By David J. Kryger
As a leader in the fire service, career or volunteer, your responsibilities are the same. How are you leading today?
Is your firehouse still run like the fraternity in the 1978 movie “Animal House”? Or are you now more like the show “Chicago Fire”? Of course, these are just metaphors for some firehouse culture but, to the point, what type of atmosphere is cultivated in your firehouse by your leaders and members today? Leaders, are you still supervising like it’s the 1980s, 1990s, the early 2000s?
Some of today’s mandatory training standards are different than 20 years ago. In many departments, we now have annual mandatory workplace violence training, workplace sexual harassment prevention training, etc. While we are at it, let’s be honest, many mandatory trainings come from past incidents, so, I ask you, have you shifted your firehouse culture to one of proactive from reactive?
There is so much to discuss in regard to this question, so much case law that has been established by the courts, which has, in turn, molded many departments’ policies today, and it is imperative that you are aware of the changes in acceptable workplace behavior, especially as a leader.
Just in the past 30 years alone, in the United States, career and volunteer fire departments have changed exponentially. What was tolerated years ago is not tolerated today. Once again, this begs the question, have you changed with the times? I would venture to say that there are some, and I stress, some, standards, practices, and behaviors that were acceptable then that still are today. However, if you have been in the workforce for even just the past 20-30 years, you have seen a whirlwind of change, and this applies especially to supervision. Some of the hazing, ribbing, and harassment that occurred and the unsafe practices/environments that employees experienced mostly are or should be a thing of the past. We have become a very litigious society, and leaders should be cognizant of this fact.
To be clear, I came into the volunteer fire service in 1988, and at that time, there was some hazing and fraternity level pranks. You did what you were told, you didn’t question what was going on, and you never talked back to a supervisor, but at least, in my experience, there was never anything illegal or intentionally harmful to your physical well-being. The members wanted you around, but they also wanted you to experience what was known back then as a rite of passage. It was an indoctrination into the fire service and the comradery among the firefighters, yet some of that behavior is generally not tolerated today.
How we talk to our members today is different from 20 or 30 years ago. Back then, we did what we were told, we assumed the way we were spoken to was a form of acceptance, we didn’t question being spoken to in a condescending or sarcastic manner, we thought it was just building our character–and for many of us, truthfully, it did. There are some people who will feel that was acceptable and there are some who will feel that it was not. The difference today, for several reasons, what was tolerated by us back then is not tolerated by people today. In an era of political correctness, it is easy to overstep today and sometimes verbal toughness, an off-color comment, or shenanigans may be perceived as harassment or hazing. The skin is not as thick today as it was 30 years ago; be that as it may, it doesn’t mean that people today are wrong, it’s just different, and leaders should adapt and ensure that their staff adapts.
Do not get me wrong: I am not naïve. I do know that some of these behaviors of the past shouldn’t exist at all, and I do know that many of these things still occur in the workplace today, but there are more policies in place, more training to create awareness, and more avenues for reporting illegal or unethical behavior than ever existed in the past. As a supervisor, you MUST be aware of your department’s policies, rules, regulations, and local and federal statutes that apply to the overall environment of your workplace. This is not the 20th century. As a supervisor, you ARE responsible for maintaining a safe, clean, harassment-free, discrimination-free, hostile-free work environment for your employees and you, as a leader, are entitled to just the same, with the support of management.
It is YOUR responsibility to report inappropriate, unethical behavior in the workplace. If someone says something that is offensive, even if it is not directed at you, but you or a third party heard the comments, YOU can be held accountable. If any employee reports to you an instance of harassment, discrimination, hostile work environment, etc., you should document and report the incident in accordance with your department’s policy, municipal law, or federal law (whichever is applicable) regarding such behavior. This is not only for ethical, integrity purposes, but you may find yourself in the middle of a lawsuit or subject to disciplinary action should you choose to ignore these complaints.
There are so many variables that help you form your leadership style. Some of these variables include, but are not limited to, your age, how much time you have on the job, the workplace environment in which you grew, your mentors or lack thereof, your co-workers, and much more. To touch on one such variable, age, if you have been on the job, career or volunteer, for more than 30 years, then you have seen the changes; you have a sense of how things were and how they should be today. However, if you have only been on the job for the past 10 years, then you came on under different accepted practices, and if that is all you know, then your perspective and expectations may be different from seasoned supervisors. This may cause a rift between two leaders, but it is imperative that they find some common ground for the culture of the department today.
I have worked with a countless number of supervisors over the years, most of them good, progressive, and forward thinking, but some were stuck in the Stone Age. It is not imperative that every rule change, that every supervisor constantly changes his style, but you have to keep up with the times. If a change is made as a requirement for safety purposes or legal reasons, then you MUST adjust. If a change is made for efficiency, then you should adjust. If a change is made for behavioral reasons, then maybe what you did 10, 20, or 30 years ago is no longer tolerated today. Supervision is a living, breathing, multi-faceted process. I worked for some bosses who refused to change their leadership styles and they were removed from their positions, or they experienced extreme resistance from their staff. The adage, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” does not bode well, especially if that method wasn’t safe, wasn’t legal, or just didn’t get the job done as efficiently as the new method.
There are many professions that constantly evolve, and the fire service is among them. Given today’s propensity for fire to burn faster and hotter due to the chemicals in today’s products, we adjust our firefighting tactics. So, too, should we adjust our training, our equipment, our behavior, and how we communicate with others as leaders.
Do not be that supervisor who buries his head in the sand. Do not be the smartest person in the room. Listen to your staff. Review your policies and procedures annually, or at least every few years. Evaluate your tactics, your training, and your equipment. Pay attention to how others in your line of work do the same job that your department does and assess if there is a better way. Are people being trained in safer, more efficient methods with better results? Are the tools they are using effective, and would the staff benefit from them? As a leader, do not be afraid to ask others, “What can you teach me?” Regardless of how many bars or stars you have on your collar, ALWAYS be willing to learn. I am 50 years old; I have 34 years in the fire service and was a chief in my department from 1998-2004, yet today, I drive, I ride the back step, and I still ask other members to show me today’s tactics and best practices. Never stop learning.
As a leader working in a new firehouse, one of the first things you should ask the staff/members is, who is your senior member? Some of the best leaders are those without a title, those who possess a wealth of knowledge of the specifics that make that firehouse tick. The one who is respected by most and looked to by the bosses in that house. This is the member who may not be interested in the promotion, is not looking for a title, but is all too happy to step up and be the lead firefighter. This is the person who the bosses look to, the impromptu boss, and that member will generally be your best source and the most reliable. This senior member asks for nothing in return and has earned respect just by stepping up.
Be open to change if it’s applicable, and if the old methods work fine, then it may be okay to stay the course, but be sure to evaluate on a regular basis. Be progressive. I’ve worked for supervisors who just make their staff bang their heads on the desk because the supervisor will not entertain any change. The supervisor thinks that there is an ulterior motive in every request, so he either makes that staff member jump through hoops or just ignores him. Either way, you are impeding potential progress. If that is your idea of leading, then maybe it’s time to consider retirement and let a new, progressive leader take the reins.
When supervising in the 21st century, it is important to address social media. Social media, like it or not, plays a large role in supervision and leadership. There is much to discuss, but I will just hit on the highlights. Unlike in the past where companies may interview references that you provide on a job application to verify your character, many companies today include a review of your social media platforms, if applicable. Here is where a lot of supervisors and prospective supervisors get themselves into trouble. When management wants to get a gauge on how you will represent or are representing their company, they will search your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media platform that you may use to express your opinions or thoughts on topics. In some departments, you are more than free to express your feelings and thoughts on social media; in others, you may not.
Today, many departments have social media policies that limit employees’ or members’ freedom of expression. There are several court cases regarding this limited freedom. However, even if a department doesn’t admit it didn’t promote you based on your social media posts and pictures, it’s not always easy to prove it. What is the safest way to ensure that your social media posts and pictures will not come back to haunt you? Think before you post: Does this portray who I really am? Does this paint the picture that I want people to see of me? Is this something that may question my decision making as a supervisor? Is this something that would portray my department in a negative light to the public that we serve?
The best rule of thumb is, do not type or post anything that you would not say or show to your management in a meeting room, face to face, in person. I understand social media has its place and can be used in a positive or benign manner, but never let it be the source that judges whether you would be or are a good supervisor or leader. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but never forget, once your post goes public, it will be out there forever, and you can rest assured someone may find it and use it against you in the future.
If you are ever called into court to testify in a work-related hearing, any attorney worth their salt will find your posts and use them against you. I know of a police officer that used to post on social media that all perpetrators were savages. One day, this officer was testifying in court and the defense attorney asked the officer, “Have you ever referred to persons arrested as savages? Of course, the officer stated, “No, never,” and the defense attorney submitted into evidence a printed copy of that officer’s social media page with the savage comment. Now that officer’s credibility in all future cases will come into question because he lied and made a generalized public statement about all arrested people. The same can be used against a supervisor during a staff termination hearing or lawsuit.
At the end of the day, whether career or volunteer, as a leader in the fire service, you have a great responsibility to your staff, your members, your department, and the public that you serve. Your integrity, your self-respect, and treating your staff/members fairly should help define you as a leader.
bio:
David J. Kryger is a member of West Haverstraw (NY) Volunteer Hose Co. 2 and a police officer in the Haverstraw (NY) Police Department. He previously was a Rockland County SWAT hostage negotiations team member and commanding officer. He is the author of Supervise from Center, Lead by Example, published in May 2022. He is the founder/chief executive officer of Sunset Security Inc.
