During a recent large wildfire incident, the affected community’s social media page was filled with daily posts regarding the status of the fire, collection of donations, evacuation status, road conditions and weather forecasts. It also included frequent and heartfelt postings of gratitude to the firefighters who were battling the blaze.
Then there was another post a week into the incident: A firefighter’s gear had been stolen off their truck when they were parked at a local restaurant.
The comments came fast and furious. How terrible that someone would do that to the heroic firefighters! Who was it? A homeless person, a drug abuser, a wayward kid? There were many theories, but the main reaction was outrage among community members and generalized blame. Who would do such a thing?
Turns out, no one did. Two days later it was revealed that the firefighter’s gear had been swiped by another firefighter as a prank and later returned.
This incident faded in the overwhelming shadow of the fire’s severity and the dangerous conditions that the firefighters were up against. Several people commented after the fact that they were glad the firefighters could have some fun, given the difficult circumstances.
Follow the rules
All of this brings up questions about managing jokes and pranks on the job. What are the “rules” of firehouse or crew pranks? How can we ensure that we don’t cross the line into unprofessional or even dangerous actions?
There is a long tradition of jokes and pranks in the fire service, and they can serve a purpose when it comes to crew bonding and stress relief on the job. However, there are times when such acts are not appropriate, and firefighters sometimes get themselves and others in trouble when they forget about those parameters.
Some of these guidelines should be obvious, but are worth repeating:
- Jokes and pranks should never take place in public. This is what happened during the recent wildfire. The firefighter who had his gear taken did not realize at first that reports of the situation were making the rounds on social media. But the prank took place in a public area — a busy parking lot — and there were many witnesses to the firefighter’s distress when he discovered his gear to be missing.
- Jokes and pranks should never happen during an actual emergency response. You get called to a fire, an accident, a medical emergency — that should be your only focus. Goofing around while on official duty not only endangers those you are there to help (and potentially your coworkers as well), but it also undermines your professionalism and credibility on the scene.
- Jokes and pranks should not take place while representing the department in any official way. Don’t mess with your coworkers while they are conducting a school tour, or while on a fire inspection, or while meeting with community members to get input on a concern. Again, doing so will undermine your credibility and trust within the community.
- Jokes and pranks should never endanger anyone or cause physical harm. This should be self-evident and always observed, but sometimes the “can you top this?” mentality may overtake good judgment.
- Use caution when it comes to jokes and pranks with those you don’t know well. This includes new firefighters or those new to your crew. For a joke to be funny, the other person must “get it” and this can be a problem with someone you don’t know well. The target of the joke may have personal history that makes what might be funny to one person completely wrong and offensive for another. Jokes and pranks can also be risky with new firefighters, especially if perpetrated by the crew leader, because such acts can create normative behavior. A person who is brand new on the job is looking to those with rank and experience to show them what is appropriate, desirable behavior as a firefighter.
Context matters
Humor is all about context. For things to be truly funny and appreciated by others, the timing, the circumstances and the players all must be aligned. When one of these factors is off, things can go off the rails very quickly.
The recent incident with the firefighter’s gear is a good example of this. What was surely meant as a harmless prank caused increased anxiety in a community already traumatized by a catastrophic fire. And although most of those who commented about it after the fact were charitable and understanding, at least one person pointed out, “A prank can end somebody’s life!”
Humor, including jokes and pranks, is an important part of the fire service history and tradition. Ask any firefighter and they will tell you their favorite one from the past. The best jokes are ones that are inclusive rather than mean-spirited and always conducted away from the public eye or any official response. Those in leadership roles must be vigilant in monitoring this behavior but everyone has responsibility for keeping things safe, professional and inclusive of all members.
