Professional is, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary:
a: of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession b: engaged in one of the learned professions c (1): characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2): exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace.

What makes a professional firefighter? One who simply engages in the learned profession of firefighting? Merriam-Webster also defines professional as "having a particular profession as a permanent career," and "engaged in by persons receiving financial return." Therefore, a professional firefighter is one who is financially compensated for choosing firefighting as a permanent career.

Maybe. In the fire service today, the term "professional" is usually reserved for those who are a part of the International Association of Firefighters. The IAFF is divided into local unions, and is supported by state organizations such as the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, for example.

Firefighter union members are no doubt professionals. However, there are members of the career, call, and volunteer firefighting community that regularly demonstrate professionalism-those who are "characterized by or conform to the technical or ethical standards of (their) profession."

Professionals come in variations. There are career members of the fire service that are lazy, uncaring, unkempt in appearance, and unwilling to learn their profession. Conversely, there are volunteer members that regularly put forth the effort to maximize their abilities as a firefighter by attending training classes, wearing their uniform correctly, and acting appropriately at emergency scenes.

The opposite of the previous example is true, too, where call/volunteer members exhibit blatant unprofessional behavior, and career firefighters display exemplary professional performance. Firefighting professionalism is illustrated in different people in different ways, and is not restricted to rank or title.

This past year, on the scene of a fire that claimed the lives of an entire family, including three children, a veteran career fire captain commented to an arriving mutual aid company that "If you want to see a 'crispy critter' there's one by the front door." Inside the confines of a firehouse the terms such as 'crispy critter' are often quietly used by firefighters as morbid attempts at humor in order to exorcise the demons that they regularly face.

However, this comment was made on the front lawn of a multiple fatality fire with neighbors, family, and press on scene. Luckily, it did not appear that the comment was heard by anyone outside the cluster of firefighters. Had the public, particularly the press, heard the comment, the entire department would most likely have been embarrassed by this one officer's statement.

After a structure fire that gutted a small cottage and destroyed most of the homeowner's possessions, two firefighters were sent inside after overhaul to make sure nothing was left smoldering. While walking through, one call firefighter noticed a damaged eight-by-ten photograph lying on the ground, slightly singed with a broken frame.

He picked it up and placed it on top of the refrigerator, hopefully preventing it from further damage. While this small act may have gone unnoticed by most, the gesture remains a true act of professionalism, supporting the fire department's cause to protect life and property.

Job knowledge is an important aspect of professionalism. Willing to learn more about and refresh what is already known will only improve a firefighter's abilities. Reading trade magazines, attending training classes, keeping current with department equipment and tools all contribute to how a firefighter responder in an emergency situations.

Professionalism goes beyond uniform appearance. How firefighters act and what they do at the scene of an emergency is what the public, other agencies, and mutual aid companies from other fire departments observe. Professionalism does not always relate to a paycheck, but an attitude-an attitude that can make or break the image of the fire service.