Are we destroying our ability to be professional?

摘要

When I was a young firefighter back in the 1970s there was only one means of getting a qualification that would be recognised for promotion within the service. The Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) had been for years setting examinations in Britain for use across the Commonwealth. The qualifications were at three levels, i.e. Preliminary, Graduate and Member. This centralized British system was not an ideal situation. Why Hong Kong firefighters had to learn how to put out thatched-roof fires was a talking point, but nevertheless those graduating had an internationally recognised qualification and a great grounding in firefighting theory and practice. Many countries used this standard for recruiting people at middle to senior ranks. Unfortunately, some countries only used the IFE for internal promotion and still made fully competent firefighters go back through a recruit programme 'because their fires are different to everyone else's'!