Dear Nozzlehead: I was recently promoted to “first-line” company officer in my department. I know what the fire officer classes, the conference speakers and “the books” tell us to do, but what’s your advice? How long have you been a fire officer? I love the badge, the new helmet front and all that stuff, and if I didn’t have to deal with PEOPLE, this would be the BEST position on the fire department. Seriously.
–Newly Promoted in Pa.
Dear Newly Promoted,
How long have I been an officer? Well, when Ben Franklin and I discussed the forming of the first volunteer fire company, I was able to shave. Not funny? OK. Fine. I’ll git-r-done.
I’ve been a line fire officer since 1979, and I rode two rigs in my firehouse: a 1958 Ward LaFrance and a 1968 Hahn (Google those!). So although I’m no kid, I’m no old guy either. Well, that’s how I see it anyway. I try to remain open-minded, but I’ll admit that it is hard to change. On the other hand, we have no choice.
Look, I ABSOLUTELY love being a firefighter and a fire officer, so to stay in the game, I’ll change in whatever way I have to. For example, I recently completed a brand new Fire Command Program (50 hours of online self-study and testing, followed by 24 hours on a simulator), and to tell you the truth, although I loved it, it wasn’t easy to start thinking a little bit differently. But that’s what we’re expected to do, so we do it–or, at least, that’s what we should do.
Unfortunately, we all know those folks who haven’t been to fire-related school since they were a probie, or those fire officers who take an officers’ course–and that’s it! It’s a problem. So that’s my first bit of advice: Understand that being a firefighter, not to mention a fire officer, is a lifelong learning process, and if you’re not ready for that, go back to the jump seat. Your acceptance of the officer position is an acceptance of the fact that you will NEVER stop learning. This will benefit you and those who trust that you have a clue about what you’re charged with doing: supervising, leading, managing (with LEADING being the most critical). So set the example and decide what your next level of training will be. Will it be online? Great. In a classroom? Cool. At a seminar? Wonderful. Maybe something at the college level? Perfect. Or even a fire school? Superb. Just plan on doing something to set that example.
I could provide pages of advice, especially advice based on how badly I’ve screwed up over the years. In my career, I’ve tried to accept that, as hard as I try to avoid it, I’ll probably screw up. And although I try to not repeat the screw-up twice, it’s often the third time that seems to be the charm. Further, I’ve found that more often than not, my screw-ups are related to the fact that I have great difficulty understanding that not everyone in this business LOVES it as much as I do, and I’m fairly confident I’ll carry that “little issue” to my grave.
Following are a few pieces of advice off the top of my head (and the heads of a few friends).
Despite the seriousness of our business, the social aspects of the fire service often take a front seat to what we’re here to do. You now have serious responsibilities, so take them seriously!
Always place the safety of your members before anything else. And that may also require that you put your members in harm’s way. Some members may question your judgment, but your first responsibility is to keep them safe and send everyone home, including yourself. You cannot be of service to anyone if you become part of the problem. A good friend of mine, who lost several firefighters under his command, says, “The goal of any fire department is to help people with a problem while doing our best to not become part of that problem.” Few know better than he does.
Some firefighters want to “play” on the fireground. They want to freelance. They don’t want to use all their PPE. They like to grab a hoseline and do what they think should be done. They break out some windows because they want to. They ignore staging orders and standard operating procedures (SOPs). They drive past staging areas right into the scene and do what they want to do because they know what’s best. Funny how that works in some areas. The videos are out there, and the close calls are well documented. The LODDs are well documented, too.
Some clowns with only a few years on the job believe that they know more than a chief with decades of experience and training and who’s in command on a run. Odds are that the chief will fix that very quickly so it never occurs again. Better yet, you, the company officer, need to ensure that the discipline starts in the firehouse and continues in training and fire operations so this stuff NEVER happens. It can’t! The bottom line: Discipline helps save the lives of civilians and firefighters. Run a disciplined company. The days of playing on the fireground must be over, and it starts with you.
Try to be consistent. That’s not always easy considering that people are not consistent (at least consistently correct), so do your best. One of the BEST ways to do that is to follow your department’s SOPs/SOGs. After all, you’re an SOP enforcer now! If you can’t do that, you can’t succeed as an officer.
Your emergency operation is a direct reflection of your expectations away from the emergency scene. In other words, if your expectations in the firehouse are lacking, your scene operation will most likely be lacking, too.
As hard as this is, friendships must take a backseat to responsibility. Some will understand; some will not. Those who don’t understand probably weren’t solid friends anyway. This helps sort them out–and saves you money at Christmas time. On the other hand, don’t be a jerk. Keep your ego in check. And also, keep your ego in check. Please work daily to keep your ego in check.
You passed a test and were given your badge. Now you must EARN the respect of the majority. Some will grant you that authority without question, but others will want to challenge your position and decisions. When you’re right, hold your position. When you’re wrong, be honest and don’t try to BS your way out of it. Firefighters can usually see right through the BS. It won’t be easy to admit that you screwed up, but it will help people understand who you are. And while you’re talking, stop and LISTEN. If you think you talk too much, you do. Listen to your firefighters, the senior and experienced officers and the chiefs. Really LISTEN!
Remember, everyone has an opinion. Always be respectful of your superiors and your subordinates. Respect doesn’t come with the rank; it comes from the respect you give others.
Here are just a few more quickies for you:
- Be early. No matter how early the day is supposed to begin, get there at least 15 minutes before the others. When you’re early, you’ll be prepared and you’ll have a chance to catch your breath and get a plan together.
- Don’t go anywhere without a pen. You can’t possibly remember everything so write it down.
- Do the hard stuff first. If you start the shift by completing the stuff you don’t want to do, you’ll be motivated to get through it so you can get to the more enjoyable stuff. And participate in all this stuff. You’re a company officer–not a king!
- Just because you’re a boss now doesn’t mean you know everything. When you think you know what someone is saying, try to say, “I understand,” be instead of “I know.” Act like you’re actually interested. Better yet, be interested. There are probably people in your company who’ve been firefighters for at least as long as you have. Their perspectives can be helpful in making decisions.
- Be fair. Remember, you won’t be judged by how you treat people you like; you’ll be judged by how you treat people you don’t like. That should be fun, huh?
- Stay in decent physical shape. You still go to fires, so physical fitness is important. Eat well and exercise.
- Be direct and honest. Tell people what you need from them. Give clear expectations so they understand what you need and want. Make sure they hear you, that they understand and that you’re confident they can complete the task.
- Understand that there’s a learning curve. Much like when you were a probie, it will take some time for you to be comfortable in the position. Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions of the more senior officers. Other opinions are important, especially those that come from your supervisors. With the badge comes a “blank” personal hard drive that you can start filling with good information and advice.
- Remember that you and your members are in the public eye and everything is being recorded. The public takes their cues from you, as do your members. You’re the “adult” now so act like one. Act as if your mom is on one shoulder and your chief is on the other. Think of the worst fire officer you ever worked for, and do the opposite of what that person did. You and your crew will be how people experience the fire service. There may be times when you need to be stern with members or civilians. But more often, being nice will get you what you need and want. So as Bruno says, “Be nice!”
- Do your job. One of the chiefs whom I respect most in the world reminds his officers and members about this regularly: Trust me to be the chief, get the “chief stuff” done and know my job 100 percent. Trust the assistant and deputy chiefs to get their stuff done and know their job 100 percent. Trust the duty chiefs (battalion or district chiefs) to get their stuff done and know the job 100 percent. Trust the other company officers to get their stuff done and know their jobs 100 percent. And trust and ensure that your firefighters get their stuff done and that they know their jobs 100 percent. Be an expert at your job. Your life and other lives depend on it. If we all adopt that attitude and give 100 percent to know our roles and responsibilities, things have a better chance of working well.
Hey Newly Promoted, can your department and community trust YOU to get your stuff done and to know your role and responsibilities 100 percent? If you can say YES to the above, and you try to be nice and not a jerk, you’re on your way to success. Good luck and enjoy your new role!
