As a public safety chaplain, I've thought long and hard about accountability. There have been very few times as a chaplain that I've had to be hyper-accountable for what I do, like when I worked in the hospital. Most of the time, nobody knew what I was doing with the time or resources given to me. I have also reflected on what first responders and the public share professionally with us, what we do and do not share in return, and the power of clergy privilege. Most importantly, I've thought about what is misunderstood about what we keep to ourselves and what we should be held accountable for.

Accountability is not just some bureaucratic chore. It's part of the foundation on which trust, effectiveness, and professional integrity are based. Even if nobody asks what we do, as believers in the public context we need to be able to give a defense for our actions. As public safety chaplains, we operate within complex systems of fire departments, police agencies, and emergency medical services that have demands for clear, ethical, and professional standards. Accountability keeps the chaplain effective in providing spiritual and emotional support within the confines of our faiths and in concert with standards and expectations from the organizations and individuals we serve.

Ethical Accountability: A Sacred Trust

Public safety chaplains find themselves regularly navigating emotionally charged situations that demand high confidentiality and ethical integrity. For example, suppose a chaplain is counseling a traumatized firefighter or a police officer experiencing moral injury. In that case, they must maintain confidentiality while taking steps to ensure that their guidance does not run counter to professional and ethical standards, first provided by our faith groups and then by our public safety agencies. Accountability in ethics includes the protection of sensitive information, integrity in decisions, and wisdom in handling moral dilemmas.

I remember one of the firefighters that were serving with me in South Carolina, who shared his fight with post-traumatic stress disorder. The need for confidentiality was very important, as was the need to balance my responsibilities with the fire department to ensure he received further assistance without breaching his trust. Situations like this highlight how important a well-defined ethical structure is to the chaplain's ministry.

Accountability for Professional Growth: To Grow

Professional accountability also calls for continuous growth and maintaining standards. It is important that the public safety chaplain is committed to ongoing education, current evidence-based practices, and certification processes for evolving first responder needs. Through almost twenty years as a chaplain, I have watched as advanced training in trauma-informed care, critical incident stress management, and suicide postvention has evolved and gotten better to enhance a chaplain's ability to serve. A part of the service we provide for our first responders and the public is the understanding that we are always at the leading edge on issues and training that affect them, giving them the best we can.

Accountability also extends to peer relationships. As a chaplain instructor, I emphasize the importance of peer review and mentorship in all my training. It has been well documented that chaplains who utilize accountability and peer support have the best mental and spiritual health. Accountability creates a culture of feedback where iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17) and care that ensures that chaplains refine their skills and remain accountable to their colleagues and communities.

Organizational Accountability: Bridging the Gap

Public safety chaplains serve in many respects as a bridge (and sometimes an advocate) for the people they serve and the agencies they represent. Accountability to the organization requires an understanding of departmental policies, the alignment of services with organizational goals, and a clear definition of the chaplain's role. It may be hard at times for a bi-vocational volunteer chaplain to put in the time to understand the department, but it is necessary for effective ministry. This alignment fosters trust and shows that the chaplain is committed to personnel and organizational objectives. You will be asked to leave if the department doesn't believe you adhere to department policies or goals. I have seen this many times when a chaplain comes with an agenda that does not necessarily align with the department.

Measuring Impact: A Necessity for Growth

Accountability also involves showing the tangible impact of chaplaincy. This is especially important when figuring allocations of budgets and staffing hours. Due to the nature of our work it may be a very soft field, but some metrics regarding chaplaincy can still be obtained. In any event, we have to search them out where we can. Those metrics demonstrate our worth as a division: how long it takes to get on scene, how many calls we ran, how many hours of service we provided, and what kind of tangible service we can provide. This helps tell the story of what we do as chaplains. This is why keeping an accurate record of our volunteer hours and service is important. Lastly, regarding growth, embedding research in our ministry actions--that is, evidence-based Chaplaincy--and allowing for program evaluation into Chaplaincy enhances effectiveness, thus securing the Chaplain's position as an integral part of the public safety team.

Conclusion: The Way Forward

Like our brother and sister firefighters and police officers, the public safety chaplain has proven to be a steward of earned trust in a world where emotions, spirits, and professions intersect. It is accountability-ethical, professional, organizational, and measurable-that guarantees the chaplain's calling is answered in integrity and effectiveness. By embracing these principles, chaplains will continue meeting the needs of those they serve while advancing the ministry of chaplaincy in public safety. Accountability remains at the cornerstone of a chaplain's enduring impact in a world where trust is hard-earned and easily lost.