Train for LEADERSHIP
FEATURES
MANAGEMENT
One of the universal complaints that is heard from supervisors soon after they are promoted to that level is that they have not been trained to cope with their new position. Although in most cases new supervisors have studied supervision techniques, they often find that upon obtaining the position, it is not always easy to put the management theory they have learned into practice.
Is the first-line fire officer unique in this lack of preparation? The answer is no. In most first-line supervisory jobs outside the fire service, the supervisor is picked from the ranks of the operative employees. This person usually lacks the same amount of management training as the first-line officer.
In fact, many first-line supervisors in private industry will have to manage the very people with whom they have worked side by side right up until the day of their promotion. Although this may also be the case in some paid fire departments, it is usually the policy to move a new first-line supervisor to a company or area where the firefighters under him have not been co-workers.
MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN
There are many major areas of concern for the first-line fire officer. However, I would like to zero in on three important aspects of leadership that will affect the first-line fire officer.
Uniqueness
First, the new leader must understand that the very nature of firefighting makes his job a unique one. He must lead under routine as well as emergency conditions. The first-line fire supervisor does not have the luxury of working in the same controlled environment day after day. This uniqueness makes the new manager’s job more complex.
For instance, because most firefighters respond readily to orders under emergency conditions, the new first-line supervisor might tend to feel more comfortable in an emergency situation. However, the officer cannot merely assume that his orders will be carried out correctly even under these conditions. The new supervisor must realize that any mistakes made at an emergency operation will subject him to criticism from superiors.
The emergency operation begins upon receiving an alarm, and from that moment on the new first-line supervisor may have to assert authority in a number of instances.
The officer may have to caution a chauffeur against driving too fast or reprimand the firefighter for an unsatisfactory performance at an emergency operation. He should also conduct a critique when the company returns to quarters.
It is very rare that new first-line supervisors will face up to these responsibilities right away, but they can do it if they prepare themselves mentally for the new job prior to their promotion.
Giving orders in routine situations will be even more difficult, since the officer will feel that he wants to be liked by the firefighters. This again is a natural feeling, for no one can make the transition from firefighter to officer in a few days. However, this does not excuse the officer from shirking his new responsibilities because a situation that will demand the action of a leader could arise at any time.
On many occasions I have addressed newly promoted officers with limited field experience. I always ask them if they had run into any instances in the field that emphasized the differences between their role as firefighter and that of first-line supervisor.
Some of the responses were: “I was working one day, and we had an accident with the apparatus. When we went back to quarters I had to make out an accident report”; or “At the beginning of my tour of duty when I called the firefighters out for roll call, one of them was absent without leave.”
These new first-line officers realized that they were now accountable for the actions of their firefighters. This is a feeling they did not experience prior to their promotion.
Responsibility
This acceptance of responsibility for his own actions as well as for those of his firefighters is the second key requirement in order for the new first-line officer to be an effective leader. Prior to his promotion, the new officer should take a good look at the role that he will have to play. He should prepare himself for the difficulty he may have giving orders to the firefighters. The officer should also be prepared to accept constructive criticism of his fire operation and be able to handle all routine personnel problems that might arise.
When held accountable for his responsibilities, the new officer cannot counter with “I’m new”; “I didn’t know”; or “The captain told me to do it that way.” When the supervisor first realizes the responsibility that goes with the rank, he is truly acknowledging his role as a leader.
The transition from firefighter to officer will be a gradual one, but the officer must take the “reins.” He must be in command from the start of his first tour. This does not mean that the new officer should be a tyrant, but it does mean that he must use his knowledge of management theory and apply it to his new role.
Knowledge
This leads us to the third key point for the first-line supervisor. He must show his leadership qualities by being knowledgeable of all aspects of his assignment. This doesn’t mean that the new officer should be able to perform every job better than the individual firefighters. It does mean that the firefighters must have confidence in the officer’s ability to make correct decisions based on his knowledge. The officer can exhibit this knowledge at emergency operations as well as during routine day-to-day tasks.
For example, at a fire scene the officer must be responsible not only for his overall operation of the unit but also for their safety. If the officer is at a roof operation and the firefighters are using a power saw, the officer need not be more skilled than the firefighter in operating the saw. However, he must know the guidelines for the equipment in use and direct the men in a safe and efficient operation.
In routine situations the supervisor will have to display job knowledge when making out reports, training the men, and in a great many other areas. The more prepared the new supervisor is the easier will be his transition from firefighter to supervisor. The new first-line supervisor must also remember that he will have to be constantly up-to-date on new developments in the fire field.
SUMMARY
Let us review the points critical to the transition from firefighter to first-line supervisor. The first is uniqueness; he must be able to manage under both routine and emergency situations.
Second, he must accept the new responsibility and not push it off or make excuses that “I didn’t know.”
Last, the supervisor must possess job knowledge and convey it to the men so that they in turn will have confidence in the supervisor’s decisions.
Most people who succeed as first-line supervisors put a great deal of thought into the duties required for the assignment. By the time their promotion day arrives they are usually mentally and emotionally prepared to accept these new duties and perform them satisfactorily.
The new first-line supervisor also brings with him a lot of insight into what makes a good officer. He can reflect on the qualities of the officers he served under as a firefighter. The supervisor must remember that these officers were admired and respected for the traits they possessed: fairness, approachability, and consistency to name a few.
Finally, the new first-line supervisor must remember that success in any field requires time and hard work. This is especially true of supervision in the fire service. Enjoy your new rank, but don’t be misled into thinking that it is an easy job.
