LEADING From Any Rank

By William “Trip” Barrs, EFO, CFO

From firefighter to fire chief, we all have a responsibility to be the best (fill in the blank) until we are ready to transition into the next challenge in our career. For the probationary firefighter just finishing their rookie training, this means having the cleanest, most highly polished restrooms and kitchen any firehouse has ever seen! In addition, there are the basic competencies and routines that you will need to become proficient in and then completely master…more on this later.

For the company officer and aspiring company officer, your responsibility is to demonstrate to the aforementioned probies, and the rest of your crew, what it means to be a professional firefighter or officer. The traits that you exhibit daily will not only be a big part of your legacy when you advance in rank or retire; they will set the standards that you can expect from those that you lead. Looking back on my career, I feel that the time spent as a company officer was where I had the most influence on making the department better than I found it.

Being a leader in the station and on the streets means having a well-developed sense of what to do in almost any situation. This ability comes easier to some than to others but can be developed by all with the right mix of education, training and experience. For the company officer, this means a foundation of coursework that teaches basic leadership, scene management, and supervisory skills with the opportunity to practice those skills under the watchful eye of a more seasoned officer This may take the form of mentoring after promotion or on-the-job-training while functioning as an acting officer. Regardless, you should be seeking out opportunities to learn something new each shift and being curious about things that you think that you understand but are not yet an expert at. This curiosity can lead you to learning about areas of our profession that you may not otherwise have been interested in, had you only attained the minimum required training for your position.

Finally, never stop bettering yourself and those you are privileged to lead. The fire service needs lieutenants and captains who have spent their entire careers becoming the best company or station officer that they can be. Promotion into chief ranks is not for everyone and should not be the only marker of a successful career. I have great respect for the 25-year company officer who has mentored countless younger firefighters and fellow officers, making a difference in the quality of both the current and future professionalism of the fire service. Think of how many future leaders a great company officer with the right mindset and willingness to pass on their skillsets can positively impact.

For those who would like to one day become a chief officer or the fire chief…. Don’t rush. There is value in touching every rank in the promotional ladder just as you should touch every rung when climbing an actual ladder. When making the leap from company officer to chief officer, spend time developing yourself and preparing for the most difficult professional transition that you are ever likely to experience. This should take the form of college level coursework in basic management practices as well as leadership training. If there is any confusion about the difference between managing and leading, clarify that and then attain at least a basic proficiency in both before moving forward.

You can manage a fire or an operational budget, but you can’t lead either. Nor should you attempt to manage personnel, they want leadership. Your crossed bugles may get them to do what you say, but real leadership is setting the example and convincing others that you can be trusted. Do these and they will follow you as long as you lead with integrity and respect for those you lead. There are some great programs available that can help develop these skills:

•National Fire Academy - Executive Fire Officer and Managing Officer programs

•Emergency Services Leadership Institute

•Fire Service Executive Development Institute

•Bureau of Fire Standards and TrainingFire Officer I-IV

More information about these programs is available at www.ffca.org/executive-leadership-development-section

And again, stay curious about leadership and always continue to seek out the training and experiences that may seem just a bit uncomfortable. This is where you grow and gain experience as a chief officer, being responsible for multiple crews or a whole shift and making the difficult decisions that stretch your abilities. As a chief officer, you will be required to make decisions that are not easily addressed in policy and require the application of all of your experience and professional judgement. Many times, you will be presented with no good alternatives and you will need to make a choice with no time to think, phone a friend, or do any research. Operating in these grey areas is what you need to prepare for and continually improve at if you want to be a successful chief officer. This skillset cannot be taught in any classroom but comes from practical experience and continuous self-reflection. The good news is that there are plenty of seasoned leaders who understand that mentoring and passing on their hard-won knowledge is part of being a great leader. Seek those people out, at whatever rank you hold or aspire to hold.

“Always be prepared for the next promotion before the testing or interview process is announced!” This sound advice was given to me as a young firefighter by one of the best leaders I have ever worked for or with since, and no, this person was not a chief officer and never desired a second bugle. If you are going to wait until a promotional opportunity is announced to start preparing, you are going to be way behind the curve and are truly missing the point. As professionals at ever y rank, volunteer or paid, new or seasoned, we should be learning all we can in ever y position we hold and then doing that extra bit of preparation to be ready for whatever the next challenge is.

As for the basic competencies that the probie was challenged to master earlier, being all in at this early stage of your firefighting career builds muscle memory for the hard work ahead. Becoming a trusted expert at whatever rank you hold means dedicating the same effort and commitment to learning right up until the day you retire. Start this behavior on your first day on shift and you get to spend the next 25 years setting the bar just a bit higher, improving our profession. You can bet that even though it appears that the probie is being ignored by the senior firefighters, they are watching and comparing your effort to the other shift’s probies. Take this opportunity to demonstrate your dedication to the job and to your coworkers, you’ll be glad you did, and it will make you a better (fill in the blank)!

Chief Barrs has an associate degree in emergency medicine, a bachelor of arts in organizational studies and a master’s in public leadership. In 2013 he received his Executive Fire Officer and Chief Fire Officer designations.He is active in the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association and is currently the Fire Chief for the City of Treasure Island.