BY ROBERT H. MAIBACH
| “Jack of all trades … a master of them all.” |
| “I have done so much with so little for so long, I now have the ability to do almost anything with almost nothing.” |
These are two STATEMENTS I have often heard made about the American firefighter. Although they are true in many ways, I have begun to wonder during these tough economic times if these statements have not led us down a path we are ill-prepared to travel–a path filled with potential pitfalls, much like the popular children’s board game Chutes and Ladders, a path toward imminent and unintentional failure. We may have–again, unintentionally–created what I will refer to as the Duck Method of Management.
Ducks are beautiful, even majestic, creatures we see gliding effortlessly across the water. Unseen are the frantic movements beneath the surface that propel the duck.
Many of us are caught up in the day-to-day effort to keep our departments running, and to our audience–the public, our elected officials, and our appointed supervisors–things look as if they are going well, even easy. But, as we all know, “There is nothing easy about running a fire department.”
“Never let them see you sweat.” One of my mentors uses this catchphrase, popularized in an old television commercial, often. Maybe, just maybe, sometimes it is necessary for folks to see the “this is hard work sometimes” sweat that illustrates the effort required to keep the duck moving across the pond/the fire department running.
Perhaps if we pulled back the curtain occasionally–if we showed the powers that be that fire department staffing is inadequate instead of telling them, “We’ll do what we have to; we’ll do what we can”–we would not have to make decisions like brownouts, layoffs, or budget cuts so quickly.
Often, because of the overreaching efforts of good firefighters, we meet goals. At what price?
Again, the public does not see the firefighters scrambling on the fireground as they try to save a life or somebody’s property–they only see the results. The results are good, the effort was good, so the resources must be good. GREAT! Next problem. Meanwhile, one duck has worked so hard he almost pulled a hamstring.
Well-intentioned public officials–elected and appointed–do make an effort to come out and support the troops, but their appearance often comes minutes or hours after the efforts of the first-arriving companies to gain a foothold on the situation.When they arrive, we’ve set the cruise control and are now managing the incident. All the players are in position, we’ve set up the command board, and we have no frantic radio traffic begging for more resources, so the situation was handled, right? Officials remark, “Looks like you have this one in hand, Chief” and “The troops really came through today.”
Both statements have a lot of truth in them, but are they an accurate assessment of the situation? Does the current picture tell the whole story? Not usually. These moments are often preceded by the rapid deployment of personnel and equipment–some personnel often performing multiple functions simultaneously–and an even more rapid collection of information.
We form our initial strategy, select our tactics, and assign our resources, and evaluate the situation. Think, plan, act.
When explaining what we do and how we do it to the untrained, unknowing civilians, I often hear, “That’s a lot; how do you keep things straight?”
Most times, I reply, “That’s what we do.” But it really is a lot, and when we minimize what we do to reassure our bosses we are the right person for the job, are we hurting ourselves in the long run? Although I cannot profess to know the answer, I believe it is a question that we should ask. Are we the busy beaver soaking wet from building the dam, or are we that beautiful duck that appears to be moving across the water effortlessly?
I was taught early in my career to never present a problem to which you have not thought about a possible solution. To that end, I offer some suggestions about how to avoid this situation.
Plan. Both short- and long-term plans can help avoid the time crunch. It also can reduce the likelihood of having to make a decision that may produce an unfavorable outcome for you and the organization. When all involved know there is a plan, it will be easier for them to complete and develop projects that move the organization toward its stated objectives.
Delegate. Employ leaders with a good sense of what needs doing and how to get it done. Give them effective instructions, and turn them loose. My first chief told me once, “Boy, if I have to go behind you and do this, then what do I have you for?” If you do not have these folks in your organization, get them. If you have strong, motivated leaders who lack some of the needed skills, then teach them. It is your job.
Surprisingly, these two actions are often ignored in our day-to-day administrative operations, even though many of us execute these skills almost flawlessly on the fireground. Everything we do requires planning, and one person cannot do everything–this we know.
Educate. I have seen organizations across the country that do a great job of educating the public and appointed/elected representatives about the services the fire department provides. We need to do more. The old adage is true: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” But, if you don’t at least lead him to the water, you can’t possibly expect him to drink. If you make the first steps, then you can help reduce the “I did not know that” excuses later.
Inform. Everybody–from the top of the organization to the bottom, and those on the outside–needs to know what is going on. Although some information, of course, is “need to know” only, the more information shared, the more involved the troops feel. The more involved, the more motivated they can become. This creates a more effective workforce. When the public knows what is happening, it becomes more educated about the department’s needs and how that potentially impacts them, and you are able to more easily gain their support.
These four organizational tools can greatly improve your bottom line. I have done some of my best work when I felt as if everything I did had a purpose and was important to the department.
Leadership is the key. Be the example you want others to follow, and you, too, may bask in the glory of their success.
We form our initial strategy, select our tactics, assign our resources, and evaluate the situation. Think, plan, act.
ROBERT H. MAIBACH has almost 30 years in the fire service and is a battalion chief of training with the Isle of Palms (SC) Fire Department, where he has served for 17 years, and a volunteer assistant chief with the Goose Creek (SC) Rural Fire Department, where he has served for 18 years. He is an adjunct instructor with the South Carolina Fire Academy.
