Hard Times

     Question: What do you do? You run a small 9-1-1 outfit, but everybody else's economic woes seem puny compared to yours. Your field crews' wages are pathetically mismatched to their needs, and, not surprisingly, their morale is in the toilet. The pressures of paying them more, offering them better education and keeping them in modern, safe equipment while meeting the public's expectations—all despite crumbling reimbursements—are breaking your agency's back (and yours in particular). You're about as stressed as you can be, and your family is struggling with the consequences of that. In your whole career, you've never faced these kinds of financial realities. You hesitate to approach your town council for fear they'll blame your agency's problems on you as a poor manager. But you've got to do something. You can't continue to staff ambulances this way.

     Answer: Brace yourself: These days are bigger than any of us. The worst mistake anybody could make right now is to blame people like you—individual leaders of good little systems—for what has become a staggering worldwide crisis. And the worst mistake you could make would be to blame yourself for things over which you have no control. That'll just depress you, on top of everything else. Instead, consider the following strategy:

     First, talk to your family. Explain to them what you're facing as a result of the times you all live in. Your dedication to them transcends everything else in your life. Tell them you don't have all the answers. Warn them that things could get even tougher. Remind them that people around you have suffered the loss of their homes, their careers and their marriages to powerful forces they didn't anticipate. Let them know you don't have all the answers, but that you love them and you'll do everything in your power to support them, make the best decisions you can and continue to deserve their trust. Whatever you do, keep nothing secret from them.

     Next, meet with your crews and tell them all the things you just told your family. Remind them you're all in this together, that you're not superhuman, and that you're going to need them to support you and one another in the times ahead for the benefit of all.

     Be honest with the town council. Tell them specifically what you're up against, and let them know you'll continue to do your best to protect the interests of the public whose trust you all share.

     And finally, ramp up your own emphasis on the importance of communicating with all three of those groups—often, honestly and routinely.

     Thom Dick is the quality care coordinator for Platte Valley Ambulance Service, a community-owned, hospital-based 9-1-1 provider in Brighton, CO. Reach him at boxcar_414@yahoo.com.