JJB531

Greetings George!
My comments about "EMS Heroes" and "fancy uniforms" was not intended to be disrespectful or degrading in any way, nor was it directed at any particular individual, agency, or provider. If it came across that way to you or anyone else for that matter I apologize and will take this opportunity to clarify my point.
My point is that in order to successfully operate as a medical provider in the warm or hot zone of a tactical environment is a great responsibility, one that goes well beyond taking a TEMS class and wearing a SWAT Medic patch, because hey it looks cool and chicks dig it. Most EMS providers reading this thread who are not as "in-tune" with the TEMS world may not realize the commitment, training, and responsibility that goes along with pursuing this type of medicine. I know from personal experience, because at one time I was self-admittedly one of those individuals who took a class, wore the snazzy uniform, and thought I was "good to go" as a TEMS provider. With more time, more training/education, and more real world experience, I realized over time what it takes to be able to effectively and efficiently operate as a medical provider in a tactical environment, and that it takes a whole lot more then just taking a class. I guess if I was "knocking" anyone with my comments, I was knocking the person I was 11 years ago when I took my first TEMS class at Camp Blanding and thought I was now a high speed tactical medical operator. Call it enthusiasm; call it immaturity; call it over eagerness; call it whatever you want; but in that environment being misinformed or having a false sense of ability can be a very, very bad thing.
The analogy of police officers entering a fire scene to rescue individuals and comparing it to EMS providers entering an active shooter hot zone is a valid analogy. The only thing that I can say is that most humans look at fire as a inanimate, non-living object. Although we realize the dangers associated with fire, as humans we may have an inherent belief that we are "smarter" then fire because we are living, thinking, complex creatures and therefore we may believe that we are able to effect rescues by using our ability to reason and to think to keep ourselves safe. This leads us to potentially have a false sense of security that we can control the outcome of exiting the structure safely with minimal injuries because we're smart and can control the outcome based on our actions, and not the actions of the fire itself. It's almost written in our code, as a part of human nature, to get in that building without drawing up an intense amount emotion or thought to what we are about to do. A lot of times, when that adrenaline rush has worn off and we are back to a place of safety, does the raw emotion overcome us. If we all had the knowledge that firefighters have about fire and fire behavior, many of us may have a deeper respect for fire and it's deadly capabilities.
An active shooter situation scenario is slightly different. It's can quickly develop into the purest form of human combat, where as a LEO, you are essentially a hunter, hunting another human being and doing what you have to do when you finally confront this individual. It has a very "tactile" emotional component to it, and is full of so many scenarios that we just can't control because we are going up against another complex creature. When you're talking about entering a situation where another human being is determined to injure, maim, and kill as many other human beings as he/she can, it's an unnatural feeling that overcomes us; a feeling that can draw very raw emotions from deep within ourselves. I don't think that anyone would go into one of these situations with that same false sense of security as if we were entering a burning structure. With fire, the average person may have the feeling that he/she can turn back, outrun the fire if need be, and escape to safety. People just may not realize the true dangers of breathing in toxic gases, being in an IDLH or oxygen deficient environment, and may only see the flames as the true enemy, and if they can avoid the flames they'll be okay. Difference is that everyone knows the dangers of bullets, and the ramifications if you're hit by one.
I once read a study that asked people about running into a burning building versus running into a building where they knew a person was shooting unarmed individuals. The majority had no problem running into the burning building, while the majority said "NO WAY" to running into the building wih a shooter. It comes down to the emotion knowing that you're going up against another human being who may be smarter, faster, better trained, better equipped, etc., all which puts you at a serious disadvantage and all factors which you really can't control.
Now in no way am I trying to say that running into a fire is an easy task; I understand it's not and the dangers are just as real as running into a building where someone is firing a gun. I'm just trying to rationalize why some people may be quick to run into that burning building, and yet not to fast to run into the building with an armed gunman.

A lot of great points and posts have been made in this thread already, so I'm going to try not to repeat anything that's been said already. With that, just a couple of points and a few things to think about:
1) In regards to liability and EMS providers operating within the inner perimeter of an active shooter incident; There are a great number of things that need to take place first before EMS providers should even think about taking on such a responsibility. Proper training, continuous on-going training with members of local Law Enforcement, proper equipment, especially personal protective equipment (i.e. ballistic vests), and written standards/response protocols need to all be in place. It's not as easy as taking a TEMS class, throwing on a fancy uniform and saying you're now a TEMS Operator, and think you're going to save the day when the bell rings.
2) Death benefits. What death benefits are provided to EMS providers should they be killed and/or seriously injured operating in the inner perimeter of one of these incidents? Police Officers either retain their pensions if injured or their designated beneficiaries will retain their pension benefits should they be killed; Officers with resultant permanent disabilities will receive 3/4 disability pay; Police Foundations and Unions provide financial support for LEO's and their families. As an EMS provider, if you take a more aggressive role and operate within the inner perimeter and are seriously injured and/or killed, you need to ask yourself what benefits you and your family will be entitled to if you are either no longer able to work or you are killed and leave your family behind without any guaranteed financial support. You can call it a greedy way of thinking, but it's a reality. Obviously anything can happen to any of us at any time, but this is a calculated risk that we do have some control over. If you are knowingly going to take that chance should something happen to you, you and your family may not be guaranteed any financial death/disability benefits depending on where you work/volunteer.
3) As others have pointed out already, to respond to one of these incidents as an EMS provider who plans on operating within the inner perimeter with law enforcement, it takes a lot more then reading an article about it or sitting in a 4 hour class and thinking you're good to go. Taking a Tactical EMS or Active Shooter course is a great start, but unless you have the cooperation of your local law enforcement agency and undergo constant training with them on a very continual basis, your plans of being the EMS hero that day will quickly dissolve, possibly with deadly results. Joint training between agencies can make or break your response to one of these incidents because every one needs to be on the same page and everyone needs to know what each others responsibilities are at one of these incidents.
4) Pre-planning. Both through individual and joint training, as well as response plans that detail building schematics, staging areas, landing zones, etc. Although these are dynamic, rapidly changing incidents, a well designed written pre-plan will aide responding units with their responsibilities and operations, and should be adjusted as the situation unfolds.
5) Law Enforcement's priority is not treating/evacuating the injured. Their priority is to end the threat, either by apprehending the shooter or neutralizing the shooter through the use of deadly physical force. Their primary role could take 5 minutes, it could take 5 hours. How long after the onset of a traumatic injury can a casualty exsanguinate? We all know it can happy pretty damn quick if untreated. That being said, EMS does play a key role in response to these incidents, and the professional recommendations of the US Fire Administration and the National Tactical Officers Association officially recognizes Tactical EMS and Tactical EMS Operators as a necessity during tactical law enforcement operations, and during Active Shooter incidents. There are still a lot of roadblocks, especially here in the Northeast, preventing EMS from having more of a recognized role during Tactical Law Enforcement operations.
6) When coordinating with local Law Enforcement, EMS agencies need to decide if they are going to operate as "business as usual" and stage in a cold zone and wait for Law Enforcement to extract victims to their staging area; or if they are going to operate in a warm zone inside the location in a casualty collection point with Law Enforcement providing overwatch and security where they can start triaging and providing immediate life-saving treatment to casualties; or if they are going to operate in the hot zone, once again with Law Enforcement providing security, but the EMS provider is moving through the location with the team and treating the seriously wounded as they come across them. The decision on how EMS will operate at these incidents is not solely up to EMS; it has to be a joint decision between EMS administrators and Law Enforcement administrators. You can't have EMS providers going cowboy inside the school doing their own thing without consulting with and coordinating with Law Enforcement. If you plan on having EMS operating within a warm or hot zone, they need to be properly trained, continually trained, and properly equipped to effectively operate as such.
7) Treatment priorities shift from conventional A-B-C treatment protocols to the C-A-B design of Tactical Combat Casualty Care protocols, where uncontrolled hemorrhage is a treatment priority, followed closely by recognition and treatment of tension pneumothorax. Effective and proper triage is a necessity as in any Mass Casualty Incident.
8) We can stress scene safety in our EMT classes. We can stress that our safety comes first. We can say that EMS should never be intentionally put in harms way. The fact is that when the bell does ring, and the incident is rapidly evolving, sometimes we find ourselves in places we shouldn't be or doing things that we probably shouldn't be doing because human nature takes over, and we simply start doing anything and everything we can to provide aide and medical care to the injured. On April 20th, 1999, I can guarantee you that the crews of Littleton Fire Department didn't think that by noon they were going to be performing civilian rescues under effective gunfire. I can guarantee you that they weren't trained to perform such rescues. I can guarantee you that they weren't properly equipped to effect such rescues. Despite all that, the EMS crews were tasked with performing these rescues while under effective gunfire from the library windows. My point is that regardless what we say about liability, safety, and what the role of EMS should be at the incidents, the fact is that EMS is going to be in the mix in one way or another, so we should take the initiative to be properly trained, equipped, and prepared to operate at these incidents. Prior to Columbine, Littleton had 1 Tactically trained Paramedic... by the end of the year they had 30 trained and equipped tactical medical providers. Typical line of thinking in EMS (and emergency services altogether), it can't happen here and when it does, and only when it does, will we do something to be prepared for the next time.

We idolized and memorialized Whitney Houston, yet looked the other way concerning her well known substance abuse and tumultuous life with singer Bobby Brown.
Charlie Sheen is 45 and his story is all over the news because he is a
substance abuser, an adulterer, sexually promiscuous and obnoxious.
Lindsay Lohan is 24 and her story is all over the news because she is a
celebrity drug addict and thief.
Something as frivolous as Kim Kardashian's stupid wedding [and
short-lived marriage] was shoved down our throats, While........
Justin Allen 23
Brett Linley 29
Matthew Weikert 29
Justus Bartett 27
Dave Santos 21
Jesse Reed 26
Matthew Johnson 21
Zachary Fisher 24
Brandon King 23
Christopher Goeke 23
and Sheldon Tate 27...
Are all Marines who gave their lives last month for you. There is no
media for them; not even a mention of their names.
Young Men who most likely came from rural America seeking a chance
to better themselves and to serve this county.
Rest In Peace, and THANK YOU,TROOPS.
This was an email i got and wanted to share it

If they have legitimate training... Prove it. Present your FF credentials and CFR/EMT certifications. Don't just cry to the news that you're legit and "why's everybody picking on us?" without providing some form of documentation from a legitate training venue indicating they have at least the minimum necessary training.

Being that the City of New York/FDNY is the AHJ, and the FDNY is the City entity that provides Fire Protection for the City of New York, the FDNY Commissioner acting as an agent of the Mayor and the City can probably regulate Fire Services in NYC. His regulatory powers are vested by the City as a City employee of the municipal Fire Service which oversees Fire Protection. He may not be able to shut them down, but he can sure authorize or unauthorize them to respond to jobs within the confines of the 5 boroughs.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

What does it matter? It matters to those of us who are Yorktown taxpayers, or have family members who are Yorktown taxpayers. It matters to those of us who want to see a capable, streamlined, consolidated emergency service system here in Westchester County instead of the conglomerate of districts and agencies that currently exist. Perhaps they didn't obtain or use this money illegally, but if they were able to save this money from their regular operating budget, then did they really need that money in the first place? Plus the taxpayers already said "No", we don't want you spending millions on a new firehouse, and that's just what they're doing, spending millions of taxpayers dollars on a new firehouse.
Have they done their homework? If so, then what is the benefit? As far as we know, there are no members that live in the vicinity of this new proposed firehouse. There is an extremely minimal number of calls in the Southern end of town. Millwood FD is a mile away, and to get to parts of the Yorktown District, they have to drive through Millwood's District. Where's the benefit? I'm failing to see it unless someone can offer up a good arguement as to the benefit of this project.
With that line of thinking, maybe every department should train and equip a HazMat Team, a Dive Team, a USAR Team, etc., because maybe one day they will be able to save a life. It's simply not fiscally responsible, that's why we utilize mutual aid from the County's TRT, Career Departments that have these capabilities, and other agencies (such as Yorktown's well established Water Rescue Team)to supplement our responses to these incidents. No different then Yorktown and Millwood entering a mutual aid agreement for the Southern end of Yorktown. Now I don't know if that option was ever explored, but if it wasn't, that's being financially irresponsible.
It's not criticizing. In addition to being Firefighters, Paramedics, EMT's, Police Officers, etc., we all have one thing in common; We're all Taxyapers! I never understood the mentality some of us have when it comes to finances. Are our functions important to the community? Of course. Should be be properly trained and equipped to respond to emergencies? Of course. But just because we provide a vital function for the communities we serve doesn't give us carte blanche to be financially irresponsible and think that the ideologies of budgeting don't apply to us.
Most of us aren't just going to "get over it" simply because you dictate we should. We question and discuss things because in the end, we are all looking to improve the "system" that exists here in Westchester, and many of us want to see the "home rule" and "fiefdom" way of doing things start to dissolve a bit, and this project has not only isolated the department from the taxpayers, it also ignores other alternatives for Fire Departments to consolidate services and save money for the taxpayers, while still providing high quality service.
Simply because other firefighters on this board are being reasonable and questioning the necessity of this project? So, I guess in the fire service everyone should just go along with anything and everything the other "brothers" are doing, regardless of how irresponsible or unnecessary it may be?

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

I think the simple fact is that anyone in emergency services, whether you want to be or not, is a representative of his/her agency. Conduct that is unprofessional and immature not only makes you look foolish, but reflects negatively upon your agency and the emergency service community as a whole. An individual who is a Chief or other supervisory figure in his/her agency should absolutely be held to a higher standard, since they are expected to be the utmost professional and possess the qualities of a mature and professional leader. When I see individuals exhibiting childish and unprofessional behavior, it makes me second guess their abilities as a leader. We dont have to act like professional robots all of the time; we are all human. But unprofessional conduct when it applies to situations involving conflict resolution, or improper conduct that can be viewed by the public or those outside our little world, is inexcusable if you want to be taken seriously as a competent leader.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

Legal Issues, Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, and all that other good stuff aside, there is one key word that affects all of us. It affects us whether we're paid or volunteer. It affects us whether we're Police or Fire or EMS. It affects us no matter where we work or who we work for. It's a rather simple word, but it's a word that probably has more control over us as Emergency Service professionals then any other word. PERCEPTION.
How we are perceived by the public plays a HUGE role in the level of respect and confidence we instill in the communities we serve. Perception can also be used to protect us in times of potential danger. Take for example, Line of Duty Deaths of Law Enforcement Officers. During interviews of convicted cop killers, they were asked why they went forward with committing the act of murdering a uniformed police officer. The majority said they PERCEIVED that they could overpower and overcome the law enforcement officer that was engaging them. This perception was borne out of the fact that the officer appeared unkept or unprofessional, or the officer lacked a command presence, causing the perpetrator to perceive the officer was not in control of the situation. A police officer who has a clean and neat appearance, speaks in an articulate and command voice, and looks like a well trained professional is more likely to gain compliance from individuals just based on the perception that they are a well-trained professional. Sometimes that is all takes to end a potentially violent incident. Perception can work for you or against you, it just depends what image you allow the individual you are dealing with to perceive.
The same applies to EMS providers. An EMS provider who appears to be professional; is well groomed, wearing a clean and pressed uniform, and expresses and articulates him/herself as a professional provider, will be perceived by patients and family members as a capable, well trained individual who is going to provide the highest level of emergency medical care. Now take an EMS provider who is unkept, dissheveled, and uses improper grammar and can not articulate themselves as a professional. These providers are perceived to be incompetent, which makes for some difficulty in earning the trust of our patients, their family members, and other medical providers, in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
Perception does not necessarily mean that an individuals perception of another is correct. You can be the a very well spoken, clean, and neat EMT or Paramedic, and still be a sub-par provider in terms of your clinical skills and judgment. But if you are a top notch provider, you may be fighting an uphill battle to win over your patient or family if you give off the wrong perception.
How does perception apply to Social Media Outlets? Well, we are public servants. Whether we are paid or volunteer, we are agents of the Emergency Service community who set out to serve the people of our community. No other group of individuals are criticized more then public servants, especially us in the Emergency Service field. How we conduct ourselves, both on and off duty, is going to lead the public who we serve to perceive us in a certain manner. I can understand why a lot of people would agree with the statement, "What I do in my free time with my personal accounts is my business". It seems like a rationale way of thinking, and eventhough we're public servants we still are entitled to our "alone time" away from our duties as public servants. But even during that alone time, when we're off-duty, out of uniform, and away from our Stations, the public still views us as a representative of whatever entity we belong to. To engage in childish, immature, and inappropriate behavior, either directly in view of the public, or through Social Media Outlets where there is always the possibility of such behavior becoming public, is going to have an extremely negative affect on how the public PERCEIVES not only the individual, but the organization as well. And it is even worse when it is a high ranking official or officer within the agency, because the leadership is entrusted to set a professional example for the rest of it's membership. If the leader acts like a buffoon, what does that say for the troops under his/her command? Combine that perception along with the line of work that we engage in. We are responsible for protect our communities, whether it be from criminals, fires, or life-threatening accidents or illnesses. Ask yourself, if you saw an individual coming to the aide or you or your family member, who just an hour before you saw was carrying on through Twitter or Facebook (or any other outlet) like an immature and unprofessional buffoon, how much perceived trust and confidence would you have in this individual before they even said a word to you? I'm all for having fun and goofing around; but there has to be boundaries. If we can't control ourselves as not just professionals, but simply as adults to conduct ourselves with regard for our status as public servants both on and off duty, then we should find a different field of employment or means of volunteering to give back to the community.

I really don't even understand how you would need quantification of such an item.
With that said, the connotations that the confederate flag holds in a majority of society is more then enough to understand why many would consider that not just unprofessional, but plain inappropriate. Is it part of history, yes. Do I think it could still be used in some ways to maintain the heritage and history of our country, yes, but bottom line is that is not a represenation of our country, that is the representation of a "country" that attempted to succeed from the United States of America in the attempt to continue the act of slavery. A confederate flag belongs on a helmet about as much as a marijuana leaf, a booze logo, those stupid coed naked stickers does. For that matter I don't even think those dumb "no fear" or "fear this" stickers belong on your helmet.
Also I wanted to add one more point about my last post. Everyone in the fire service should set an example and be professional. Fire Officers should walk the walk even more so to be able to enforce policy and procedures to stop the winers who say they are selective. But with that said, if you want to set the example on how to act...you need to look at their father...not a fire officer.

I think the simple fact is that anyone in emergency services, whether you want to be or not, is a representative of his/her agency. Conduct that is unprofessional and immature not only makes you look foolish, but reflects negatively upon your agency and the emergency service community as a whole. An individual who is a Chief or other supervisory figure in his/her agency should absolutely be held to a higher standard, since they are expected to be the utmost professional and possess the qualities of a mature and professional leader. When I see individuals exhibiting childish and unprofessional behavior, it makes me second guess their abilities as a leader. We dont have to act like professional robots all of the time; we are all human. But unprofessional conduct when it applies to situations involving conflict resolution, or improper conduct that can be viewed by the public or those outside our little world, is inexcusable if you want to be taken seriously as a competent leader.

I think the simple fact is that anyone in emergency services, whether you want to be or not, is a representative of his/her agency. Conduct that is unprofessional and immature not only makes you look foolish, but reflects negatively upon your agency and the emergency service community as a whole. An individual who is a Chief or other supervisory figure in his/her agency should absolutely be held to a higher standard, since they are expected to be the utmost professional and possess the qualities of a mature and professional leader. When I see individuals exhibiting childish and unprofessional behavior, it makes me second guess their abilities as a leader. We dont have to act like professional robots all of the time; we are all human. But unprofessional conduct when it applies to situations involving conflict resolution, or improper conduct that can be viewed by the public or those outside our little world, is inexcusable if you want to be taken seriously as a competent leader.

I think the simple fact is that anyone in emergency services, whether you want to be or not, is a representative of his/her agency. Conduct that is unprofessional and immature not only makes you look foolish, but reflects negatively upon your agency and the emergency service community as a whole. An individual who is a Chief or other supervisory figure in his/her agency should absolutely be held to a higher standard, since they are expected to be the utmost professional and possess the qualities of a mature and professional leader. When I see individuals exhibiting childish and unprofessional behavior, it makes me second guess their abilities as a leader. We dont have to act like professional robots all of the time; we are all human. But unprofessional conduct when it applies to situations involving conflict resolution, or improper conduct that can be viewed by the public or those outside our little world, is inexcusable if you want to be taken seriously as a competent leader.

I think the simple fact is that anyone in emergency services, whether you want to be or not, is a representative of his/her agency. Conduct that is unprofessional and immature not only makes you look foolish, but reflects negatively upon your agency and the emergency service community as a whole. An individual who is a Chief or other supervisory figure in his/her agency should absolutely be held to a higher standard, since they are expected to be the utmost professional and possess the qualities of a mature and professional leader. When I see individuals exhibiting childish and unprofessional behavior, it makes me second guess their abilities as a leader. We dont have to act like professional robots all of the time; we are all human. But unprofessional conduct when it applies to situations involving conflict resolution, or improper conduct that can be viewed by the public or those outside our little world, is inexcusable if you want to be taken seriously as a competent leader.

I think the simple fact is that anyone in emergency services, whether you want to be or not, is a representative of his/her agency. Conduct that is unprofessional and immature not only makes you look foolish, but reflects negatively upon your agency and the emergency service community as a whole. An individual who is a Chief or other supervisory figure in his/her agency should absolutely be held to a higher standard, since they are expected to be the utmost professional and possess the qualities of a mature and professional leader. When I see individuals exhibiting childish and unprofessional behavior, it makes me second guess their abilities as a leader. We dont have to act like professional robots all of the time; we are all human. But unprofessional conduct when it applies to situations involving conflict resolution, or improper conduct that can be viewed by the public or those outside our little world, is inexcusable if you want to be taken seriously as a competent leader.

I think the simple fact is that anyone in emergency services, whether you want to be or not, is a representative of his/her agency. Conduct that is unprofessional and immature not only makes you look foolish, but reflects negatively upon your agency and the emergency service community as a whole. An individual who is a Chief or other supervisory figure in his/her agency should absolutely be held to a higher standard, since they are expected to be the utmost professional and possess the qualities of a mature and professional leader. When I see individuals exhibiting childish and unprofessional behavior, it makes me second guess their abilities as a leader. We dont have to act like professional robots all of the time; we are all human. But unprofessional conduct when it applies to situations involving conflict resolution, or improper conduct that can be viewed by the public or those outside our little world, is inexcusable if you want to be taken seriously as a competent leader.

I'd like to know what you think about how fire chiefs and other leadership should behave online.
Would you respect a Chief that behaves in a vulgar and immature fashion online on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook? What kind of message does that send to his/her department, the community, and the fire service?
What would you think of a fire chief who enjoys inciting conflict, doesn't play by the rules on purpose, and makes themselves look like a victim of their own actions when they suffer the consequences of it?
Finally, what type of members respect and follow this type of leader? And what type of member blindly follows a leader no matter what? And what if word gets out to the citizens about their fire chief's behavior?
I believe that a fire chief should be allowed to have their own presence online however they see fit. However, I strongly feel that they must show some sort of decorum online, and set an example for others.

What does it matter? It matters to those of us who are Yorktown taxpayers, or have family members who are Yorktown taxpayers. It matters to those of us who want to see a capable, streamlined, consolidated emergency service system here in Westchester County instead of the conglomerate of districts and agencies that currently exist. Perhaps they didn't obtain or use this money illegally, but if they were able to save this money from their regular operating budget, then did they really need that money in the first place? Plus the taxpayers already said "No", we don't want you spending millions on a new firehouse, and that's just what they're doing, spending millions of taxpayers dollars on a new firehouse.
Have they done their homework? If so, then what is the benefit? As far as we know, there are no members that live in the vicinity of this new proposed firehouse. There is an extremely minimal number of calls in the Southern end of town. Millwood FD is a mile away, and to get to parts of the Yorktown District, they have to drive through Millwood's District. Where's the benefit? I'm failing to see it unless someone can offer up a good arguement as to the benefit of this project.
With that line of thinking, maybe every department should train and equip a HazMat Team, a Dive Team, a USAR Team, etc., because maybe one day they will be able to save a life. It's simply not fiscally responsible, that's why we utilize mutual aid from the County's TRT, Career Departments that have these capabilities, and other agencies (such as Yorktown's well established Water Rescue Team)to supplement our responses to these incidents. No different then Yorktown and Millwood entering a mutual aid agreement for the Southern end of Yorktown. Now I don't know if that option was ever explored, but if it wasn't, that's being financially irresponsible.
It's not criticizing. In addition to being Firefighters, Paramedics, EMT's, Police Officers, etc., we all have one thing in common; We're all Taxyapers! I never understood the mentality some of us have when it comes to finances. Are our functions important to the community? Of course. Should be be properly trained and equipped to respond to emergencies? Of course. But just because we provide a vital function for the communities we serve doesn't give us carte blanche to be financially irresponsible and think that the ideologies of budgeting don't apply to us.
Most of us aren't just going to "get over it" simply because you dictate we should. We question and discuss things because in the end, we are all looking to improve the "system" that exists here in Westchester, and many of us want to see the "home rule" and "fiefdom" way of doing things start to dissolve a bit, and this project has not only isolated the department from the taxpayers, it also ignores other alternatives for Fire Departments to consolidate services and save money for the taxpayers, while still providing high quality service.
Simply because other firefighters on this board are being reasonable and questioning the necessity of this project? So, I guess in the fire service everyone should just go along with anything and everything the other "brothers" are doing, regardless of how irresponsible or unnecessary it may be?