Good Boss, Good Firefighters

A study discovered that workers had different productivity rates depending upon the boss they worked with.

Is this your fire department’s system? For many it is. I agree that firefighters respond differently depending upon the boss. I believe it is critical that the boss be engaged so that operational assistance can be passed onto each member. The boss needs to be a subject matter expert or at least be willing to explore the subject. A willingness to try out new ideas while working within the parameters of current standards is essential if you want to hone your craft and learn how you can do it better.

The good boss is engaged and is on the lookout for opportunities to make the crew better. When it’s working, it is inspirational because people are free to think out loud and contribute. Remember, it’s their fire department and company too.

The idea of training is not to just learn the basics; it is about discovery. I recall training on wraparound elevator stair stretches and how they vary from a typical stairway stretch. The stairway is formed around the elevator shaft so it’s wider and breaks for a distance on every floor, and then repeats itself. Two of the biggest differences are the amount of turns (four per floor versus two in typical stairways) and that communication is restricted due to walled turns.

What did we discover during the training? We practiced how best to lay the attack line, but that’s the standard. We discovered that we should estimate a length and a half of hose to be used per floor. A standard stretch estimate says use one length of hose per floor which usually gives you excess hose.  In this case, with one length per floor, there was no hose left over and that was the discovery. Without some additional hose (wiggle room) a vertical stretch can become caught up on the turns. The line needs to be set away from the corners that snag advancement.

To be a good boss requires a sense of discovery and willingness to encourage that in your people. No matter how much you look around, more eyes find more. So how do you boost engagement and discovery? You put out operational challenges. You compliment discovery and make sure that people get credit as you pass the information on.

To equate value to discovery is also important because some things are more critical than others, both in operational efficiency and safety. Not all discoveries will work out and some will face objection and that’s to be expected. What you need to establish is an environment where things are tried and viewed with open minds before they are thrown out. Remember that disappointment must also be tempered because bringing a new idea to market takes time, hard work and convincing. Those ideas that truly assist us need to be formalized by the boss in official correspondence so that the job can learn from the discovery as well.

This passing on of learned experiences is both verbal and practical and is best transferred when the firefighter is open to it. Getting them to unlock to learn is the key and a good boss needs to recognize and seize those opportunities because they are often missed by distraction.

Good bosses know their people and can sense their engagement cycle.  Attempting to highlight something at the wrong time will become a wasted effort. Unless the information is life critical, wait for your opportunity. A good boss not only creates a learning environment, but they interject themselves at the right time in group discussions to deliver advice and share knowledge and official policies.

The obvious is probably already been written about. It is the discovery that awaits new print and new listeners.


Ray McCormack frequently lectures on leadership and his daily tweets can be read @LtRayMack