By Cindy Devone-Pacheco, FireRescue magazine

Photo by Chief John M. Buckman III

Chief Kelvin Cochran addressed the audience at FRI’s general session on Friday morning with a rousing speech entitled, “Becoming Fully Involved.”

As the newly appointed U.S. Fire Administrator, Chief Cochran is clearly excited to take on his new role and responsibilities, but he stressed that even in these tougher economic times, the fire service as a whole must also get excited, or become fully involved in making the fire service the best it can be.

No Waiting

Although the economy weighs heavily on everyone’s mind, as it has been for a while now, Chief Cochran reminded everyone that the tough times we’re experiencing are nothing new to this country. We as a nation have been directly affected by tough times and/or major events throughout our history, such as the holocaust, civil war, slavery, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, etc. But as a result, we as a nation have also overcome these previous tough times, so we know we have the strength to withstand new challenges.

Chief Cochran then noted the lyrics of a song, “Waiting on the World to Change,” which he explained that at first he didn’t pay much attention to, but once he decided to listen more closely, he found the lyrics told of continuous waiting for change to come. He then insisted that the fire service cannot wait for change, that it instead must be a champion of change.

But that’s not easy to do, as he pointed out. The economy has bottomed out, but it will be slow to change; unemployment numbers are still bad; foreclosures are still overwhelming the housing market; and there will be no rapid return to pre-economic conditions. So nothing is going to happen soon, and once things do start to turn around, fire department lag times range from 3–5 years. The bottom line: Fire service leaders can’t wait to take real leadership actions.

Got Gratitude?

Chief Cochran pointed out that before the economy started its downturn, there were many conditions under which the fire service, and business in general operated, such as

• Pay raises
• Continuation budgets
• Equipment purchases
• Hiring was thriving
• Promotions

After the downturn, we experienced

• Budget cuts
• Pay cuts
• Equipment issues
• Closed stations
• Layoffs
• Demotions
• Elimination of services

Comparing these two lists, it appears that the situation for the fire service is a dismal one; however, Chief Cochran pointed out that before and during these current tougher times, there were

• Fires
• Ems calls
• Seatbelt violations
• Heart attacks (LODDs)
• Freelancing
• Excessive speed
• Frustration
• Apathy

His point: We’ve been in greener pastures before, but we acted like we were in a desert. We didn’t appreciate what we had until it was gone. So we must remember to be grateful for what we do have. Don’t lose sight of the enthusiasm you had for the job when you first got hired.

What Type of Wood Are You?

Chief Cochran explained that to be a “fully involved” leader, you must keep sight of your dreams, purpose, values and character. To be a fully involved organization, you must maintain a vision for the future, a mission for the department, a specific culture and virtue.

To help individuals and departments accomplish this, Chief Cochran recommends celebrating “kindling” or your small victories, which still occur during harder times. These smaller victories can sustain an organization and maintain momentum.

Fire service members who use this strategy are “cured wood” or those who don’t change through hard times. They keep their chin up and have never forgotten their love for the fire service.

In contrast, Chief Cochran said fire personnel could also be petrified wood (someone with no purpose, value, character) or dead wood (someone who’s never embraced the organization’s values). So what type of wood are you?

With & Without Virtue

Chief Cochran rounded out his speech by reminding the audience that in order to sustain your organization through tough times, you must remember what it means to be virtuous. A virtuous leader applies excellence and a standard of competency to how they govern their department. By doing this, they increase coordination, agility and member involvement.

Without virtue, organizations can suffer complacency, stagnancy, stereotyping, incompetence, a culture of “isms” (sexism, racism, etc.), and leaning on past successes.

In all, Chief Cochran reminded the audience to become fully involved, to dig in its heels during the harder times, to celebrate the small victories, and most importantly, never forget the love you had for the job on your first day. It will carry you through.

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