Emergency services need each other
J. Skinner
EMT-D
Sergeant
Peapack & Gladstone (NJ) Police Department
Captain
Peapack & Gladstone (NJ) Volunteer Fire Department
This refers to The Ol` Professor, “Buildings May Not Be What They Seem” by Francis L. Brannigan (March 1997). I have nothing but respect for the man. He has made a great contribution to firefighting over the years. However, his comments in the section “Police vs. Fire Deaths” do nothing to enhance the relationship between the fire service and the law enforcement community. In this time of consolidation of services and “joint operations,” to use a military term, it serves no purpose to pitch one service against the other.
Maybe the fire service should look at itself and ask if it is a good idea for the front-line supervisor to be “out in front” where he or she cannot watch the troops. Company officers do not have to be in front leading the charge, nor should they be out on the street away from the action. They should be one step behind the hose team or search team, checking conditions as the team advances. They should then be checking the conditions as they pass through an area. If the area is deemed unsafe, then they can give the order for evacuation, ensuring all get out alive. This is the behavior of a truly good leader.
It is interesting to note that in the same issue, Battalion Chief John Coleman of the Toledo (OH) Fire Department writes in his article “To-Do Lists Enhance Incident Management” that the incident manager should not be engaged in the actual work at an incident. He even suggests that the IC carry a clipboard around the scene to keep track of the incident. He discourages the IC from getting involved in tasks such as pulling hose or forcing entry. This does not make the IC an ineffective leader. It enables him to concentrate on his actual job–timing the incident ….
Law enforcement is different from firefighting in that police officers function alone more so than firefighters. When firefighters go to work, they arrive with a company (in most cases) and work as a team. Police officers, on the other hand, work alone or with a partner, so it is almost impossible to have a supervisor physically leading every officer at every incident. The law enforcement front-line supervisor is really coordinating more smaller teams than his fire service counterpart. Therefore, the skills needed by both to accomplish difficult tasks (asking subordinates to put themselves in harm`s way to perform their jobs) are the same. The methods of coordinating the scenes are different. It is akin to comparing apples with oranges.
Gone are the days when each emergency service could keep to itself and function separately. We all need each other. We do not have to perform each other`s functions at an emergency scene, but we must work together for the same goal–the protection of the life and property of the citizens we all took an oath to serve ….
