BY ANTHONY KASTROS
Leadership is one of the most overused words in the fire service. There is no shortage of discussion, theory, books, articles, and philosophies on leadership. Unfortunately, there is a massive crevasse between all the information and true leadership in action across the American fire service landscape. Simply put, we are suffering a leadership pandemic.
Many fire departments across the country have excellent leaders. These individuals mentor; build others up; move their organizations forward; and serve with humility, skill, and integrity. The problem is that these individuals either came from the factory as good “natural” leaders or went out and sought the art of leadership on their own. These exceptional individuals are becoming extinct, and most fire departments lack in-house, systematic, modern, realistic, effective, continual and hands-on leadership training.
Reading a book or an article or attending a workshop on leadership is just the tip of the iceberg. Firefighters learn by doing, not by simply reading. Leadership is an action word. We would never settle for reading how to stretch a line or cut a hole; we would follow up with hands-on training. The same should apply to leadership training. Yet, most fire departments relegate their leaders to attending courses with antiquated state curricula, completing online classes, or seeking training hundreds of miles from home.
When was the last time your department conducted serious, realistic hands-on leadership training on duty? Do you conduct conflict resolution role-plays for new and aspiring officers? How many hours of fireground simulation training do your incumbent officers complete each year? How often do you have communication drills? How many of your officers know how to write well?
Osmosis is not a good succession plan. Airlines don’t tell flight attendants to hop up in the cockpit because they have been on lots of flights, yet we do that to our firefighters every day. We see fit to give a perfect stranger a recruit academy of eight to 16 weeks, yet department members of five to 10 years who will be leading others into battle must fend for themselves.
Paramedics can kill only one person at a time, yet a company officer can kill a crew, and a battalion chief can kill multiple crews! It is amazing that we give paramedics a semester of didactic classroom time, an internship in an emergency room, and a 10-shift internship on an ambulance in which they must attain 40 advanced life support (ALS) contacts, yet our officers have no such mandate.
To compound the pandemic, our job has become incredibly complex, beginning with those we are leading. Newer generations of firefighters require bosses who have an array of leadership dialects from which to communicate. Gone are the days of rank-driven “because I said so” styles of changing behavior. Today, such leadership tactics would more likely invite a disparate treatment harassment investigation than result in a rehabilitated firefighter.
Ethnic and sexual diversity challenges of the 1970s and 1980s have given way to cultural, socioeconomic, technological, lifestyle-choice, experiential, and political diversity challenges. The Greatest Generation and Baby Boomers have left and made room for Generation X, Generation Y, and the Millennials. Meanwhile, our experienced leaders are retiring at an alarming rate, creating a vacuum in knowledge.
In addition, the ever-expanding mission is met with greater public scrutiny, more video cameras in the street, dizzying information speed, and tighter budgets. Recently, I was the incident commander for a highly technical extrication in which a delivery truck was sitting on top of an occupied vehicle. The patient was critical. I glanced across at the bystanders and saw approximately a dozen phones, recording away, being held by amateur videographers. The fire crew went back to the station after the job and saw that the extrication had already been uploaded to YouTube.
The symptoms of this pandemic are common yet widespread. In short, there are no new mistakes, just new firefighters making the same old mistakes. Officers fail on a daily basis to stop bad behavior and inspire good behavior. Symptoms of leadership failure occur in the individual, company, battalion, and department.
In the individual, symptoms include buy-out, self-survival/preservation, contempt, acting out (bad-mouthing the department), increased sick leave abuse, increased attrition, early retirement, and poor operational performance. Some behavior is despicable, including sex in the firehouse, drug use, intoxication, driving while under the influence, violence, and felonies.
In the firehouse, symptoms include workplace conflict, character assassination, citizen complaints, low morale, less accountability, lackluster training, and peer pressure overriding leadership (problem seeds are sown).
On the fireground, symptoms include increases in close calls (do you have a system to identify close calls?), vehicle accidents, firefighter injuries, and fire losses; missed fire victims; diminished patient care; and ineffective, inefficient, or inconsistent operations.
In the administration, hypocrisy (real and perceived), feeling overwhelmed, broken relationships, bad public relations, crisis management, and failure to close the loop are commonly seen.
The symptoms listed above manifest the American fire service leadership pandemic. We have skimmed the surface of a severe lack of realistic hands-on leadership training, a more complex mission, a more diverse workforce, greater public scrutiny, shrinking budgets, and technological advances. Each of these topics could easily fill the pages of a book. Several other factors cause the perfect storm that is the fire service leadership pandemic. The root problem is much more exponential.
First, we were taught to be reactive. As firefighters, we do not get too excited unless something is bleeding or burning. This is the only industry to commonly have recliners in the workplace. We are coiled springs. We were taught to operate in crisis mode. Unfortunately, that crisis is upon us.
Leadership is often considered warm and fuzzy and administratively takes a back seat to more pressing issues like the budget, white powder training, or finding other cost-recovery measures.
Second, we are task-minded. Firefighters like breaking objects. Ask firefighters if they would rather spend a day in a leadership workshop or a day at a forcible entry hands-on workshop, and what do you think they choose most often? Leadership is too nebulous and esoteric for the average firefighter—not because of a lack of job intelligence but because of a lack of emotional intelligence.
In the “old” days, prior to the 1990s, job skills were mostly attributed to intelligence quotient (IQ). In fire service terms, if someone had a good job IQ (was a good firefighter), he would make a good leader.
Daniel Goleman’s groundbreaking book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ, published in 1995, argues that emotional intelligence, measured by the emotional quotient (EQ), is a more significant factor in success and leadership than simple job IQ. In other words, the ability to communicate, manage emotions, and foster relationships is far more critical to modern-day success than simple job skills.
The four main components of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Simply put, “people skills” are more important than job skills to modern leaders. This embodies skills/traits like active listening, conflict resolution, and patience. When was the last time your department conducted training on any of the above?
In the fire service, we cannot afford to have our officers be less than excellent at the “job” of firefighting. Size-up, tactics, incident command, fire behavior, and building construction are just some of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) of the job. The challenge is to develop officers who have both the job skills (IQ) listed above and the people skills (EQ).
Let’s put the act of communication and conflict resolution into a more familiar setting like the fireground. Communication and accountability (easily correlated to conflict resolution) are the two most commonly cited problems on the fireground. In fact, they are listed in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health top five line-of-duty death causal factors. Communications and accountability are skills that are more emotional than tactical. Remaining calm under pressure and being able to track resources require the ability to control emotions.
The task-oriented mindset is not limited to the line. Chiefs often become task saturated as well, failing to step back from the tasks to lead the people. What are the tasks that prevent a chief from stepping out from behind the desk and leading?
- Budget,
- Board/council meetings,
- Phone/text/e-mail, and
- Reports = “I don’t have time.”
Third, we were mentored by old salts (good and bad). We have learned leadership skills from our forefathers, who learned from theirs, and so on. Many antiquated and now illegal techniques have been handed down from generation to generation. Just in my short 27-year career, things have changed dramatically. I am sure that the leadership techniques used by my first bosses would be grounds for dismissal today. Unfortunately, some bosses never got the memo that things have changed and so must their skill sets.
Finally, we have big egos. “Egos eat brains,” quips Chief (Ret.) Alan Brunacini of the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department. The resistance to change increases as the experience level and rank of the person increase. “The adult ego is a greater obstacle to learning than sheer stupidity,” stated one prominent observer. Unlike private industry, our egos are not tempered by the bottom line or whether we are profitable. We have a thousand opinions on how to cut a hole or stretch a line. In business, you either make money or you don’t. Your ego is only backed by the dollars you make the company, not your “version” of what an awesome stop you made on a fire.
If opinions can vary about ventilation, command, and fire attack, how much more can they vary about what exemplifies good leadership in today’s fire service? All too many “leaders” are bewildered at their lack of followers.
STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS
We have identified the symptoms and underlying problems that have come together to form the American fire service leadership pandemic. What are the solutions? As I stated above, this exponential problem requires an exponential solution.
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking that created them.”—Albert Einstein
For the Organization
Defined core values are cliché, and often the mention of them causes the rank-and-file to roll their eyes. Core values are commonplace in effective companies around the world. Two keys will make or break the effectiveness of your core values. First, have as many stakeholders of the organization participate in constructing the core values as possible. Management and labor must be represented and participate. This buy-in will pay dividends as you roll out the values. The roll-out must have live training attached. Second, the administration of the department must embody the core values in the eyes of the troops. Many chiefs feel that they are doing a great job in emulating their department’s core values. Ask the troops what they think.
The organization should have the following:
- A cultural document that outlines its vision and mission and how the core values look in daily life. A video may be an effective way to convey the message. The video should be part of annual training.
- A strategic plan that is well organized and adequately communicated each year. Firefighters may not want to be micromanaged, but they want to know the plan. An administration cannot overcommunicate the plan. Firefighters do not always listen, but they are always watching. Give them something to chew on.
Strategic planning teams (SPTs) are an excellent way to run your fire department. At Sacramento (CA) Metro Fire District, we have more that 25 SPTs that manage everything from engine and truck operations to recruitment and community outreach. If there is a need, we have a team.
The teams are a derivative of relationships by objectives (RBO) used by Brunacini in Phoenix. Each team has co-chairs, one from labor and one from management. The team members are solicited from the whole organization, and anyone is welcome to attend meetings. The teams are absolutely empowered to meet their objectives and work within the parameters set by the fire chief. They do not have to worry about the chief coming in at the last minute to change their plans or decisions.
Management shares authority, and labor shares responsibility. An incredible transference of knowledge and experience takes place between labor/management, young/old, line/staff, operations/administration, and so on. It’s a great mentoring, succession planning, and professional development tool. Best of all, the teams are empowered and very motivated!
SPTs have the following benefits:
- Empower individuals
- Decentralize authority
- Share responsibility
- Improve succession planning
- Increase morale
- Build strong labor/management relationships
- Reinforce the core values
Finally, TRAIN! Set up mock counseling sessions, leadership scenarios for the firehouse, fireground, public, or any number of situations. Create role-play scenarios that mimic the issues you are having in the field. For example, if crews are acting out in public, set up a scenario where a crew treats a member of the “public” poorly and assess how the company officer handles the situation.
Recently, we had a member of our battalion get promoted to captain. He is a very intelligent, yet inexperienced, individual, so we conducted a role-play scenario in his station in which the senior engineer was holding court with the younger, impressionable members. This has been happening, so it provided a realistic/predictable situation to present to the new officer.
The new captain took an extremely passive approach and got run over by the highly negative and opinionated engineer. Once we took a training time out and discussed alternative options, like casually asking the engineer to the apparatus room for a tune up, the new captain had new tools in his arsenal. Sure enough, within a month of promoting, he had a very similar situation and successfully used this tactic!
Obviously, fireground simulations should be part of leadership training. Our officers receive regular simulations, scenario-based hands-on training and drills in incident command. It pays off. I have heard many new officers sound like old salty professionals on the radio because of leadership and simulation training.
For the Chief Officer
Walk the walk. Firefighters respect a chief who “remembers where he came from.” Be a servant leader. Put your troops ahead of yourself. Regardless of the size of your department, you must be visible. Have the integrity to do what you say and say what you do. Send out 360° evaluations and strategic planning surveys.
Unfortunately, not everyone on the job is here for the same reason. Some just get off on the power and political arena of leadership, forgetting whom they are leading, whom they are serving, and why they are here. They treat others with irreverence and create tension. That comes from the factory, and I wish there was a magic pill for those folks, but there isn’t. Don’t sink to their level.
Listen! Listen twice as much as you speak. Although the job of fire chief is very political, do not be a politician with your troops. Listen and be sincere. Make time for face time. “I don’t have time” is not a good excuse.
Turn off the cell phone when you speak with someone. There’s nothing more annoying than being triaged by your chief when he gets a phone call. He is essentially saying, “Hey, this person is more important than you, so I am downgrading you and putting you in mental staging.” If you expect a call, tell the person that you are expecting a very important call that may require you to interrupt your conversation but that you will only be on the phone for a moment. Otherwise, don’t answer the phone, or don’t get into a conversation.
Get out from behind the desk. Some of the most effective executives set aside downtime each day or time to get around each week. This must be scheduled consistently. Don’t wait for your schedule to free up; make time in it.
Visit your company officers with your battalion chief. Do not go to stations without first calling the respective battalion chief to alert him of your visit. It shows respect for the chain of command, and you may get a chance to show solidarity in front of the troops if their boss is with the chief.
Third, give away the power. The previously discussed SPT is a great tool for this. You give away power in a clearly delineated way. Once the parameters are established, get out of the way and give the power to the team. Your troops will be emboldened, have ownership, and exceed your expectations.
An old wise chief once said, “Power is the one thing you get more of as you give it away.” You will build followers because you do not try to have all the answers, be the smartest in the room, or control everything. As you give away decision-making authority, you are building trust and empowering your officers. Nothing is as powerful as properly giving authority to your people to get the job done. It speaks volumes about you. You show humility by not trying to do everything yourself, you build trust by giving your troops a chance to make important decisions, and you build a team rather than an empire or a dictatorship.
For the Company Officer and the Engineer
Task books are routinely used in the Incident Command System Red Carding program to outline a job and list the required KSAs for the position. To become certified, an individual initiates a task book; attends required classes; and acquires necessary KSAs through experience on an incident, hands-on training, or discussion. The KSAs are signed off on by a qualified individual who meets or exceeds the requirements of the position.
My department uses several task books to assist our members with beginning the journey to the next step in their careers. Probationary firefighters, truck company firefighters, rescue and hazardous materials company members, engineers, captains, and battalion chiefs all must complete a task book during their probationary periods. This legitimizes the position through national, state, and agency standards and gives the member a career guide to success.
Academies are performed for members who successfully complete a promotional process. For example, members of newly established promotional lists for engineer, captain, and battalion chief complete academies shortly after the list is established to give them hands-on training for the position for which they are about to embark.
Mentoring takes place at all levels. Probationary firefighters are mentored by firefighters who have recently completed their own probation. Probationary engineers and officers are encouraged to find mentors, and incumbents are required to mentor at all times. Mentors are not limited to the probationary member’s boss. Often, a more senior member in rank takes on the role of mentor for day-to-day inquiries.
As mentioned above, simulator training is an outstanding tool. Most of today’s new officers learn by video and gaming. Realistic simulations are an excellent tool, especially when they incorporate radios and tabletop simulations. We have used them with tremendous success for our battalion chiefs and captains.
Ongoing annual officer and engineer rank-specific training is crucial. Just as a paramedic would accrue continuing education hours (CEs), officers should be required to annually fulfill a CE requirement in leadership, management, and emergency operations.
Incident reviews are another excellent tool for individual and organization lessons to be shared. My department has a very comprehensive policy that has multiple tiers and an algorithm for appropriate levels of review. A nonpunitive Lessons Learned review is a common tool that outlines the task and tactical and strategic lessons learned at our fires.
I give my captains books on leadership and tactics annually. We discuss them at officer meetings. If I read a good book, chances are that they will get a copy. This keeps their brains engaged in the softer, EQ stuff.
The American fire service is facing a new normal, and it is redefined daily. We are in the midst of a leadership vacuum of pandemic proportions that is fueled by mass exodus; influx of new generations of firefighters; lack of hands-on leadership training; sweeping changes in mission; decimated budgets; and the genetics of task-oriented, reactive forefathers.
The greatest and perhaps only area that we can impact directly is that of hands-on, inspiring, realistic, and useful training for our aspiring and incumbent leaders. We also have an array of other tools and systems that have proven to bridge the gap and ensure that our future is bright and left in the hands of leaders who are developed today.
This exponentially complex problem cannot be solved with linear thinking. Speeches and e-mails are not enough. A multifaceted plan that incorporates hands-on training, enlightened systems, and exemplary leadership must be established by today’s leaders who desperately desire to build tomorrow’s leaders.
ANTHONY KASTROS is a 27-year veteran of the fire service and a battalion chief with the Sacramento (CA) Metro Fire District. He is author of the book and video series Mastering the Fire Service Assessment Center and DVD series Mastering Fireground Command (Fire Engineering). He has a BS degree in business and human resource management and an AS degree in fire technology.
Anthony Kastros will present “Leadership and Succession Planning in Today’s Fire Service” on Wednesday, April 9, 1:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m. at FDIC 2014 in Indianapolis.
More Fire Engineering Issue Articles
Fire Engineering Archives
