Whether it's football, baseball or hockey, contests pitting law enforcement against the fire department can be found all across the country. The rivalry can be found in YouTube videos, skits, like Dane Cook's, and forums on public safety websites. Although sporting events and comedy performances highlight and often make fun of the perceived animosity between professionals in each of these disciplines, out in the field different policies and purposes often create tension and ill-will. The six concerns outlined here, three from police personnel and three from fire, and the explanations do not exist in every jurisdiction, nor are they intended to be all encompassing. These were just some of the ones brought to my attention when I broached the subject with various members of law enforcement and fire.
Fire Concerns
Law enforcement's mission is to protect and serve. When they are called to the scene, whether it's an accident or a shooting, their main goal is to get control of the situation as quickly as possible, make it safe and preserve the scene of a crime. In regards to preservation, the first concern exists - Fire personnel destroy the scene.
"Our main concern is not the investigation," explains Lieutenant Allen Oswalt, Portland (OR) Fire & Rescue. "Our concern is that the patient get every chance to live. Not to say we are completely oblivious to evidence, we'll preserve it if we can. We are focused on the patient and may not always notice clues that would be obvious to our Brothers and Sisters in blue."
Even when a dispatcher puts out an emergency call, usually only two or three police units get assigned. On routine dispatches (if there is such a thing), often one car is sent to the scene. On the other hand, most calls involving fire include numerous vehicles and personnel. The second concern - Fire brings too much equipment.
Fire follows automatic response guidelines, outlined by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), including the 3 and 1 (on a house fire, 3 engines and 1 ladder truck must be sent) and the 2 in-2 out (in an immediately dangerous to life and health atmosphere, if two firefighters go in, at least two must be outside immediately able to assist). "It's so much easier to cancel units then to wait five to ten minutes for those resources to get there and then the building is fully involved with a huge loss of life," Oswalt explains.
Most officers look forward to the conclusion of an incident and relief from the scene. After completing the investigation, officers leave information if needed for follow-up and go back in service. If you weren't privy to the intricacies of the investigation, it might seem the officers stay too long, but that perception wouldn't be accurate. Quite possibly, it's the same issue behind the third concern - Fire stays on scene too long.
"Some firefighters will leave the scene, just not all of us," explains Oswalt. "If the fire has done extensive damage to the structure, we will overhaul the structure. We clean out the debris, cut into walls and ceilings to make sure the fire isn't hiding somewhere to flare up hours later. Then we clean up the mess we made. This is also the time when the Fire Investigator is on scene digging through the debris, and conducting his/her investigation. Between the overhaul, the investigation, and us loading hose and equipment back on the rigs it probably does seem like a long on scene time."
Police Concerns
Fire departments don't have a generalized motto (or else I just don't know it) but most agency's mission involves some form of commitment, service, pride and for the good of others over self. Fire's main goal when called to a scene is protection of life, then of property. The positive, community-based image influences many decisions. This can lead to the first concern - Police don't utilize the media.
Many officers relate stories of how they have grown to distrust the media. Often news stations edit videos and the result leaves the officers' actions looking harsh or unnecessary. Even as I researched this story, I found getting statements from police agencies difficult. Therefore, I turned to the Officer.com forum "Ask a Cop" for insight. "We shun the media because we all have been burnt by them before, and there is clearly no trust between us," responds a member from Eastern Virginia. Several officers pointed out the purpose of the agency's public information officer. "Individual officers at the scene often refer reporters to the PIO because they only have bits and pieces of information that are insufficient to tell the whole story, whereas the PIO has the time and resources to gather all the facts for the reporter," states a member from California. A friend of mine added police often withhold information as a strategy within the investigation. The police will use the media how and when the right time comes.
Like the concern of police about fire bringing too much equipment, fire wonders at the perceived light response to a scene by the police. Even when numerous officers or agencies are involved, often informal organization is agreed to. This brings up concern number two - Police don't use ICS.
Incident Command System is a management protocol designed to create a flexible, scalable organization for first responders to work together efficiently. ICS establishes a chain of command for all responders regardless of discipline or jurisdiction. "The reason we don't use it all that often is because we don't have the need to," responds a member from the Mid-South. "I feel that we (police) don't really have the need for ICS anywhere near as often as FF do," agrees the member from Eastern Virginia. Often, due to under-staffing and call volume, officers are required to adjust and improvise on scene. Organization exists; it just doesn't lend itself to an ICS flow chart.
Similar to police, safety is a number one priority for fire agencies. This safety includes themselves, as well as, others. Due to differing priorities on scene, fire personnel often feel left out of an officer's safety plan. The third fire concern - Police doesn't secure the scene.
Although fire personnel often feel uncomfortable treating a patient at a volatile scene, such as a shooting, a main issue revolves around safety involving vehicular traffic. "Fire usually wants to take up as many lanes of traffic as possible to create a safety zone for their people (I can't blame them)," responds the member from California. "But in doing so, they restrict or block traffic to such an extent that they create a greater potential for secondary traffic accidents and injuries. (Often we don't have options to re-route on restricted access roads.)The risk this creates for drivers on the road is often greater that the risk Fire is protecting itself from."
Working it Out
Different fire and police agencies may have some or none of these concerns. Others have different concerns. What is similar is each agency can work together to give citizens exemplary service. Working out details, such as chain of command, or traffic control techniques before incidents occur in a roundtable fashion including management and line personnel can assist understanding and relieve miscommunication. It's also important for each side to respect the differences in the other's mission.
An interesting aspect of the fire vs. police issue is those agencies where the police officers are the fire fighters and vice versa, such as in the City of Ironwood (MI). If animosity still exists, as I'm sure it will, much of it can be resolved through a good, old-fashioned hockey game. Pigs N' Heat, anybody?
