Officer Development Series

One way of attaining information is with an After Action Review (AAR). An AAR is a structured review or debriefing method for analyzing what happened, why it happened, and how things can be done better. The formal AAR was originally developed by the U.S. Army. The concept works and has been adapted by many non-military organizations, both domestic and international. The fire service has also come to know the AAR by another term – the Post Incident Analysis (PIA).

A Fire Officer will accomplish far more through effective delegation than he would by micromanaging and/or taking on 100% of the responsibility for every project (or problem) he encounters. Delegation is one of the most important aspects of time management. It’s right up there with setting priorities and avoiding time wasting activities.

Some people like to debate whether leaders are made or born. The most likely answer would be that some true leaders are born, but most are made – “self-made”. A smart fire officer will concentrate on developing the leadership qualities and traits that are necessary for success. For the most part, leadership traits in any profession are universal. In the fire service, however, there are specific qualities that an officer absolutely must possess. In this article, we are going to discuss 12 leadership traits that firefighters – and the public – look for in a fire service leader.

An officer is often asked to speak and present in public – sometimes without a chance to prepare. Because of this, it’s important to develop adequate communication skills. When it comes to speaking in public, having a vast knowledge base on the topic you are covering is essential, but without good communication skills, the thought of giving a live presentation can be daunting. Everyone knows the #1 fear in America is public speaking… many people don’t know that the #2 fear in America is death.

Ask any fire officer if he or she has had problems with a subordinate, and you will likely receive a look that sarcastically implies, “Are you kidding me?” It is inevitable, when a group of individuals with different personalities spend any significant amount of time together, those personalities are going to clash, and problems will surface. Some may “appear” to be minor problems, like the avoidance of daily housework duties, or a sudden lack of interest in the job. Others are much more serious, like refusing to obey orders around the fire house, or worse, on the fire ground.

Every organization has a culture. It is either created by design or default. Creating a culture of customer service does not happen by accident. Buying into the concept of layered leadership (the need for leaders throughout your entire organization) is especially important when it comes to customer service.

Let me begin by saying this may seem like an odd place to post a firehouse tour article, but having strong public relations skills is a key component to becoming a great fire officer. A tour of the firehouse falls into the PR category as much, or more, than anything else we will do while wearing our uniform. With that thought in mind, below is an article filled with helpful information.

There is a distinct difference between management and leadership. Managers manage a process they’ve seen before. Leaders create change. Although your thesaurus may say the best synonym for leadership is management, these are two very different things.

If you push your people, you simply do not know which direction they are going to go in. To truly lead them, you must show them the way by your example. Teach this concept to your team members. It doesn’t matter if an individual is leading one or one thousand. Unless you are a drill instructor trying to make a hardened soldier, trying to lead through intimidation always seems to end in failure.

A team leader has to be humble enough to realize that the best ideas may not always be their ideas. They should feel secure enough in their position to allow other people to propose ideas and smart enough to implement the best ones.

There will be times when a firefighter under your command performs at an unacceptable level. This can occur in the fire house, or out in the public’s eyes (which is far worse). Critiquing, when done correctly, falls under the same category as constructive criticism. In order to skillfully critique others, follow this proven format that is used in the fire service, as well as corporate America.

Freelancing is one of the most dangerous, destructive and counterproductive acts an individual, or group of individuals, can do on the fire ground. The term Freelancing is not the same in the fire service as it is in the corporate world. In corporate America, freelancing is a term used for a person whose skills are available for hire, such as a freelance writer or photographer. On the fire ground; however, freelancing occurs when a person works outside of an established action plan.

All “great” fire departments have some form of a Mentorship Program. It’s arguably the best way to train new officers and/or compensate for the inevitable loss of experience, skill and knowledge that occurs when senior members retire and probationary firefighters take their place. In a perfect world, veterans will have ample time to work with probies and pass on valuable information, but this isn’t always the case.

Few people like writing reports and no one likes writing lengthy, detailed reports. In fact, many firefighters choose not to seek promotions simply because report writing intimidates them. I know something about this, because it intimidated me, and maybe it has the same effect on you, but this is something you can overcome.

You will never lead people, nor will you have a loyal team, if others do not trust you. Trust comes from being true to your word. This means you doing what you say you are going to do. In the Fire Service, trust is the glue that holds the bond of brotherhood together.