With the high stress and low satisfaction among all in the public safety arena (police, fire, EMS, dispatch and corrections) it is becoming more difficult to hire and retain dedicated emergency responders.

Dr. Valerie Davis maintains that “team decision-making improves the effectiveness of intelligence practices that depend on team members sharing information, brainstorming ideas, addressing conflict, and reaching a compromise as a unit.”

Therefore, it is imperative that we hire, train, and retain the best, the brightest, and the most cohesive team that we possibly can. To keep the best, we must continue to grow and develop this elite team of the first line of homeland security. 

Team building means more than seeing who has what strength and who is the weaker link. It means working alongside one another knowing others’ core values. Additionally, it should be noted that the most effective teams also understand how team members make decisions based on the way their brain works versus a “personality defect.” 

When all of public safety works together as an elite team, as a professional unit, everyone wins.