.::fitting-in.com::.

Fire service research, the fitting-in website where academia and the fire service can meet - a resource for research and consultancy for the fire and rescue service and firefighters - Organised by Dr Dave Baigent this site provides a place to share your own research, to look at what others have written about the fire service and to see our commercial offerings.

Academics are not the experts, fire and rescue service managers are the experts. What fitting-in can do is to help managers to recognise their expertise and to further understand the issues through that recognition.
Home Main Index Ethos Reports now available Consultancy Snapshot Audits Workshops on fire service culture Cultural Audits Problem solving by fitting-in Elite briefing/workshops Impact Assessments Equality Action Plans Draft papers for reading Recent index of contributions Government's new Equality and Diversity Strategy C&LG firefighters survey 08 Reports Contact us Older index of contributions CV & References Have you seen Ethos? One Decade On - Survey on women firefighters New CFOA President Minister's speech Audit Commission on equality Melbourne DiversityConference How do I send my writing to fitting-in for publication What does fitting-in publish How do I do research - some basic tips Writing a bibliography Home Testimonials/References Reports from Government Diversity Strategy Public Service Degree online or face to face Stats Contact us	Fitting-in the website that freely publishes work on the fire service and related industries To publish your work contact dave.baigent@fitting-in.com To hear the actual recording of this speech go to www.fitting-in.com/melbourne/speech.WAV Reference as Baigent, D. (2007) Speech to Melbourne Diversity in Emergency Services Conference, 31-11-07 Intro Good evening my name is Dave Baigent For over 30 years I have served as an operational firefighter in the London Fire Brigade Then I retired and for the last 15 years I have been an academic researching and working with people who serve in uniform My aim has been to identify how to achieve the sort of cultural change necessary to improve the diversity of public services So at the start of this conference I am going to talk about my work, ask a number of questions and set some challenges So let us start at the beginning – why are we all here Why is it that we chose to work with the emergency services No one joins a public service because they think they will get rich If they did they have made a big mistake People join the emergency services because they want to serve – they want to make a difference – they want to help people But that is not the only reason they join Public service also provides another opportunity – The opportunity to gain reward from serving others So we are fortunate, people who chose public service get a double outcome from their work – We serve the community and at the same time we serve ourselves. That’s a really positive outcome when these two rewards are in balance But what if that balance is tilted Then there is a potential difficulty - particularly if this imbalance results in us serving ourselves over and above the people we say we want to serve – and this becomes even more important as the public that we serve changes So whilst the emergency services used to be anglo male organisations, they now need to break free of some of their cultural ties Not to do so is to challenge the very democracy that we all believe in Because it is our democracy that has led to the labour laws that support equality But the legal argument is only half the case - A workforce is better able to serve its community if it represents the community’s gender, colour and identity Ask any police officer - they will tell you that when the community cooperate - crimes get solved A similar situation exists for the fire service – fireys serve by saving lives But now they increasingly do this in two ways The first is traditional The second requires their increasing involvement with the community as a way of spreading the message that prevention is better than cure. This prevention message will only get through if the community will listen. And the whole community will only listen if they recognise that your service represents them. So in amongst tonight’s audience I know that there are people who want to support the equality message for all the right reasons My experience also tells me that there are people who have heard the message and are confused by it Others will be more sceptical – you are here because you think you should be Some people will be here because they have to be So to all of you I say talk to each other – Engage in discussion with people outside of your group – do not be afraid to test your ideas with other people To men in particular I argue, consider the tie you wear – Recognise that an opportunity exists to unlearn some of your earlier behaviour So how is this conference going to help do this This conference is going to provide some case studies – it will offer strategies for change We are going to challenge people and we hope people will challenge us If you’re a cop or a firey, then no one is saying you have to give up your traditional role Diversity is not a challenge to existing good practice but an opportunity to serve the people you joined to serve This conference provides an opportunity to tackle some hard issues - the things people don’t want to talk about WE should gain from and encourage the cynics, the sceptics and the dissidents in this audience to speak out – we are not here only for the converts People have travelled from all over the world to share with you – ask them about their experiences of who is blocking equality – why do they think this is happening, and what resources are required to make a difference? So here is another question Ask yourself what is happening in your organisation In particular ask if the benefits of employing more women or minority ethnic groups are being lost because they have to fit in with the existing culture. For example, does your organisation welcome women and then require that they behave like men. Equally, does your organisation seek to diversify by encouraging minority groups to join and then ask them to act as if they were white? Once you have asked those questions then look to how this conference can offer you the opportunity to discover a little more about yourself and to think about new ways to serve. Ask yourself is it possible to break free from some of the ties you have to a particular group Take my own example I have experienced a number of ties in my life I have brought two of these with me – I am wearing a third. This is my London Fire Brigade tie - this represents 31 years of my life – the time I spent working in this enormously proud organisation – the time when I was a firey - a white man working in a white male organisation Then I have my Fire Brigades Union tie – another enormously proud organisation – this represents the same 31 years when I worked supporting my role as a white firefighter But that was then Now I am wearing another tie – this tie is the tie of Dr Dave Baigent – a speaker tonight at this hugely important conference – a tie that I wear again with pride. A tie that has allowed me to write the first social science degree for emergency service workers. A degree that was specifically designed around supporting the concept of diversity in public service Lastly I could also be wearing the tie of someone who has fathered a son and a daughter – one of my children is a firefighter - the other is the director of the national audit office. But of course it is my child that works in the fire service that is relevant tonight. They have been a firefighter for 14 years, and whilst the fire service they joined was a changing service, they still had to fit in with a very white male culture. But despite the argument that the service is changing they eventually realised just how much they were required to fit I with the people they worked with At this point my daughter had three choices She could continue to fit in with white men and continue to bury her identity as a woman She could leave and rebuild her life – give up the opportunity to serve Or she could resist the anglo male culture She chose the later – and she is now the national secretary of the women’s section of the FBU – As such she is the Peter Marshall for women in the UK – and she represents the 1000 women firefighters – the very fact that she has to do this tells a very real story of how difficult change in the fire service is. So here I am wearing the tie of Doctor Dave, ex firefighter, ex union rep, father, grandfather and most importantly at this moment an academic who has given up some of his ties by recognising that diversity is key to serving the community. So to everyone here tonight I ask that you recognise the ties that you wear Take advantage of the opportunity presented by this conference Don’t just tick some boxes Don’t just sit around with people who wear your tie and think like you Meet with the people who wear different ties – hear what they have to say – what they have to offer – Try on some of their ties and see if they can fit. I am not asking you to give up the opportunity to serve yourself I am asking that you to use this conference as a way of improving the way you serve the people out their on the streets The people you joined to serve Thank you very much for inviting me dave.baigent@fitting-in.com
"The Service are delighted with the research and reports produced by "Fitting-in. We believe that your original hyphothesis and work undertaken in Merseyside has resulted in a ground breaking piece of work that can only serve to inform the wider fire and rescue communities." This is what Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service had to say about the Ethos research, communications and training project (2007) For further information or just to talk about what fitting-in can provide ring Dr Dave Baigent (GradIFireE) 07802 495 329, email or write to 17 Headley Gardens, Cambridge, CB22 5JZ Academic theory without practice is a waste - practice without theory may just be dumb Bringing research in the fire service straight to you Site under reconstruction 15-8-08 please notify me of any errors Contact us z