Skip to main content

5 ways to destroy your firefighting career on social media

 

5 ways to destroy your firefighting career on social media

If you’re on the hunt for creative way to toss away that great career in firefighting, here the answer: Be irresponsible and reckless on social media

July 17, 2024 01:22 PM
man using a laptop.png

Many hiring fire departments look closely at applicants’ social media sites to ascertain character and suitability for a judgment-oriented career in public safety.

DALL-E

By Dr. Richard Weinblatt
FireRescue1 Contributor

You’ve survived years of schooling and training, along with a few good years in the fire service.

If you’re on the hunt for creative way to toss away that great career in firefighting, I’ve got the answer for you: Be irresponsible and reckless in your use of social media.

Yes, you too can flush all that prestige and honor — not to mention the little issue of being able to afford to shelter and feed you and your family — just by a few well-placed posts on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn or other social media account.

If you want out of that fire department job, I can almost guarantee that following the below steps will ensure that you can enjoy a life of leisure as a gainfully unemployed former firefighter.

This is also good advice for those pre-service individuals seeking to destroy their career before it even gets off the ground. Quite conveniently for you, many hiring fire departments look closely at prospective hires’ social media sites in a bid to ascertain character and suitability for a judgment-oriented career in public safety.

The below examples will certainly make your need to exercise good judgment abundantly clear.

1. Contravene Confidentiality


As a firefighting professional, you are trusted by your employer and have a duty to protect the confidentiality of information you obtain while serving your community. If you are bent on destroying that confidentiality, then by all means, do post pictures of victims of gruesome vehicle crashes on Instagram and release that detailed confidential source information in 140 descriptive characters on Twitters.

2. Bash your Boss


Be a die-hard First Amendment Free Speecher and air your feelings about your fire chief or lieutenant on your zero-privacy-settings Facebook page. Bash your boss by name. Use a picture. That’s sure to win him or her over to your point of view. Go even further and draw obscene objects on their posted picture.

3. Pornographic Pictures


While you’re on your combustible career crash, be sure to ride the wave of pornographic pictures that are all the rage on Instagram and Tumblr. Better yet, be sure to have parts of your official uniform visible hanging off of you with special attention to your department’s insignia (patch or badge – your choice) or your marked unit clearly visible in the photo. Throw in a departmentally owned weapon or two to get more bang for your buck.

4. Drugs and Alcohol


So, maybe you’re not the type to flaunt your nude or semi-naked body on social media. Another variation would be the open use of your favorite illicit drug in Facebook pictures. Be sure your face is visible as you use your chosen method of ingesting that drug and go that extra mile of identifying yourself as a firefighter.

If drugs aren’t your thing, take heart as drinking can also leave your career in ruins. Drunken behavior is always noticed by fire officials, so be outrageous in your actions. Heck, have some underage folks drinking with you in the picture for some real impact. For the icing on the cake, leave that evidence tag attached from when you swiped it with the department’s tag clearly displayed in the photo.

5. Racist Rants


Tired of being politically correct? Then go to the opposite end of the spectrum and put all sorts of racist, sexist and homophobic rants on your Twitter. Let your inner misogynist be public. Defense attorneys particularly appreciate when they discover any prejudicial or sexist attitudes that you have on display on social media and use them in court and publicly to impeach your credibility.

Make It Count


Whatever method or methods above that you pursue in the destruction of your career, be sure to do it while on duty. Use the department’s smartphone or computer, and have all of your social media privacy settings on open to the public. You should at least have the maligning missives go through the agency’s server. That will certainly give the administration some good grounds upon which to go after you.

In all seriousness though, contrary to the above examples of what NOT to do, responsible use of your social media is the route to go in the public safety field, as well as all other careers. Eschewing these websites altogether is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I don’t advocate going without social media — I favor controlled usage of them.

Social media can be used to further your firefighting career, as well as investigative and community relations duties. It can also be used to destroy your chosen career path. You control its use and a professional approach is a win for you, your employer, and the community you represent and serve.

About the Author
Richard B. Weinblatt has a vast background in media relations and in law enforcement. His column will help you understand how to deal with the media, how to communicate with them so they feel comfortable dealing you and your agency, and how to tell your story so it plays well on TV or in your local newspaper.

This article, originally published October 1, 2014, has been updated.

Comments

Post a Comment

Please no profanity or political comments.

Popular posts from this blog

Without President’s Signature, ROAD to Housing Act Becomes Law; Includes CU Board Modernization Act

WASHINGTON — The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law Friday without President Donald Trump’s signature after the president allowed the measure to take effect while Congress remained in session, choosing not to sign it in protest over the Senate’s failure to advance separate voter identification legislation.  The legislation includes the Credit Union Board Modernization Act, which reduces the frequency with which credit unions must meet and which had strong support from the credit union trade groups.  Trump announced on social media that he would not sign the housing package because the Senate had not passed the SAVE America Act, a measure he has championed requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. Under the Constitution, a bill becomes law if the president neither signs nor vetoes it within 10 days, excluding Sundays, while Congress is in session.  Scott Simpson ‘Steadfast in Commitment’ “America’s Credit Unions, our league partners, and cr...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Invest in Education - Invest in Tomorrow

 
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Inflation Cools in June Report, But One CU Economist Says There’s One Reason–And it Could Change

WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer inflation cooled more than expected in June, offering relief after several months of elevated price pressures, though economists cautioned the improvement could prove temporary as renewed geopolitical tensions threaten to push energy prices higher. The Consumer Price Index fell 0.4% in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, the largest monthly decline since April 2020, after rising 0.5% in May, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Compared with a year earlier, consumer prices rose 3.5%, down from 4.2% in May.  Foot off the Gas Dawit Kebede “Falling gas prices led June’s decline and pulled headline inflation lower year-over-year. Renewed hostilities could complicate the energy picture ahead, and a reversal in gasoline costs would be the most likely channel for that pressure to show up,” said America’s Credit Unions Senior Economist Dawit Kebede. “But softening core prices point to broader-based moderation, suggesting the ea...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

What You Might Not Know About July 4th.

Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

White Paper from WOCCU Examines How Stablecoins are Reshaping Financial Infrastructure

WASHINGTON– World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) has released a new white paper that examines how stablecoins are reshaping the financial infrastructure that credit unions and other cooperative financial institutions rely on to serve their members.  According to WOCCU, the white paper, How Digital Money Is Impacting Credit Unions, Part 1: Focus on Stablecoins , is the first in a planned three-part series exploring how emerging forms of digital money are affecting the global credit union movement.  “The report begins by noting that stablecoins are no longer a niche fintech development, but part of a broader structural shift in how money is stored, moved and regulated,” WOCCU explained. “As commercial banks, payment networks, technology firms and retailers build stablecoin offerings or integrate stablecoin rails into their platforms, credit unions must consider how these changes could affect deposits, payments, member relationships and long-term institutional relevance.” For ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

New GDP Data is ‘Positive,’ Clouds Clearing, Says NAFCU Economist

WASHINGTON–Although discussion and forecasts continue to focus on a recession in the U.S. economy, economic growth remained solid at the end of 2022, according to new federal data. Curt Long The Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, increased at an annual rate of 2.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022, down slightly from a 3.2% growth rate in the Q3. Consumer spending grew at a 2.1% rate, according to the Commerce Department data, which will be revised at a later date. “The big picture view of economic growth in the fourth quarter is a positive one,” said NAFCU Chief Economist and VP-Research Curt Long. “Much of that grow...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

NCUA Tells FICUs Crypto Trading is OK — If Big Exchanges Provide the Service

When it comes to reading between the lines of financial regulators’ advisory letters, tone matters. Take last week’s letter from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) which gave the federally insured credit unions (FICUs) it oversees permission to partner with digital asset providers to allow retail customers to buy, sell and trade in cryptocurrencies. Now compare it to the one issued by Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu’s agency to the national banks and federal savings associations it regulates a month earlier. On the surface, both said much the same thing: Financial institutions can provide cryptocurrency services (albeit with some notable differences: the OCC’s letter dealt with more back-end services, including custody services as well as holding and using dollar-pegged stablecoins for transaction settlement). Neither was enthusiastic. The NCUA’s letter said it “does not prohibit FICUs from establishing these relationships” — which is not as enthusiastic as “are a...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

The FedNow Service will launch in 2023 "Are you ready?"

The FedNow Service is a new instant payment service that the Federal Reserve Banks are developing to enable financial institutions of every size, and in every community across the U.S., to provide safe and efficient instant payment services in real-time, around the clock, every day of the year. Through financial institutions participating in the FedNow Service, businesses and individuals will be able to send and receive instant payments conveniently, and recipients will have full access to funds immediately, giving them greater flexibility to manage their money and make time-sensitive payments. Consistent with the Federal Reserve’s historical role of providing payment services alongside private-sector providers, the FedNow Service will provide choice in the market for clearing and settling instant payments as well as promote resiliency through redundancy. Financial institutions and their service providers will be able to use the service as a springboard to provide innovative instant p...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

The Federal Reserve has opted to make no changes in interest rates

WASHINGTON–The Federal Reserve has opted to make no changes in interest rates following the conclusion of its meeting here, but it has indicated it could move as soon as next month to cut rates if the United States and China isn’t able to find ways to resolve their trade dispute. As a result,  For now, the Fed left its short-term rate at a range of 2.25% to 2.5%. Eight of the 17 votings, Fed policymakers did predict there could be as a half percentage point decline in rates in 2019. In a statement following its meeting, the Fed did dial down a bit its forecast for the economy.   “In light of these uncertainties and muted inflation pressures, the FOMC will closely monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook and will act as appropriate to sustain the expansion, with a strong labor market” and inflation near the Fed’s 2% goal,” the Fed said.  Fed Chairman Jerome Powell in recent interviews has expressed concerns over what he ...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»

Fed Chair Says Inflation To Hang Around a Bit Longer; New Beige Book Data Show Why

WASHINGTON–The chairman of the Federal Reserve told the House the current increase in inflation is temporary, although it will remain elevated in the months ahead before moderating. Fed Chairman Jay Powell’s comments before Congress came on the same day the Fed released its Beige Book analysis, which found an economy showing increasing strength, but also suffering shortages of many materials and manpower. During his testimony before House Financial Services Committee as part of his semiannual monetary policy report to Congress, which he will repeat today before the Senate, Powell said asset valuations have generally risen as the economy has improved and investor risk appetite has grown. “Household balance sheets are, on average, quite strong, business leverage has been declining from high levels, and the institutions at the core of the financial system remain resilient,” Powell said. What About Inflation? As for inflation, which is of conce...
Post a Comment
Read Complete Article HERE>»