Firefighter Awards: Boost Morale With Recognition

Employee morale is important in every job, perhaps even more so when it comes to firefighters. Men and women throughout the U.S. standby 24/7, prepared to respond to an emergency at a moment’s notice. For some fire departments, volunteers are also an important part of the team. The very nature of duties, whether paid or unpaid, place firefighters with a risk to their own personal safety while they protect the safety of others. Boosting morale and keeping it high is important to the success of any fire department. Here are just a few reasons why recognition is worth the effort:

Recognition Makes People Feel Good

When people feel appreciated, they feel happy. Research shows that happiness within the workplace spikes productivity as much as 12 percent and results in better collaboration among employees.

At the end of a long shift, it’s easy to carry the stress of the day home to family and friends. Employees and volunteers who feel appreciated at work tend to return home in a more positive mood. While firefighting is no doubt an intense lifestyle, boosting morale by recognizing the effort and celebrating success makes a demanding career a little easier.

Recognition Creates Trust

Firefighters need to trust one another and the leadership that governs them. As emergency responders, their lives depend upon knowing that others “have their back.” Receiving recognition from supervisors, or anyone higher up fosters a sense of trust.

A simple thank yous and firefighter awards acknowledging the appreciation can increase trust as much as 90 percent among employees and their boss. In comparison, for employees who receive no recognition from their boss, only 46 percent indicated they trust their boss.

Recognition Leads to Retention

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the job market for firefighters is expected to grow seven percent between now and 2026.  Applicants with paramedic training and who are physically fit have the best job prospects.

In 2016, the last year for which data is available, fire departments across the U.S. responded to 353 million calls. This is three times as many as in 1981, even though the U.S. population increased by only 42 percent during the same time. The percentage of fire calls fell to less than half during this period while medical emergencies accounted for 68 percent of calls.

The bottom line is that our nation needs and depends upon qualified firefighters in times of an emergency. Retention of employees who provide this critical service to our communities is imperative. In a study conducted by the Department of Labor, when asked why they had switched careers, a majority of employees cited the lack of respect they felt in their previous jobs.

Firefighter retention is important because it is an especially hard field to replace when it comes to qualified staff. Recognition makes employees happy and happy employees tend to stick around, willing to answer the call and to risk their lives.

Recognize Your Firefighters with Firefighter Awards

Firefighter awards are a great gift that shows how proud you are of someone for their work as a fighter. The value of  firefighter awards lasts beyond any ceremony, as it serves as a visual reminder of the department and the community’s appreciation. The best part about it is you don’t have to wait for a special day. Every day is special and firefighter recognition can and should happen throughout the year.

G&L Trophies and Gifts specializes in quality fire and police gifts at affordable prices. Owned and operated by a retired law enforcement officer, G&L invites you to browse their incredible selection of firefighter trophies and awards. A simple gesture of appreciation can go a long way in boosting the morale of your fire department, order your department awards today.