Top 10 Realizations of a New Fire Chief

I started this blog site six years ago.  It began with the intention to expand mentoring within the fire service although it has transitioned into a place where I relieve my frustrations and let others know that they are not alone in their fire service related concerns.  

I thought that it would be neat to look at my career, department, and life the way I did when I started this blog.   My first post was meant to be inspirational… looking at the past year and pledging to be a better officer the next year.  I want to maintain that attitude and while my life is vastly different now than it was six years ago,  I am committed to continual development and improvement.  

With that lets get to my to ten realizations learned over the past year as a Fire Chief. 

Number 10:  Never give up staff positions until you fully understand the situation.

While many will have their opinion on my biggest mistake as a new chief,  I firmly believe the biggest (to date) was to give up a second deputy position.  To be fair,  it hadn’t been filled for a long time and when I came in,  it was difficult knowing who I could trust and who was out to trip me up.  I fully expected to be able to add it back when the justification existed.   I have since realized that it is very difficult to add new positions and I would have been better off freezing it until I had time to fully analyze the situation.

Number 9:  Your badge and position come with its own history and failures that are now yours whether you deserve them or not.

I knew starting in a new department was a doubled edged sword.   While the people did not know of my past failures or issues,  they also did not know my reputation or track record of being a solid firefighter and caring leader.   What I did not realize is that the badge of chief came with its own history that was now mine to own.   Every mistake of previous administrators was stacked against me.   I promised to give everyone a clean slate when I arrived but I started off with every mismanaged decision,  every untruth ever told,  and every failed project.  It doesn’t seem like a big deal but when some of my predecessors didn’t have a great reputation,  I suddenly found every honest mistake I made being met with hyper criticism.   I hadn’t built the trust or history with this department that I once had.   If I had made the same mistake in my previous department,  it would be less critical as people knew who I was and how I operated.

Number 8:  Every decision made will positively affect some but negatively affect others.

I have always strived to find win / win scenarios when dealing with issues.   While I know that it is impossible to always find a win,  it didn’t stop me from trying.   What I quickly realized is that for every good intention decision,  it would negatively affect someone.   I hate to think this is a numbers game but  when dealing with over a hundred people it literally became a decision based on what’s best for everyone that would have the least number of negative impacts.   I guess if I didn’t care about people the decisions would be easier but I remember working for these managers.   Every decision easily defended based on cost savings,  efficiency,  or to meet a standard.  I don’t want to be a great manager,  rather a great leader.   I know I have managerial restraints but I also know that a balance can be maintained.   Is it difficult?   Hell yes it is!   Is it worth it?   Again,  a resounding yes!

Number 7:  Take time for yourself and develop a healthy work / life balance.

I struggle with this realization.   I remember telling my wife that the first year was going to be difficult as I had to play catch up and get to know everyone in the department.   That was truly an understatement of the reality.   I could work 24/7 and never get to the end of my work.   I refer you to my article on the top 10 things that keep a chief awake at night.   With so many issues,  it is hard to take any time off for those of us who take this job seriously.   While it is difficult advice to follow,  the deputy mayor constantly reminds me that things weren’t broken over night so they can’t be fixed over night.   I have taken up fishing, which my kids and wife love to do but still haven’t mastered a good balance.   This lesson learned is easier to talk about than to accomplish.

Number 6:  Own up to mistakes and pass on credit.

Notice I didn’t say own up to “Your” mistakes.   That advice is easy and will help build a leader’s credibility.  Go back to the understanding that when you are chief,  everything good or bad in you department is your responsibility.  Pass on the congratulations when your team performs well and take the hit for less than adequate performance.   While you should take the hit,  don’t forget to follow through with the issue to correct it and help the individual or individuals learn and grow.  I find myself accepting the blame associated with lesson number 9 a lot. 

Number 5:  Stay away from politics but don’t be blind to their existence.

I have read articles on both sides of the fence concerning Fire Chiefs and politics.   What I quickly realized is that I have no business being involved with it.   I am not blind to the fact that my job has political impact and influence however,  without knowing how far the players reach,  I found myself in a dangerous place.  What I focus on is being the best fire chief that I can be.  While I haven’t successfully navigated a political change,  I have watched others who have.   These chiefs have embraced politics but stayed out of the mix.   I’ll let you know how this lesson goes in the future!

Number 4:  Remember the various levels of “team” you belong to and prioritize your loyalty correctly.

As you advance your career, it is easy to forget where your priorities lie.  For me I have learned to hold my family as my primary team.  I took this job only after soliciting family support.   You cannot be a good or great fire chief without support at home.  Missing family events is inevitable but you can’t sacrifice your family for your job all of the time.

My next priority team is at City Hall with my boss and peers.   While some may say I should consider my department as the next priority, wait till the end to see how I cope with this.  This level of team is where I can do the most good for my department.   Every department I have ever worked at felt like we were the proverbial “red headed step children” of whatever organization we belonged to.   While the fire service is different,  we owe it to the larger organization to fit in as well as we can.   I tell people that we cannot expect to sit at the table and get more than scraps if we do not fit into the bigger picture. 

My third team is fire department managerial staff.   Who wants to work for someone who doesn’t have their back and let them make decisions?   I have to support,  recognize, and give priority to those I trust to run things.

My final team in this example is the department as a whole.   Now comes the explanation as to how I can still keep them in mind with all of the other levels of team above them.   In order for me to keep my priorities straight and still be able to look out for my department as a whole,  I have to align each subset with the goals and direction of the higher level.  This includes communicating goals or directions that lower levels want to have accomplished so they can be included in higher priority team planning.

With this example,  I must ensure my family is willing to support me with the decisions I make,  my boss and peers need to know that I am considerate of their needs and direction,  my supervisory staff have to have a clear picture of what is going on,  and it all translates into working to make the department better for the team.

It is easy to lose sight of your priorities but refocusing will provide the best results.   It is impossible to please everyone,  but if you maintain your priorities you will be more consistent and be a good team player on all levels.

Number 3:  Do not be afraid of setting high standards.

Especially when walking into a new organization,  you need to clearly set yourself up for success.  I found myself walking the line between setting a higher bar and not making major changes.  It is difficult to expect people to immediately accept the new vision but I firmly believe firefighters are built to overcome any challenge set in front of them.   If you set the bar too low there will never be any major momentum.   The higher you set the goal the more you have to be prepared to navigate the resistances you will face.   Again,  don’t be afraid but don’t expect it to fall in place without a ton of personal effort.

Number 2:  Find a mentor because you shouldn’t complain down the chain and it is lonely at the top.

Following a core leadership principle where complaints go up and praise goes down the chain,  it is hard to handle the stresses you will face.   When the proverbial buck stops with you,  it is easy to take on more than you are capable of handling.  You need to find a support network full of people at the same level.   It is difficult to even talk to peers within your organization because fire departments are so different.  

It also became clear to me when my wife left town on a trip with the kids that I do not have a huge pool of friends anymore.   I don’t think you have to distance yourself from subordinates but if you choose to use work as your primary source of social interaction,  it is full of problems.   Again,  there has to be life after work,  generally of your friends are all from work,  you will never get to put down the helmet and not be chief.  

Mentors are a huge part of my success.   Varying degrees of experience and access to their leadership styles help keep me balanced when I’m facing issues.  It also helps when they call with their issue so I know the grass is the same on all sides of the fence.   Ultimately,  others can help you grow and learn.   Find a mentor and be a mentor!

Number 1:  Know who you are and what you stand for prior to becoming a chief!

My wife, mother,  and pretty much anyone who has known me for any amount of time will acknowledge that I am a strong-willed individual.   I can’t imagine doing this job if I wasn’t confident in who I am and what I stand for.   Every decision made, no matter how good the intentions are, will end up upsetting someone.   While it is ok to admit failures and regroup,  you cannot be completely wishy – washy.   Know where to draw the hard lines and at the end of the day make sure you can still look yourself in the mirror.  

I’m sure there are a ton of life lessons I will gain from this new experience but one thing is for sure,  I am grateful for this position and have come to fully understand the weight of the bugles.   Be safe and make sure you are learning everyday!

Supplementing a “Slow Department’s”Experience

If your department or organization is like mine then you may be looking at a situation that would have scared the crap out of our predecessors.  This issue is promotion due to necessity rather than a true representation of experience needed to be successful.  From my limited perspective, of the local area surrounding my department, I see many of us forced into finding someone who can check the NFPA standard or certification boxes on the job description whether they have real experience or not.  An affectionate term one of our captains has given to these people is “paper firemen.”  All certifications and education but no true experience.  It is almost a complete 180 from our predecessors who were truly baptized by fire and may not have ever met the standards.  While I fully support an educated fire service, as with all things there must be a balance.  Just because I have read every book about thermal dynamics and fire strategy / tactics, without experience to back that knowledge, I am effectively blind to the truth.

I shudder to think of someone being an officer (or engineer) without having several (preferably more than you can count with your socks off) true working structure fires under their belt however; being a manager, I know I only have two options in an experienced deprived department.  I either can destroy the morale of my people and hire from the outside, or work with what I have.

Since I view turning to the outside, as an organizational or leadership failure to provide for the continuity of the team; I cannot accept defeat due to the lack of call volume.  So the question remains:  How do you provide necessary experience in a department that lacks the call volume to provide it?

In simplest terms, the only way to supplement (notice I did not say replace) experience is to increase the validity of the training and education.  While I did not see a ton of “true working fire” as an Airman in the United States Air Force Fire Protection, I did have the pleasure of attending a world class fire school and multiple monthly training fires. While many will argue that training fires today are too controlled, making them useless in preparing someone for the “real thing,” compared to not having any live fire training it provides better results.  All of those training sessions provided more than a little heat to a hose drill.  They developed a sense of ease with elevated temperatures, eliminated the primal adrenaline response to fire, removed apprehensions about gear and equipment limitations, educated me on thermal layering, showed me my physical limitations to heat, and provided a controlled environment to practice strategies/tactics. In the absence of the “real thing” providing legitimate training is the best concept.

This concept can be applied to any task we know our people need.  Who wouldn’t want to cut up a car for extrication training rather than read a book or worse yet death by powerpoint?  What I am trying to point out is that the training has to be as real as possible to have an added value and without that added value, education/training cannot be translated to experience.  The smaller or slower your department is, the more you must focus on innovative ways to seek out experience. One note on this methodology, the more “real” the training is the more it can hurt someone if not done properly.  Extra caution should be taken to ensure the safety of the training!

Let’s look at a few examples of adding value to what would typically be routine training:

Rather than raising ground ladders at the station or training tower, go into your local area and ask residents if you can raise a ladder to their home in exchange for cleaning their gutters.  You’ve just added a new environment to make people aware of hazards, created an opportunity to provide a good community interaction, and had to deal with challenges not typically faced at the training ground (trees, roots, wires, gutters, ect).  One ladder thrown in the same spot does not equal the experience of throwing multiple ladders in varying environments.  This added value translates to usable experience on the “real thing.”

Do you always go to a vacant parking lot to pull hose lines?  Why not go into your local area and randomly ask a citizen if you could pull a hoseline to their front door?  You would be surprised how well you will be received when you offer to practice protecting THEIR property.  Again, compared to a check the box scenario in a parking lot, this value added training provided learning experience based on hazards, obstructions, distance between the road and doorway, and other limitations due to environment.

When discussing building construction, stop at someone’s house and have the crew evaluate the outside signs indicating interior layout (window size/placement, stair positioning, plumbing vents, ect).  Once they make their guess on where the bedrooms and other functional areas are, ask the resident to conduct a free in home inspection.  Again, when you show an interest in THEIR property or THEIR lives the training in rarely ever turned down.

In a world that has become safer, we are still the guardians of those who will need us.  Being in a slow department can easily lead to complacency which is a fatal mistake.  Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.  Rather than seek outside experience to alleviate the coming issue of promoting people without experience, drain every drop of experience out of your training by adding value to it!

 

 

 

 

 

Regaining Long-Lost Employees

While working on the book I am writing, I approached the subject of the different types of employees we find in our departments.  With a high concentration of Type A personalities, as found in most fire departments, there is one employee in particular that merits some additional attention.  I imagine that we all know someone like the person I am about to describe and each one of them, while similar, will have a broad spectrum of reasons for being that way.  This type of person is known as a disenfranchised employee (DE).  Many business leadership books list the DE as someone who used to care, perhaps was a star employee, and is now hurting the agency.  In the business world this accounts for lack in productivity, poor work environments, and a slew of problems that eat at a company’s bottom line.  In the fire service these people represent a growing number of “burned-out” employees that can put people in danger.

The old school way of thinking would dismiss these people, toss them to the side, with remarks pertaining to their inability to “make it” as a firefighter.  While this seems like the easiest and fastest fix, it fails to understand the merits of the individual and account for the cost associated with their training and experience.  In many cases, the brightest burning stars are the quickest to burnout.  The first question that needs to be asked is “what caused them to change?”  Identifying the personal or professional issues that caused the change is the first step to re-engaging the individual.  Word of caution though, we are not mental health professionals and do not need to act like it.  You do not have to dive into the personal life of your employees the analyze what went wrong.  A simple understanding of their situation will suffice.  Some common personal causes are: divorce, money problems, unhappy home-life, sick or dying family members, or lack of support at home. There is very little that we can do about these types of issues beyond acknowledging the problem and offering an employee assistance program. The more common issues that we can handle revolve around professional causes. Some of these include: lack of acknowledgment, not being validated, failure to progress, constantly being limited or micromanaged, lack of personal accountability within an organization, and having a perception of being mistreated.  While many of these problems are employee specific, there is also something to be said for noticing trends.  When multiple personnel show signs of being DE, there is often a bigger problem within the organization.

The question remains, “How do you re-engage someone who has become a DE?”  On a personal level, they need to have a reason to be connected to the organization.  No one, especially firefighters deal well with feeling like they are not needed.  Employees much like fire need specific components to grow.  I like to think of it as a spark, fuel, and air.  Finding a role that utilizes their specific talents is the fastest way to create a spark.  On its own, the spark is not enough to breathe new life into the employee.  The next component is fuel.  Just like a fire you cannot add too much or too little fuel if you expect growth.  The fuel is a two part formula that includes continuing projects to provide opportunities for success and positive reinforcement with honest feedback.  The final component is one that takes an experienced leader to understand.  Air in its simplest form means that the leader needs to give the DE room to succeed without leaving them feeling abandoned again.    Best case scenario, this career CPR will bring a DE back however, if wide-scale problems are present, individual action will not be enough.

On an organizational level, several DE’s are a sign of poor leadership/management practices.  Drops in morale, lack of advancement opportunities, failure to hold people accountable, and micromanaging supervisors are generally the root of the problem.  The effects are further compounded when the DE is a supervisor.  Our attitude as a leader is highly infectious.  Poor attitudes seem to be even more contagious than positive attitudes making it more difficult for positive attitudes to survive.  The biggest question in this scenario is how do you as a company officer fix DE problems that may stem from higher levels of management?  This is one of those “easier to explain than to do” scenarios.

You have to be persistently positive.  Find ways to give DE’s spark, fuel, and air while pushing for management changes.  Help to reestablish the organizational image.  Throughout an organization’s progression, the failure to pass on core values and pride will lead to senior personnel becoming DE and prevent newer employees from ever truly engaging.  Give credit where credit is due, stop “blanket policy” fixes, and treat people with respect.  No one wants to be a number, they need to be accepted and validated as important members of the group.   Failure to re-engage these employees will further support the perception that employees are numbers as they either leave or are let go and are replaced by newer, less experienced personnel.  This scenario is one that can be more rewarding than a traditional conflict resolution since you are not only fixing a problem but bringing back someone who use to be a strong performer.

I want to close with one of my favorite quotes….. “If you are not apart of the solution, you are apart of the problem.”

 

Thoughts on trade theory and the fire service.

While studying for my International Business class, I began to look at globalization and trade theories which attempt to explain the best practice for making the most while lowering cost.  Throughout my studies, I try to look at ways in which the material I am learning for business can be applied to the fire service.  Although I am sure I am not the first to look at the subject of reducing costs without reducing services, I like to think this idea has merit.

Without confusing the politics and nature of the theories as they relate to globalization, the one theory that interested me the most in relation to the fire service is a free-trade theory known as absolute advantage.  Basically, this theory states that some countries can produce certain goods more efficiently and by focusing on what they are good at they can afford to import other products they are less efficient at producing.  Here is the point where everyone reading this is scratching their head and wondering how it applies to the fire service.

Translation:  If each department focuses on something (rescue, HAZMAT, ect.), while creating automatic aid agreements to share their specialty/receive specialties with neighboring departments; then the result is a more diverse, more efficient, and better quality of service to the entire area.  Many departments try to be a one-stop shop which can spread resources, manning, and money pretty thin.  If interdepartmental organizations are created so that the burden of expense can be spread out over the members, the benefits can outweigh the cost.  The current economy has every politician and decision maker looking for ways to cut costs.  If your department is trying to be a stand alone group of specialties, it is not only wasteful when looking at the bigger picture it can also lead to some severe safety concerns.

Consider the number of hours it takes to obtain, recertify, and stay proficient with each skill set firefighters are expected to perform.  At a certain point, it becomes impossible to maintain proficiency with every single thing.  If you are like me then your “I Love Me Folder” is full of pieces of paper that certify me as proficient in the class I took.  The number of hours required to maintain firefighting, emergency medical, specialized rescue, and command proficiency is outrageous.  Now imagine the benefits of focusing on the basics and one or two extras.  I can either maintain mastery on a few things or barely skate by with many.  At the point in time when someone’s life is in jeopardy, would you want someone who skates by and fumbles with a task or jumps right in with the refined skills

As the fire service continues to progress, the need to combine resources, share across borders, and downsize government will grow exponentially.  After centuries of expanding, the only hope for government agencies including the fire service is to find ways to cut costs without placing our people in danger or reducing the level of service.  Bridging departments and expanding brotherhood/sisterhood relationships is the key to survival and excellence.

 

Are you abusing your position?

 

This subject is one that I never thought would have to be discussed in the fire service however, I have heard more than one complaint in the past few months that would classify as abuse.  Once someone receives their gold badge, there is an inherent responsibility that must be assumed for your crew.  Although you are responsible for their personal safety and professional growth, they are not your slaves.  They are not placed in your care to do the things you no longer want to do, especially if it is of a personal nature.

When it comes to an employee questioning something an officer has told them there is a tendency for  officers use the “because I’m the officer” defense.  This defense is a cop-out and should be backed by policy, procedure, or guideline.  Expecting your firefighter to cook for you, clean up your messes (beyond daily station duties), arrange or checkout your PPE, babysit your kids, or wash your car is an obvious abuse of your position.  Other abuses are less obvious and often justified as “training opportunities” or “character building.”  Making your firefighter do your reports or finding meaningless tasks for them to accomplish is unacceptable.

The arrangement, checkout, or cleaning of PPE is a personal responsibility.  You cannot expect nor make it mandatory for someone else to take care of your Personal Protective Equipment.  Furthermore, if something is missing, broken, or dangerous to use; you cannot punish or get upset at them.  If they put your gear on the truck, it was a courtesy and you are still responsible for it.

When it came time for my crew to learn the report system, in preparation for advancement, the steps for teaching were clear.  Have them watch me do it, help them do it, watch them do it, and eventually let them do it (with spot checking).  If they are able to do it on their own, it is not their responsibility to do your work.  In my case, if someone wanted to do it for practice or because they were good at it, I would help do their work and still follow up with what they did.

Getting a gold badge does not give you a free pass to kick your feet up and relax.  The truth is that the badge is meant to represent that you are capable of doing more than those without the extra bugles.  I prefer to think of line officers as lead firefighters.  With that mindset, it is easier to keep things in perspective and prevents poor management practices.

The final types of abuse can directly or indirectly be the officer’s fault.  Mental, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse/harassment can destroy a department.  If an officer is allowing the abuse/harassment to occur or even worse, participating in the problem, there are serious consequences that can happen.  Beyond embarrassing the department, officer, crew, or employee; the stress can destroy someone’s life.  We are charged with sending everyone home in the same or better condition than they arrived to work in.  This covers all aspects.  Monitor your people and be the professional they need you to be.  Beyond having a happy and productive crew, you will also find that your job becomes easier.

If you are not apart of the solution, you are a part of the problem!

 

 

Making Mistakes Work for You

 

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.”
– Elbert Hubbard

Throughout my career, I have consistently heard the phrase that we are in a business that doesn’t accept mistakes. For the most part, I agree however, that attitude has a time and place. With that logic, the next question is… When are mistakes ok?

I tend to have a different perspective on mistakes. For the longest time I did everything in my power to avoid them and in some cases, this fear of failure limited my potential. The unjustified fear of failing kept me from returning to school sooner than I did, altered career choices to stick within my comfort zone, and led to avoiding risks both personally and professionally.  The lesson learned from this is being less than perfect and making mistakes comes with life.

In previous posts I have discussed accountability and owning your mistakes.  As an officer you have to be willing to take this concept one step further.  Give your people room to grow and (if not life threatening) make their own mistakes.  I can be told something a thousand times but occasionally it takes me seeing the consequences to fully understand the choice I made.  Don’t rob them of that experience.  The sooner we realize that mistakes are going to happen and turn them into a positive learning experience, the better things will be in the long run.

One of the big issues within departments is the transition between the old school and new school firefighters.  Many old school firefighters were brought up in a department that did not tolerate mistakes, pushing the boundaries, or trying new things.  Today, firefighters demonstrate the desire to explore new techniques, practices, and equipment.  For me, the fire scene is not the time to test theories, practices, or equipment so I expect crews to follow established procedures however; the training environment, with safety protocols in place, and a reduced sense of urgency is another story.  Do not hamper someone’s desire to find a better way.  Even the most experienced officer can learn something new on the training grounds (even if it is what doesn’t work).  Again, with caution to unsafe practices, letting someone find out for themselves why things are done a certain way as opposed to their “new idea” is one of the best experiences for everyone involved.  Who knows, maybe you have a genius riding in the back seat that will revolutionize the world of firefighting.  Odds are stacked against them however,  allowing mistakes to be made is a powerful training tool.

 

Building Loyalty and Respect

I recently had a request to write an article on building crew loyalty and respect.  From the standpoint of an established officer with a proven history, this concept isn’t very difficult however; being a new or acting officer can leave you at a major disadvantage in this crucial area.  The question remains: how do you establish and build these key components needed for proper team development?  Although there are many books and articles you could read, I have found the solution to be much simpler.

The golden rule I was taught as a child is often the fix to many of a company officer’s problems.  “Treat others the way you want to be treated!”  When I look at building respect the first step is to give respect.  To build loyalty the first step is to give loyalty.  Depending on your competence level and confidence, the time needed to see a return of that investment will vary however, if you don’t initiate the process don’t expect your peers or subordinates to do the work.

The second part to this which if you are already having problems may be a little late to consider is setting up the right attitude before you become a leader.  The way you follow your superiors will often be the way your people will follow you.  If you are a good follower and become a leader, the ability to demand higher of your subordinates will appear less hypocritical and genuine.  Take the example of a guy/girl that is always bad mouthing their leaders behind their backs.  When they become a leader, what precedent have they set as acceptable behavior?  You cannot expect someone to get your back when they know you are always stabbing people in the back yourself.

Here are some things you can do to facilitate building respect and loyalty with your peers and crew:

– Act with INTEGRITY, Speak with INTEGRITY, Listen with INTEGRITY!  INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY!!!

– Explain your intended goals and how you intend to get there.

– Immediately start to consider and correct the way you are treating people.

– Seek out classes and opportunities to better yourself to show you deserve the loyalty and respect.

– Do not partake in gossip!  You cannot expect loyalty if you are talking behind someone’s back.

– Maintain an “open book” personality, what you see is what you get, no hidden motives or agendas.

– Stand up for your crew and yourself!  If you make a mistake own it, if your crew makes a mistake, own it!

– Handle things at the lowest level possible, no one likes a tattle tale especially when the tattle tale is their leader.

– If someone tells you something you have to report, tell them you have to report it and give them the chance to report it with you rather than throwing them under the bus.

– Know who you can trust when discussing issues (hint: when in doubt you should be able to go to a higher rank).

– Become a stable person.  It is hard to back someone who is never in the same place emotionally, physically, or intellectually.

– Stick with it because it will take longer to build loyalty and respect after you have already lost it.

Like any other relationship, building the loyalty and respect needed to have a functional team will take time.  The process in never ending and even the best leaders can destroy years of work with a single mistake.  In my opinion, he best way to have the crew you always wanted is to be honest, keep an open line of communication, and avoid damaging the progress you have already made.  Integrity is key to every step and often begins with an internal look.  If you can be honest with yourself, it will make being honest with everyone else easier.  Beyond that just follow the golden rule “Treat others like you want to be treated!”

Just because you have the green light on your vehicle doesn’t mean you are in “Command”.

  I love writing on here because I can be honest. And since I don’t write for a published magazine I don’t have to be PC.  Those of you who know me, know I am a “no nonsense – call it like I see” it type of person.

Being an incident commander takes an experienced, level headed thinker; someone who can stay ahead of the incident curve, someone who has a complete grasp of what is occurring, about to occur and may occur.   The Incident Commander (IC) shouldn’t be too proud to develop plan B or even C, step back and look at the big picture.  He or She should be able to effectively manage a scene through not only observations from the ICP (Incident Command Post) but also through reports from his/her resource leaders.   Taking command of scene operations and effectively managing resources takes more than the ability to click on the green strobe and use fancy terms such as sector or division.  Do you truly know what you are doing and why you are in Command?  Should you be in Command?  Captains and Lieutenants, when placed in this role will you have all the tools in your tool box to effectively operate?

I’d like to touch on a few things I have seen over the years in different parts of the country during my brief career.  This isn’t meant to criticize any group but rather to help correct some errors I see taking place and to help the next generation assume these roles without learning from poor examples.

1. If your department just recently (last 10 years) adopted a more formal Fire Ground Command system (FGC) after the 2004 Presidential Directive than there may be a few in your department that think you are on the cutting edge and setting a trend.  Don’t be fooled, the ICS model has been around for more than 30 years and been being effectively used in its present form for over 20.  For more information on this Google “FIRESCOPE” and “Why was ICS developed”

2.  Be an effective communicator.  If you can’t talk on the radio, maybe its time you gave it up or sought some training.  Nothing like instilling faith in your guys by having them hear the IC stutter and stammer for words and forget what a skylight is called.  Develop a professional radio voice and manner of speaking.  This not only sounds cleaner and more professional, but communicates more effectively.  We have all been on the scene where radio traffic is overwhelming and air time is at a prime.  If you can say it in 5 words, dont use 50.   Remember the duck- calm on the surface and paddling like hell below. And yes, this takes training and practice.

3.  Know your recourses.  Know what will be or what is coming to your alarm.  Know what they carry, their staffing and what they are good at.  Your $70,000 Tahoe with its LED’s, Laptops and Phone’s wont put out the fire or mitigate the incident.

4. Know the incident.  If you are looking through the windshield and at anytime you don’t know what your looking at, call for help.  There is no shame in calling for resources or even another IC who has more experience, but there is shame if a lack of foresight has put any brothers or sisters in danger.  At any point I should be able to open that passenger door of your command vehicle sit with you and ask you 3 simple questions:  What do expect in 10 min, what will your actions be by then (actions of crews) and what if that benchmark isn’t reached? (Plan B)  If it doesn’t go your way are you going to just throw resources at it? Or reevaluate and asses current strategy and tactics.    I like the old military term: FART.  Fall back and reassess tactics.

5. Use effective division of labor.  The whole idea behind this thing is to create a chain of command and unity of command, so set up your incidents so that everyone reports to a supervisor.   If you have interior operations taking place, set up an interior division.   Let me touch on this a bit, as I see this as one not used enough.  I am not a big fan of divisions on the exterior of the structure.   Yes they can see smoke, but what about interior conditions?  The best resource for this is someone inside – hence: Interior Division. Charlie side is great for Safety and perhaps if you have an exposure or potential for extension I can see a division, however to be communicating with this guy (or gal) about interior conditions and making decisions based of his information alone isn’t correct.   This is a great source for keeping an eye on smoke, don’t get me wrong.  But do they know how to read it?

Ok, back to Interior Division- This generally would be your second due captain through the door.  Reason for this is, your first due captain is probably working.  He or she doesn’t have time to deal with managing resources.  In addition to that, in ICS, additional structure is only added when needed.  So if you are managing one resource there is no reason for additional structure; now you send 2 companies in plus 2 from your first due Ladder for search,  now you have the need for that line of communication inside.

This is huge and I can’t stress it enough.  If you don’t do this on the simplest of incidents, you won’t on the larger or your small incident will get large and you will already be behind.

6. Listen to your guys.   Yes you are the Chief, everyone knows it.  They can see your brilliant white shirt from across the incident, you have nothing to prove.  Yes, you have the final say.  But you also have experienced guys inside or on the Charlie side.  Listen to them and use them.  If you are on a HazMat scene and you’re a Chief who only has awareness level and your Captain is a tech- Guess who knows more! That’s not to challenge you as a commanding officer or a leader; but if you choose to ignore those resources, you better believe they will begin to doubt and challenge you.

7.. Understand tactics and strategies.  Keep up with the latest strategies and tactics used by resources.  Not just the ones defined in your SOG’s but alternative ones as well.  If a company told you they were on scene with a confirmed rescue and were going to VES on the Charlie / Delta corner, would you know what that was?

8. Don’t fall into the trap of following a script.  Many departments in an effort to work well together in a boundary drop or automatic aid agreement have developed SOG’s dealing with operations.  These are extremely helpful but can also be a trap and make the IC lazy and unable to deviate when needed.

9. Continue to learn and develop yourself as an IC.  I am trying really hard to stay away from leadership in this article and focus on operations; but the 2 are so close at times.  A good leader will have trust of his crew on and off scene.  A good and effective leader will know there is always room for improvement and will seek to better at his/her job.  Learning, studying, reading magazines, networking and lastly implementing changes on the scene or training ground.   If you don’t believe me with regard to interior division, try it on your next job.  You may be retiring soon and feel like “you cant teach old dogs new tricks” but you obviously feel its important enough to still come to work; why not continue to develop yourself into a better IC and Chief for your guys.  You never know who you could teach or influence and even more importantly, learn from.

FDIC Report finally completed

Fire Department Instructor Conference 2012

Here is the fruits of my labor.  Although it was written to my department, I hope that everyone takes the time to read it.  I presented the information with every attempt to leave personal bias out of the information.  With that being said, I need to say that I do not agree with all of the material being presented.  Hope you enjoy!

Complacency Kills

In most cases, complacency will result in the death of a business due to a lack of innovation and progression in a competitive market however, in the business of the fire service complacency can result in actual death.  This complacency does not have to occur on the fire-ground itself, in fact most of the complacent acts begin long before the bell goes off.  Consider yourself to be in the same line of work as a soldier in a war-zone since both have the same deadly consequences.  Do you think the soldier’s first time checking out his rifle occurs during a firefight?  I bet not!  Do you think the first time a soldier trains on strategies and tactics is as he is entering a building full of insurgents?  I bet not!

The truth is, that we are given ample opportunities to prevent death by complacency prior to the emergency tones going off.  The basics of our job is what kills people.  Firefighter doesn’t check out airpack, air pack fails, firefighter dies.  That is the direct line of complacency killing someone.  The less noticeable line occurs through years of “checking boxes” in regards to inspections, training and other mundane tasks.  This type of complacency becomes a tradition that is passed down through the generations of firefighters.  It may not kill you or your crew but a generation or two down the line, it will.

As an officer, there should be a generous portion of energy expended to combat the complacency that occurs when people are required to do the same thing over and over.  Getting involved, incorporating different aspects of training, and requiring your crew to maintain proficiency are all ways to combat this epidemic.  Ultimately, whether on an emergency scene or sitting at the breakfast table with your crew, complacency has the potential of death!