, “We will come for you,” as it reads on the back of his department’s apparatus.
One way Thompson said he’s witnessed such anti-aggressive rhetoric is when the fire service “weaponized the word ‘cowboy’” to mean anything leaders don’t agree with. Thompson made the case, rather, that firefighters should embrace a cowboy mindset, as this prioritizes the fire department’s core mission and responsibility to the public. Otherwise, he cautioned, “we too may be told how to do our job – it’s foolish to think it couldn’t happen to us.”
Thompson noted that firefighter safety is incredibly important to him. He simply wants to challenge every firefighter to make risk avoidance and risk acceptance personal to them, maximizing their ability to prioritize the mission while keeping their own loved ones in mind. Lastly, he urged every firefighter to understand the assignment: Prepare, protect and save.
