By Christopher Niebling
When the alarm comes in and wheels turn on the apparatus, the company officer riding in the right seat of the apparatus makes decisions based on what is being encountered on scene. Those decisions may come from training, education, departmental standard operating procedures (SOPs) and experience. This is pretty much the same for volunteer and paid departments. The difference lies in the personnel responding on the apparatus with the fire officer.
Typically in a paid department, firefighters are assigned to a shift and are commonly assigned to a particular station. Depending on the department, these firefighters will spend the next 12 or 24 hours together. The company officer has an advantage in that by working and living with the firefighters assigned to that station, he learns the strengths and the weaknesses of each firefighter. The officer through discussion and observation can evaluate each firefighter over the course of their shift(s). This is not necessarily so for the volunteer fire officer.
In most volunteer departments, you most often don’t know who will be on the rig with you as you roll. Whether it is a small, one-station department or a big volunteer department with multiple stations, the crew dynamics can vary tremendously based on the individuals’ experience, training, and how often they have responded and drilled together. The volunteer officer may have to adjust his actions based on the crew.
Adjusting the Interpersonal Dynamics
When dealing with interpersonal dynamics in the volunteer fire service, another area to consider is the politics that can interfere with the fire officer’s ability to lead. This is not exclusive to the volunteer fire service. I have seen plenty of politics on the paid side as well. Let’s look at an example of uniqueness pertaining to the volunteer fire officer.
An alarm comes into the department, and the volunteers respond to their respective stations. A newly promoted officer (lieutenant), early 20s in age, arrives at the station. Two firefighters, middle 50s in age, arrive. One of the veteran firefighters, previously an officer, recently was voted out by the membership. He is now riding as a firefighter with the officer who replaced him. This could present a problem, and many times does. The new officer may not receive the respect and cooperation from the firefighter.
The officer is expecting that the firefighters on the engine will be team players and follow orders. If a problem occurs, the time to address any disrespectfulness or unprofessionalism is not on scene but back at the station in a quieter one-on-one atmosphere.
It is not always easy or an enviable position to be riding in the right seat of the apparatus. The fire service continues to constantly change and evolve. As the younger generations enter the fire service, they will influence the department and its members to change. While filming the latest segment for the Fire Engineering DVD series of The Right Seat – A Volunteer Perspective, a fire department member approached and asked if he could speak with me in private.
He was participating in the filming of this segment and issues within his own department were bothering him. He said he has been with the department for many years and was disillusioned with how the department was changing with regard to a lack of camaraderie and a sense of caring from its members. He felt he did not matter anymore and that the “youngsters” had more influence. All they want to do is play video games, talk on their phones, text, and tweet, he said. He advised that he has considered leaving the department.
I told him that we would be filming and addressing the exact concern he has in our DVD and that he was not alone in his feelings. First, the department as a whole must recognize and adapt to the changing times. Most volunteer departments in the United States are having difficulty finding and retaining firefighters. Losing veteran firefighters, who typically have much experience, can be a tremendous loss to a department. These “dinosaurs” can be mentors to the younger and newer members. Today’s volunteer fire officer must make every effort to build camaraderie and a sense of esprit de corps in the station. This includes acknowledging the senior members with their experience along with the newer members with their exuberance. As a new officer, how do you accomplish this?
One way is to observe other fire officers in your department. How have they handled different situations? Did you feel that their actions were correct? Did their handling of the situation(s) have a positive or negative outcome in your opinion? If you observe an officer who in your opinion has more positive outcomes and good relations with the other members in the department, he can be a good mentor for you. Ask the veteran members to take a more active role in training the newer firefighters and imparting their experience to them. This will help make the veteran firefighters feel they have worth, and the younger firefighters will gain from their experience. As an officer, furthering your education will better prepare you for those inevitable problems ahead. This can be accomplished through college courses and attending conferences and seminars (FDIC for example). There is a wealth of training materials available to the fire officer on the Internet, and there are many DVDs, and magazines.
As the fire service changes, so will the role of the volunteer fire officer. It is entirely up to you to decide whether you will change and move forward or remain stagnant. Is it okay to look back at the way it used to be? Sure, just don’t stare.
BIO
CHRISTOPHER NIEBLING is co-owner of Ascend Leadership. He entered the fire service in 1973 and recently retired with more than 36 years of service. He is a fire officer, fire instructor, and paramedic. He is a past International Association of Fire Fighters local president. He has spoken at FDIC and state conferences. He is an active member of the Mantoloking (NJ) Volunteer Fire Department and serves as operations deputy chief for the Office of Emergency Management for Mantoloking. He was senior editor for the International Association of Fire Chiefs/National Fire Protection Association text Pump Operator – Principles and Practice and technical adviser for the Fundamentals of Fire Fighter Skills DVD series, both published by Jones and Bartlett. He co-authored Fire Engineering’s The Right Seat DVD series. He has been published in fire service publications including Fire Engineering.
