Paramilitary structure in the fire service remains a relevant leadership and organizational issue. Battalion Chief (Ret.) Bruce Bjorge argues clear chains of command, accountability, standards, and recognition systems help firefighters operate more effectively during high-pressure emergencies. He suggests many departments have drifted away from these principles and should reconsider how structure supports culture, leadership development, and operational readiness.
Since I started in the fire service in 1984, I’ve been told the fire service is a paramilitary organization. I heard it early and I heard it often — sometimes in formal training, sometimes around the kitchen table, and sometimes when a grizzled veteran was reminding a young firefighter where they fit into the big scheme of things.
As a military veteran who served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, I understand firsthand the value of military structure, chain of command, and general order. But over the course of my career — across volunteer, combination, and career organizations — I’ve noticed something shift. There are fewer and fewer prior military members in our ranks. Depending on your perspective, that may or may not be a good thing.
This question came back to me recently while I was sitting in an awards review committee meeting for a neighboring organization. We were discussing what qualifies for service awards, and which awards meet the criteria for various submissions. Another committee member and I, both prior military, kept finding ourselves referring back to military protocol for awards as part of our deliberations.
It was almost reflexive. Neither of us had to say much about why our minds went there. That structure was simply part of how we’d been taught to recognize service, sacrifice, and commitment. And it left me asking: Is today’s fire service really a paramilitary organization? And should it be?
“The structure, discipline, and standards that brought order to chaos for generations of firefighters before us didn’t lose their value. We just stopped using them as intentionally as we once did.”
The Case for Bringing Structure Back
The more I think about it, the more I see the value in reclaiming some of the military structure and organizational discipline that brings order to chaos. That’s the warfighter’s mindset, and it isn’t unique to combat.
Over the course of a career, a firefighter will respond to a wide variety of emergencies, many of them chaotic, high-pressure, and unpredictable. Anyone who has stood in the middle of a bad scene knows how quickly confusion can take over when people don’t understand their roles. It makes sense that we’d lean on a military-like framework to bring order when our communities are at their most vulnerable.
I question whether organizations today fully appreciate the value a paramilitary structure brings to the fire service. The clear chain of command, the predictable protocols, the standards of conduct and appearance, the formal recognition systems — these aren’t relics, they’re tools. They help a crew move in the same direction when emotions are high and time matters most. They also teach new members that being part of something bigger than yourself comes with responsibility. And I think we may have set too many of these benefits aside without realizing what we were giving up.
What the Next Generation Actually Wants
There’s a common assumption that younger generations entering our service are pushing back against rigid structure. I’m not sure that’s true. My experience tells me today’s younger firefighters want exactly what most of us wanted when we came in: a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, and clear expectations about what they need to be doing and how to succeed.
Structure delivers all three of those things. Ambiguity does not. When a new member walks into a firehouse and doesn’t know what’s expected of them — how to address officers, how the rank structure works, what the standards are, how recognition is earned — we’re not giving them freedom. We’re giving them anxiety. I’ve seen that uncertainty on the faces of new firefighters. They want to do the right thing, but too often we expect them to somehow absorb the culture without clearly teaching it. A clear framework isn’t a cage. It’s a map.
That doesn’t mean every tradition deserves to be protected just because it’s old. Some things needed to change, and some still do. But there is a difference between moving away from unhealthy practices and walking away from structure altogether. In my opinion, the fire service still needs standards, expectations, accountability, and a shared understanding of how we operate together.
My Own Preference, and a Question for You
I’ll be transparent about my bias. My personal preference is for order, structure, and clear expectations so I know what I need to do as a contributing member of any fire service organization. That preference was shaped by my time in uniform, of course, and I won’t pretend otherwise. The military taught me structure is not about making people feel small. At its best, it gives people confidence, direction, and a way to function under pressure. I carried that lesson with me into the fire service, and I still believe it matters.
But I don’t think this is just about me, or just about veterans. I believe the paramilitary concepts we used to all embrace have a place in the fabric of the fire service today. Maybe now — given where our profession sits, given the leadership gaps many organizations are feeling, given what newer members are asking for — is exactly the right time to bring some of them back.
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A rigid paramilitary structure isn’t for every organization, and it isn’t for every person. I want to be honest about that. The fire service is not the military, and it should not try to become something it is not. But I genuinely believe it has value in our fire service, and that we’ve drifted further from it than is healthy.
So maybe this is something that has merit for you as you lead your organization forward. Whether you’re a formal leader with rank on your collar or an informal leader who sets the tone in your firehouse, this is a concept worth considering. The structure, discipline, and standards that brought order to chaos for generations of firefighters before us didn’t lose their value. We just stopped using them as intentionally as we once did.
Maybe it’s time we picked them back up.
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