Every Fire Officer is An Instructor

Pictured here, Capt. James (J.P.) Early, JCFD.

As a Fire Officer, you are an Instructor; whether you intend to be 

or not...

Like it or not...   Believe it or Not...    

INSTRUCTOR: To be or not to be; is the question.

Pictured above is a good friend and great Fire Officer, Jimmy Early, Engine 15, Jersey City Fire Department.  Jimmy is a walking, living, breathing, human encyclopedia on Fire Service Hydraulics and Engine Company Operations.  We've known each other for more than twenty five years.  I have always been impressed with his passion, knowledge and, yes, love of Firefighting.  We both worked busy houses and the Rescue Company.  We both commanded busy Engine Companies, in the same battalion.  "I had his back and he had mine".  In other words we trained our crews together.  We studied.  We played "What if..", before we got to the fire scene.  If he got to the fire, with the first line, he knew I had his Back-up or Supply line; whichever was required. And  I knew full well, "Lining in", that I was covered by a knowledgeable officer, with a well trained, capable crew.  We both recognized the importance of training.  We both recognized that, with incidents down and the mass exodus of so many experienced fire officers, we would have to document everything; review the basics everyday; talk to our crews and cohorts. 
... and teach, and teach, and teach.

Fire Officer Trust is attained when learning has taken place and we all know what to do.  To be a good officer you must become a good instructor.

I continue to encounter Fire Officers who:   "have their time in"; have seen it all;  have done it all ; and feel that they have nothing else to do, in the Fire Service.  Yet, they command crews of younger firefighters who do not have the same "wealth" of knowledge or experience. Well, Officers, those firefighters selected that house or piece of equipment because of who you were and what that rig means in the system. But you refuse to train them or even check their progress/readiness. If you are not eager to train and/or share your knowledge...then why are you still there.  You do your firefighters and the public a disservice, by your very presence!   I even urge those younger firefighters, who feel that they are not learning and growing, to leave.  Get out!   Run!  Your life depends on it.

As a Fire Officer, you hold a critical position of authority, trust and responsibility.  You agreed to take the job.  With your accepting of the position came the duty of becoming an instructor.  Many departments already require all officers and officer candidates to be certified instructors.   Sadly though, many do not. 

Fire Officers: To everyone that you come into contact with; the public, subordinates, cohorts, colleagues, superiors and other responding agencies, you are an instructor.  You are either teaching them what to do or what not to do; intentionally or unintentionally. Your decisions, lack of decisions; your actions or  lack of actions; your attitude, voice, intonation, expression all teach others about you.  

  

...you must be prepared and knowledgeable.

Your day to day activities require you to instruct.  Instruct the public on Fire Safety and Fire Codes. Instruct new firefighters, officers and other agencies on procedures, regulations or new equipment.

You must be prepared and knowledgeable.  When you are, they will have confidence in you.  They will trust you ( #fireofficertrust ). You will be able to accomplish more when that happens.  The worst type of officer is the one that does not train, is not prepared and unsure of how to proceed; members will question or worse challenge your decisions.  At the very least, they will become hesitant or reluctant to carry out your orders. 

What Can You Do To Become Prepared and Knowledgeable???

I'm glad you asked that question.  Read, study and take courses.  There is so much information in the libraries (yes, they still exist) and on the Internet.

Take courses.  The National Fire Academy, local colleges and universities, trade shows (FDIC, Fire Expo, etc.). Many of your own departments offer great opportunities for learning and training.  Find out and pursue the necessary steps to become a Certified Fire Instructor.  Contact your State Agencies to determine the requirements and certification process. 

In the interim, Read!  Check out our book list: The Fire Officer's Book Shelf   There are so many great publications on Fire and Emergency Services.  These courses are good to expand and reinforce some concepts that you may be practicing, with your particular agency.  They are great for expanding your knowledge-base and giving you a different perspective on longtime standards in our industry.

Finally, Share!  Share what you know and even share what you don't know.  It's OK to say, "I Don't Know, but I will find the Answer". 

It's Criminal, as a Fire Officer, to say, " I Don't Know and I Don't Care!"

What do you think?

It's a Service and a Commitment

"A Service and a Commitment". Battalion Chief John Alston, of the Jersey City Fire Department, gives the Keynote Address to the 2012 Fire Recruits, graduating from the Union County Fire Academy.  The ceremonies were held on the campus of Union County Community College; Cranford Campus.

"Our beloved profession is a Service and a Commitment.  Fire Officers must clearly understand their roles as Servants to our internal customers and external customers (TQM)."

"We must also make (and keep) our commitments, to ourselves, family, coworkers, organization, the public, stakeholders and other agencies within our service delivery model."

Thanks for Stopping By

Anyone that knows me... knows that I like facts, figures and analysis.  As we post and move items over to this blog, I noticed a bump in the traffic this evening.

A big thanx goes out to the folks from Fire Engineering for featuring our "Fire Officer Trust Blog".

  Fire Engineering Blog Posts

If you're visiting us from the Fire Engineering Site: we welcome you and recognize your commitment to the Fire Service and the desire to stay informed.  We welcome friends "Old and New".  We know that you recognize the benefits of sharing information.

I have set a goal for posting new information on Tuesdays & Fridays (God-willing and the creek don't rise).  That's my commitment to you.  Should I miss the mark, you have my permission to give me grief.   I am focused on exploring the concerns, opportunities and observations as they relate to  Fire Officer Trust.

As I see so many friends and mentors leave our beloved profession, I am mindful that we have to leave something for the next generation.  With incidents down, we have to share information and train more This technology is seamless and ubiquitous to the current generation of firefighters.  Our training and information exchange must be likewise.

...and I want you to know that I have been listening.  You wanted a better font and less prose.   I hope you enjoy the font...LOL.

We're always looking for great comments and thoughts. For a blog to stay relevant, there always has to be give and take...

The Art of Leadership

True Leaders:

Many aspire to Leadership, but few understand its true nature.  Leadership is not an ego game.  True leaders have vision and place the goals of the institution above their own interests.  True leaders realize the importance of the people working with them.  True leaders are not only open to good ideas, but also have the courage to implement them. - j. donald walters

 A few years ago, I (@j_alston) read a book by J. Donald Walters titled, "The Art of Leadership".  At the time, I thought it was a short and simple read.  Oh how wrong that turned out to be.  Since the first time I picked it up, I have been carrying it with me for about 11 years.  It continues to yield great insight and confirmation.  It has also been published under the title, "The Art of Supportive Leadership"; How very telling that title appears to be.  It tells me that, being a leader, is not always the idea of getting support from the people you work with; but moreover being supportive of them as well.  It is reciprocal. Their is a flow of energy, ideas and support; that is continuous. Symbiotic, as it were.

There are so many books on Leadership and Management.  It is sometimes hard to choose the right ones.  There are books that are specific to Fire and Emergency Management Services; and then there are those like this one that provide those critical nuggets of wisdom; those bursts of clarity that guide us, ever so gently, towards the right path.

Some of what I got from it:

• Understand the Nature of Leadership (It's about people, "DUH"!)
• Lose the Ego (Easing God Out)
• Have Clarity of Vision (Knowing who you are and your purpose)
• Never lose sight of the goals of your institution or organization
• Recognize the importance of the people working with you (Collectively and Individually)
• Be Supportive
• De-prioritize your own personal ambitions, as they relate to others and your organization
• Be open and receptive
• Give value to the opinions of others
• Have the courage to implement action and change course when necessary

WHERE THERE IS RIGHT ACTION...THERE IS VICTORY.

- Sanskrit Proverb

more to follow...

Why Are You Here?

While addressing new Fire Recruits, on the night of their graduation, in 2011;  John Alston raises the question of why did you choose the Fire Service.  Whether Paid or Volunteer, many fire recruits have several different reasons for joining.  The message is candid and personal.

FIREFIGHTERSCLOSECALLS.COM

http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com

Where do we start, to thank the good folks like Billy Goldfeder, Gordon Graham and the many contributors and subscribers who make this information source what it is.

How many near misses and line of duty deaths go unreported or distorted; in the hopes of saving face and or not wanting to cause agencies/companies/families embarrassment over questions and detail.  It is so important for people to learn from mistakes and misfortunes.  "Those who do not take their lessons from history are doomed to repeat it."  Gordan Graham has been teaching (and preaching) about High Risk, Low Frequency events for as long as I can remember.  He states it most succinctly, "If it's predictable...It's preventable." 

I've been in the business 28 years.  Chief Billy Goldfeder, in his own enigmatic way, has been urging and imploring us to to think, learn and grow when it comes to near misses and the sharing of information.  His video, "And the Beat Goes On..." is telling of our industry.

Be sure to check out their website.  Get on the email list and more importantly contribute information about near misses and casualties.

We learn our most valuable lessons, in this business, by these limited but effective ways; 1) EXPERIENCE: with fires down, new construction, code enforcement and fire protection systems we are not seeing the number and types of incidents that we have in the past. We are also promoting new fire officers that lack the experience for the aforementioned reasons. 2) CASE STUDIES: It seems the only time we study, now, is for advancement or position change (I know...stay in the church. LOL)  And the material we study is not relevant to our particular organization or task. 3) SOG's, SOP's,  Handbooks and text manuals that give guidance and pay little attention to consequences.  Most, if not all Standards, Guides, Procedures and Codes were written on tombstones first; in Blood.  4) SHARING: Sharing information about our incidents will help us all do a better job at serving the public and protecting ourselves.

Someone paid for every lesson that we have in the Fire Service.  Since they made the sacrifice...let us be good students/stewards and learn all we can.

I am so pleased that we have www.firefighterclosecalls.com to glean information that will save lives and honor those who have paid for our learning.

It is also the home of The Secret List.  Be sure to sign-up and contribute.

OTHER LINKS FOR INFO:

www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire
www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities

FDIC: The Greatest Show On Earth!!!

FDIC: The Greatest Show On Earth!!!

Fire Department Instructor Conference

 
Somewhere I read; “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

When I was a child I thought the “Greatest Show on Earth”  was Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Baily Circus.  They came to our area, year after year, around the same time, every year.  We looked forward to it.  We knew we were going to see wonderful and exciting things.  We traveled in groups.  Sometimes with family, school friends and neighbors.  The show taught us things about the world and how there are bigger things to see.  It encouraged us to learn more and yes it entertained us.  It became the annual event that we thought about all year long.  Now, I'm not comparing F.D.I.C. to the circus. I view it more like "The World's Fair" for Fire Fighters.

#FDIC, the Fire Department Instructor Conference is no circus.  As I am now a man, I have put away childish things, (OK, I still love the UniverSoul Circus).  Having  attended FDIC, in the past, and now having the honor of joining one of the greatest group of Fire Service Instructors, for the last 3 years;  I can truly say that FDIC is: “The Greatest Show On Earth”.  So much goes into this event; behind and in front of the scenes.  It’s not just the that over 23, 000 firefighters preregistered for this years conference or the fact that nearly 400 Instructors from all over the world volunteered to teach them.  Hundreds of vendors and exhibitors are on hand to demonstrate and display their wares.  new and exciting developments on being shared and exchanged around the clock, in classrooms, meeting rooms and yeah bar rooms.

My hat’s off to Chief Bobby Halton, Diane Feldman, Ginger Mendolia, Jack Murphy, Mary Jane Dittmar, Martin Grube and so many others that if I continue to name them, I would have an article full of names.  The instructors are such a great bunch of Fire Service Luminaries that we can’t list them all here.  Chiefs Anthony Avillo, Billy Goldfeder, Lenny Carmichael, Dave Dodson, Bill Peters, David McGrail, Erron Kinney, Mike Dugan,  Art Bloomer and so, so many more.

Quoting Capt. Mike Dugan, in his own enigmatic way, “FDIC is crack for firefighters:  Once you try it, you always wanna come back for more!”

Jack Murphy, John Alston & Anthony Avillo

Congratulations to two of ” Joisey’s” bravest, who continue to do us proud with their insight, instruction; their love for the Fire Service and it’s people.   Jack Murphy who was awarded the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 and Chief Anthony Avillo, of the North Hudson Fire Department, awarded the Fire Engineering/International Society of Fire Service Instructors;  George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award 2012.  Both of these persons have contributed countless hours of preparation and instruction on a variety of topics.  They have made a tremendous impact on our industry.   It is great to walk around #FDIC and see so many Members of the Fire Service, from New Jersey who are leaders in our industry.

John and Dr. Denis Onieal.

It was good to see one of my longtime friends and mentors, Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendent of the National Fire Academy (Formerly of the Jersey City Fire Department).  It is important to know that Dr. Onieal is fully supportive of events like FDIC; this most valued conference for firefighters and fire service instructors.  It is critical that their are bridges and relationships between our national training institutions, training directors and academies.  FDIC  gives us the proper forums and venue for effective dialogue and information exchange.

More to come…

Welcome to Fire Officer Trust

Welcome to the Fire Officer Trust Blog.

How We Got Here...

Looking back on my time at my first fire command, as the Company Officer of Engine Company 9 (the busiest Engine Company in the State of New Jersey), with the Jersey City Fire Department; I had a great time as a company officer  I am enjoying my time as a Battalion Chief.  The prevailing theme in my tenure, as a fire officer, and as I see it for the great people that I have had the privilege to work with is TRUST.  You want the people that you work with to trust you.

Some officers think that by the very nature of their office, rank and title that they have the respect and trust of their crew members and subordinates. Nothing could be furthest from the truth or reality.  

As a Fire Officer you should be compelled, I would even venture to say, honor bound to Prepare, Conduct and Maintain yourself in such a way that your subordinates, co-workers, colleagues, cohorts and superiors come to trust you.  Trust your judgment and your position.

This will not come easy for some and, sadly, may not be attained by others. With this blog, it is my fervent hope to have dialogue and examples that highlight the importance of #fireofficertrust .  

It started with some discussion in the classroom.  I was in charge of the Training Academy for the Jersey City Fire Department. I was running a program that we, in our department affectionately and smugly, call, "Captains Camp".  It's a two week program that we developed for newly appointed / promoted Company Officers.  The previous programs served their purpose but did not address a myriad of the concerns that new Company Officers would have to face. 

Like what?? ...I'm glad you asked:  Your shift starts at 0800 hours.  All members are to be in uniform and ready to ride at 0745 hours.  One of your members has not yet arrived and you have no knowledge of her/his whereabouts.  What do you do?  What do you do first?  What will you do to ensure that you make the right decisions in the right sequence? What can you do to avoid ambiguity or poor decisions in the future?

An incident so simple and common; however your handling of it will register trust indicators at every level of your organization.  That's just one of thousands of decisions you will have to make in your career as a Fire Officer or any management position.

 

The dilemma of our testing process, in New Jersey, is that the books that you must study for promotion have little correlation to the S.O.G.'s and S.O.P.'s  of most of our departments. Ergo, you study for the test and then learn how to be an Officer in your respective departments. 

Fighting Fires, mitigating emergencies and serving the public is hard enough.  Managing the resources to accomplish the aforementioned tasks takes leadership and trust.  These two do not come with a promotion ceremony or the pinning of badges.  They come from Fire Officer Trust.

With that said... I hope you will follow us, check back from time to time and contribute to this blog.  It is by the sharing of our experiences we can insure the safety, survival and trust of our beloved profession...

follow on twitter @j_alston  or #fireofficertrust