The fire service and humankind have long studied and passionately investigated the topic of leadership. It is said that more words have been written about the topic than any other, which is surprising when you look at our current political leaders. Leadership is critical to help inspire, direct, and maintain the fire service. Leadership is as critical as management and administration as components of the art of Command. Fire officers are commanders; they have by legal and organizational authority the responsibility and right to direct firefighters into action in dynamic situations that are potentially life threatening. To command firefighters on the fireground is to assume the responsibility for the safety and survivability of both victim and rescuer. To command off the fireground is to direct how firefighters conduct themselves toward the public and one another.
The fire service is based in command. It is not leadership you need to exhibit on the fireground; it is command. A good commander will lead when appropriate, will manage when management is called for, and will enforce regulations and rules when that is what the situation requires. A truly elegant commander will also recognize when it is appropriate to bend the rules or allow for a deviation from the strict interpretation of the rule book. To command requires that the commander set the moral standards of behavior and deportment necessary to ensure that the public can trust and support the firefighters and that the firefighters can trust and support each other.
To command within the fire service means to assess and judge; this requires specialized knowledge and then the ability to communicate that assessment so that firefighters can understand and carry out the commander’s intentions. Commanding, then, is to assess and decide, to interpret and moralize, and to act and exercise authority. Recently, two very different incidents required two different commanders to use all of their specialized knowledge and all of their long-practiced judgment and tested their moral courage.
The first situation involved a request by a firefighter to have another firefighter transferred from his assigned station. The complainant firefighter requested the transfer because he felt offended by material the other firefighter had posted on his personal Facebook page concerning the Ferguson and Baltimore incidents. The complaining firefighter stated he found the material so offensive that he should not be required to work with someone who held such beliefs.
The commander was required to assess the complaint to see if the material was in violation of any department regulations or standards of conduct. The investigation revealed postings of news stories but no officially prohibitive materials. The commander also found the firefighter who was being complained about was senior to the complainant and was receiving out-of-class or upgrade pay the complainant would receive after the transfer. Despite the findings, the commander was receiving pressure from superiors to support the transfer to avoid any perceived insensitivity.
The second situation involved a commander who had a firefighter with a history of recurring disciplinary issues. The firefighter had a 19½-year history with the organization, and his coworkers and supervisors were tired and frustrated by his failure to improve despite repeated corrective measures. The issues all had similar themes of inappropriate behavior or statements while on scene, a seemly indifferent attitude toward the public, and a general lack of empathy. The firefighter in question was going before his fourth formal disciplinary hearing and was facing a recommendation of dismissal. During the hearing, the firefighter, a former Marine with combat history, revealed he was suffering from a recently diagnosed case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and asked for leniency to obtain treatment and complete his career.
Commanders must establish, set, and exemplify the norms for appropriate behavior; this is unquestioned. The question before the first commander involves several layers of inquiry. First, is a firefighter entitled to demand the reassignment of another because he perceives a political and social issue differently? Second, can your political, social, or religious beliefs be grounds for disciplinary action? Third, does the commander have a duty to question whether the financial issue is also motivating the complaint? The final hurdle for this commander was to remain uninfluenced by his superiors and stay concerned with the facts and issues as they related to the organization.
The issues before the second commander were twofold: Is a veteran entitled to special consideration because of a medical issue that may have resulted from service to his community or country? Can repeated unacceptable behavior be understood in light of a newfound medical condition?
In the first case, the commander rightly concluded that the firefighter was not entitled to file a complaint against a fellow firefighter because he felt offended by political beliefs. He was informed that his fellow firefighter’s personal Facebook page did not in any way reflect the official position of the organization, nor did it indicate so in any way. Further, he was informed that others’ personal beliefs are protected by the Constitution and cannot be grounds for disciplinary action or investigation. He was informed that he was more than welcome to file for a personal transfer if he felt it would improve his working attitude.
The second commander rightfully decided with the full support of his administration to suspend the firefighter’s disciplinary action because of the PTSD diagnosis on the condition that he provide proof of treatment. The commander in his decision stated the firefighter was entitled to the consideration because of the discovery of a known medical condition that is common in both military and fire service duty.
The issue of entitlement is one that commanders must understand, respect, and appreciate.
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