Customer Service in the Fire Service

The Fire Service has to change now if it wants to be the knight in shining armor that it has always been.  The Fire Service is built upon a lot of great ideals and some of them have been lost as time has gone on.  The one ideal customer service is one that departments are starting to work on again.  It is one thing to talk about customer service but it’s another one to make strides and to start delivering customer service.

Every morning in the Fire House crews get together and talk about the day’s daily activities, daily drills, and usually go over some continuing education topic.  I have yet to hear someone bring up a continuing education topic such as customer service.  Yet, the Firefighters will go over an LODD, ventilation topic, SOP, or something else.  Why don’t they throw in a topic such as, "What can we do to provide great customer service?" every once in awhile.  Some people are naturals in customer service and others need to be retaught.

Some simple ways to start working on your department's customer service:

• When the crew goes out for groceries, help someone put groceries into the car.  
• Opening a door for someone.
• Help make a bed in the ER, when the ER staff is overwhelmed.
• Patience, I know it's hard at 0330 waking up for the fourth time that night.
• Get out of the Fire House and go walk a block to see if people would like their smoke detector battery checked.
• Answer your phone with Good Morning, Afternoon, Evening instead of just Fire Station 47.

These are just a small start.  Brain storm about customer service and see what you can do to provide great customer service in your district.


Why don't you bring customer service up at your next morning line up?