Establishing and Maintaining Chain of Command at Fires
departments
The Volunteers Corner
The chain of command on the fireground is a universally accepted concept. The problem is that it is not universally kept in operation in the real world.
When the chain of command breaks down, it happens in two ways:
- The chief in charge issues orders to fire fighters instead of to company commanders. At large fires, he may issue orders to company officers and bypass his subordinate chief officers who are nominally in charge of those companies.
- The chief in charge may get involved in assisting one or two companies and forget the other companies. At anything larger than a one-line fire, this is a sure way to lose control of the fireground—the chief’s most important responsibility. At a large fire, a sector chief also may do the same thing in his area and abdicate supervision of some of his companies.
Laying the groundwork: Because the one-line fires don’t require much supervision by a chief officer in well-trained departments, there can be a tendency to forget the formal chain of command. A chief officer should resist this tendency and maintain the chain of command—not because it is so necessary at the small fire but because it is vital at larger fires.
Let’s face it, most fire departments are relatively small and they encounter few multiple alarm fires a year. A city of 100,000 population may not have more than half a dozen multiple alarm fires a year. Think what this means in terms of command experience. Deputy or assistant chiefs in charge of divisions or platoons can expect to respond to a quarter or a third of the multiple alarms, depending on the work week, in a paid department. In a volunteer department, the experience of chief officers depends on whether they are in town when multiple alarms occur.
This dearth of practical experience points up the need to train in the maintenance of the chain of command at the nickel and dime fires. Here is the opportunity to strengthen the command structure under minimum pressure on the fireground so that it will withstand the maximum pressure of a multiple alarm operation.
Mechanics of command: The first step in strengthening the chain of command is to issue fireground orders only to immediate subordinates. For example, the lone chief officer at a one-alarm fire gives orders only to company officers. He does not undercut the authority of a company officer by giving an order to a fire fighter in that officer’s company. When given by radio, orders are issued to Engine 5 or Ladder 3, or whatever the unit designation is.
Orders issued by radio to designated companies work well in volunteer departments as well as paid departments. However, there needs to be one more step implemented in volunteer departments because there is no certainty that an officer will be riding an apparatus at any given alarm. In the absence of an officer, the solution is to designate whoever is riding in the right-hand front seat of the cab as the acting officer of that company until one of that company’s officers arrives on the fireground.
With this rule in effect, a chief officer knows that his orders to a company will be carried out by either an officer or an acting officer of that company. In a paid company, of course, an acting officer is designated at roll call when the assigned officer is absent.
Phrasing orders: Orders should be brief and phrased so that they are clearly understood. In a department with an effective training program, there is never any need to describe a fireground evolution in detail. You can depend on the competent company officer to carry out your order according to the procedures taught in the training program.
A long, detailed order is indicative of either a confused officer or an officer who has little confidence in his subordinates—or both. “Open the roof” is all you should have to tell a competent truck company officer. His training and judgment will tell him where the roof should be opened and the tools needed to make the opening. Tell an engine company officer to “get a line to the second floor rear” and let him decide whether he should use the stairs or a ladder. As officers gain experience, their orders become briefer.
Enhancing authority: Giving orders only to immediate subordinates and allowing them to develop the details of carrying out the orders enhances the stature of these officers. By implementing the orders of his superior in accordance with department training and using his initiative to meet the demands of a specific situation, the company officer gains the confidence of his fire fighters. This not only makes him a better officer, it also builds a solid base for his authority.
This procedure also works to enhance the stature of chief officers when more than one is on the fireground. The chief in charge should provide either sector or specific task assignments (such as water supply, communications, safety, etc.) for other chiefs.
One of the problems in volunteer fire departments is that sometimes there are more chief officers on the fireground than there are meaningful assignments. At a small fire, this gives the chief in charge an opportunity to let a subordinate chief run the fire. The chief in charge doesn’t relinquish any responsibility for the fire, but by drawing back and letting a subordinate chief make decisions, he helps that chief officer develop into a more competent officer. You might call it a form of on-the-job training.
