What Nonprofits Can Learn From The Fire Department
Calling the fire department was the last thing I was expecting to do this morning.
It was particularly cold last night, so, working up the courage to go out on a run pretty hard. A few minutes in while I was out on my typical route near the Los Angeles River, I noticed a small encampment that was starting to glow bright orange. Being in Los Angeles, at this time of year with all the dry brush near my house, it’s hard to ignore a flame under a big dry Sycamore. Sure, it was in the middle of the LA River on an island but flaming embers have been known to travel whichever way the wind blows. It isn’t strange to see homeless encampments with make-shift fires, especially during cold nights, but this one was uncomfortably aggressive.
Spotting a fire anywhere in Los Angeles, even in the middle of a river, is very serious.
Making The Call
I tried not to think about it too much, but I was worried that if I waited too long it might get out of control. This was my first time calling in to report a fire. The dispatcher asked for the exact location and since it was in the middle of the river it was hard to describe the cross streets. A quick confirmation from the woman on the other end of the line was followed by an abrupt click.
While I waited there on the upper river bank, I bumped into another runner who was also concerned about the burning encampment. I told him I made the call. We chatted briefly and thought it was strange that nobody was around. But a moment later, we started to hear people yelling from inside the burning tent.
My heart sunk, thinking about the people inside. I began thinking immediately about how I would get there since the encampment was in the middle of the river. I did spot a section where they had placed some wooden planks to make a small footbridge, but it was shaky. I kept telling myself—I don’t want to get involved, I can’t get involved, this is stupid!
I started thinking about what to do next, placing my phone in my back pocket, as I considered how I would balance myself across their makeshift bridge. But then I heard sirens.
Rick is a fireman for the Los Angeles Fire Department and I wanted to ask him about asking for help...
Don’t Expect Gratitude
As the two large firetrucks pulled into the nearest access point of the river, I stood nearby watching the encampment burning. Fortunately, by this point the 3 individuals who were awoken in their tents had already begun to douse the flames with buckets of river water. One of them spotted me standing there and yelled, “Who the F**K are you?!?!”
They were noticeably upset and I hated to inconvenience them by having called the fire department. I wish I could apologize to them, but that will never happen.
Rick, one of the firemen who I met and I helped direct to the scene, was not surprised by the situation. “This happens, and is way too common,” he said. As we both looked on at the white smoke rising up from the flames, he assured me that it seemed like they had it under control.
Making the call on an emergency only to see it resolved before the calvary could come felt horrible. It felt like a waste of everyones time. I apologized to Rick and the other firefighters. But Rick said, “It’s okay. You did the right thing.”
Lessons Learned
I am extremely grateful everything turned out okay, and that Rick and his team didn’t have to step in put out the fire. Even though I felt like a fool and that Rick assured me that I did the right thing, I spent the rest of the morning processing what had happened. Here are a few take aways that I think are applicable to doing important work, even if it isn’t an emergency:
DON’T ASSUME: Don’t assume you can solve all of the problems in front you by yourself. In any situation where you feel like you may be in over your head, seek help. When problems in nonprofits and organizations remain invisible for too long, it usually morphs into something that requires much more effort to solve. But it’s even worse when people see a problem, even a small one, and assume it’s taken care of by someone else.
RECOGNIZE HAZARD AND ASSESS RISK: Acting without thinking works best when there is a well defined course of action—calling the fire department in the case of my story. When life or livelihood is on the line, this is where our instincts take us. But when the solution isn’t clear, imagine the potential outcomes if actions are not implemented. Sometimes risks are acceptable and require no action. Establish a plan and inform the necessary parties who can help in case you need it.
DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY: When the people you are trying to help hate your guts, try not to take it personally. Be mindful of the difference between your intentions and the actual outcomes, but don’t throw yourself into an unproductive emotional spiral. (I borrowed this one, as well as #1 from The Four Agreements. In case you haven’t read it, I recommend it for any kind of conflict resolution.)
MEASURE IMPACT: When the fire department has to make assessments of fires, they have to constantly measure the geographic impact of the current problem and communicate the percentage containment to the public. These are data points that Californian's hear constantly on the news especially during the wildfire season. This principle applies to nonprofits and organizations trying to solve difficult social issues, for example. How we measure problems actually matters a lot, especially because it helps to define when the work is done.
Final Thoughts
When I think about helping others, it’s sometimes useful if the people your helping have something in common with you. It helps them feel heard and is invaluable in building trust. This was something I learned very directly from Eric Montoya, an employee of the local nonprofit LA Family Housing, who happened to live on the streets of Los Angeles for most of his life. This year, I lucky about to produce one of six annual report videos for The California Community Foundation. During the video production, I was proud to see first-hand, the hard work that Eric does, visiting homeless encampments throughout Los Angeles making sure they have the services they need to get back on their feet.
Helping those around us is not always the easiest thing to do, even when the problems we see seem small. But it’s the right thing to do.
—Reuben
If you would like to learn more about getting and receiving help, there are plenty of brilliant articles out there!
Further Reading: