Dear Nozzlehead: You’ve always written about the generous use of mutual aid, especially automatic mutual aid. But how do you manage those companies? For example, if you call Company A and they respond with four personnel, do those four people integrate into another group, or do they stay a team under their own officer?
In our area, we’ve always worked as a team on mutual-aid calls–not dividing our members among other teams. That way, the officer from our own department can keep track of us. What do you think is the best and safest way to use these members?
Additionally, I’d like to get your thoughts on this issue: One of our neighboring departments is a bit busier than most in the region. They are a darn good department, but they know it all too well. Calling them for mutual aid usually ends up with them taking over the call; there’s no chain of command except theirs, and even that is sometimes lacking. Rather than work with the on-scene commander, they do whatever they think should be done.
Even aside from the danger of a team or teams working independently of the incident commander (IC), it’s tough for the “home team” to be pushed off the scene. (I’ve seen the department at the scene of a serious MVA, where they literally surrounded the vehicle so the first-due “host” fire department couldn’t reach it.)
How do you integrate such departments into a plan? We’ve tried but, unfortunately, the standard result is that we disappear from all their alarm assignments. I don’t mean to take a dig at them. They are darn good, experienced firefighters, and I admire their pride in their department, but that pride can be a hindrance to teamwork, which hurts everyone involved.
–Trying to Play Well with Others
Dear Playa,
Your first question involved how I would manage mutual-aid companies. This is simple. If I am in command, they will do exactly as ordered. Some concept, huh? Let me repeat that. Be it one of my own companies, a far away company, a mutual-aid company, a company from Neverland Fire Department or wherever, they will (and know they will) do exactly as ordered. How else would a fire scene be commanded? That’s why we call it command, as in COMMAND and CONTROL. If not, perhaps we could call it “wishy-washy” or “not so sure what to do” or “fence-sitter” or “Eh”–you know, something really powerful to make it clear that NO ONE is in charge.
There should be NO QUESTION that someone–and hopefully a relatively qualified someone–is in charge of every incident you respond to. One company or 100 companies; your run or someone else’s run–SOMEONE MUST BE IN COMMAND. If not, the incident will get worse, the civilians will not be helped and we’ll get hurt–or worse. This is a time-proven fact.
Now, the simple answer to your second question: Don’t ever call that department for mutual aid again. Make them stay in their firehouse. Do not dispatch them. They are not welcome. Place them in time out until all the big childrens sit down and determine what every department is expected to do on mutual-aid runs–and what they are absolutely forbidden to do.
Now to the rest of this column where I really answer your questions.
Wait, forget it. I have to get back to the second question again because I’m still annoyed at the way that department operates. It’s 2009 and you describe incidents from 30 years ago. OK, OK, I know there are many departments where the leadership doesn’t get it–or doesn’t want to get it. Good. Then Beat It! (R.I.P., MJ.)
Now, back to the first part of your question, which is a bit easier to respond to. When a company arrives and the rig has a chief, a driver, an officer and a firefighter all on board, the answer to “how do you manage those companies” simply depends on what jobs you need performed. Generally, try to keep them together. They know each other; they know their strengths and weaknesses and related valuable knowledge. Personally, at minimum, I would want the officer and the firefighter (and driver unless the pump needs to be pumped) to work together either alone as their own group, throwing ground ladders, etc., or as part of another crew, stretching a line or searching. Like I said, it depends on the situation and which jobs you need done.
If the chief is needed as a part of that crew, then so be it–the chief may have to stay with that crew and do whatever command wants done. I know that can very well be the case in some volunteer or call departments depending upon response, staffing turnout and time of day. In other cases, when a chief arrives, that chief may be better suited to do something “chiefly,” like work on a budget. (Sorry, just kidding.) That chief may be best used in a boss-like capacity, such as an area supervisor on the roof, on a floor or on a related division.
So generally, to answer your first question, in an area like yours where there’s mostly a volunteer turnout, and a chief officer may be a part of company staffing, keep them together. If the company arrives with an officer and the chief is in a car, then it may work out better to use the chief for chief stuff. Keep in mind that even in a staffed situation, where the firehouse is staffed with on-duty personnel, if they only have two firefighters on duty and a chief responds on the mutual aid with them, that chief may very likely be included as a part of that crew’s assignment. But I cannot emphasize enough, as is the case with nearly everything on the fireground: The answer to your question depends on the conditions and the resources you have.
Now, back to the time-outers.
While not as common as it used to be, there are still “Do what we wanna do” fire companies, and this happens not because they WANT to operate like that (although they may want to); this happens because they are ALLOWED to operate like that. Their leadership, which is an empty white helmet, has failed. Their training is nonexistent or has failed. Just like when there’s no one steering a vehicle, it goes wherever the hell it wants to go–until it crashes.
The problem you have (or they have): Although they may be good at what they do, their arrogance and extreme luck feed their bad behavior. This is kinda like a professional athlete who’s really good but fails miserably at playing well with others. The coach is thinking “Geez, he’s so good and we do so well because of him, but his arrogance is killin’ the other players’ morale and drive.” That’s the issue.
But here’s the thing: While on the playing field, an athlete may occasionally make a difference in a catch or a throw, but they could never win the game without the support of the team. Similarly, on the fireground, no ONE person matters. The IC means nothing without a good crew. A good crew operating interior can fail miserably if there’s not a good IC outside doing the coaching or other companies supporting that initial company. A firefighter making a grab may be the only one actually doing so, but they could not have affected the rescue without OTHER firefighters. This is absolutely a team activity.
Any fire department or company that thinks they can do it all, when they want, how they want, is in for a rude awakening. And those companies around them may very well pay the price for their unqualified arrogance with lost property, lost civilians or lost firefighters. They can have pride, genuine pride, but if that pride isn’t focused on their ability to function as a part of the overall fire scene, under strong command, then their pride is fake, empty and simply self-serving.
Forget the ego-feeding nonsense; the bottom line is that well-trained firefighters and a strong fire company commitment to the overall effort under no-nonsense command and control are what make a successful fire scene. Anyone who thinks differently needs to go do something else. Anyone who ALLOWS anything less than that needs to strongly reconsider their ability to command. The difference in what we do and what athletes do: Although it’s a team effort, what we do isn’t a game. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who has experienced a line-of-duty loss. Game over.
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San Diego, CA 92101-4495
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