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Just because you have the green light on your vehicle doesn’t mean you are in “Command”.

Posted by Jeff Armstrong on

Image  I love writing on here because I can be honest. And since I don’t write for a published magazine I don’t have to be PC.  Those of you who know me, know I am a “no nonsense – call it like I see” it type of person.

Being an incident commander takes an experienced, level headed thinker; someone who can stay ahead of the incident curve, someone who has a complete grasp of what is occurring, about to occur and may occur.   The Incident Commander (IC) shouldn’t be too proud to develop plan B or even C, step back and look at the big picture.  He or She should be able to effectively manage a scene through not only observations from the ICP (Incident Command Post) but also through reports from his/her resource leaders.   Taking command of scene operations and effectively managing resources takes more than the ability to click on the green strobe and use fancy terms such as sector or division.  Do you truly know what you are doing and why you are in Command?  Should you be in Command?  Captains and Lieutenants, when placed in this role will you have all the tools in your tool box to effectively operate?

I’d like to touch on a few things I have seen over the years in different parts of the country during my brief career.  This isn’t meant to criticize any group but rather to help correct some errors I see taking place and to help the next generation assume these roles without learning from poor examples.

1. If your department just recently (last 10 years) adopted a more formal Fire Ground Command system (FGC) after the 2004 Presidential Directive than there may be a few in your department that think you are on the cutting edge and setting a trend.  Don’t be fooled, the ICS model has been around for more than 30 years and been being effectively used in its present form for over 20.  For more information on this Google “FIRESCOPE” and “Why was ICS developed”

2.  Be an effective communicator.  If you can’t talk on the radio, maybe its time you gave it up or sought some training.  Nothing like instilling faith in your guys by having them hear the IC stutter and stammer for words and forget what a skylight is called.  Develop a professional radio voice and manner of speaking.  This not only sounds cleaner and more professional, but communicates more effectively.  We have all been on the scene where radio traffic is overwhelming and air time is at a prime.  If you can say it in 5 words, dont use 50.   Remember the duck- calm on the surface and paddling like hell below. And yes, this takes training and practice.

3.  Know your recourses.  Know what will be or what is coming to your alarm.  Know what they carry, their staffing and what they are good at.  Your $70,000 Tahoe with its LED’s, Laptops and Phone’s wont put out the fire or mitigate the incident.

4. Know the incident.  If you are looking through the windshield and at anytime you don’t know what your looking at, call for help.  There is no shame in calling for resources or even another IC who has more experience, but there is shame if a lack of foresight has put any brothers or sisters in danger.  At any point I should be able to open that passenger door of your command vehicle sit with you and ask you 3 simple questions:  What do expect in 10 min, what will your actions be by then (actions of crews) and what if that benchmark isn’t reached? (Plan B)  If it doesn’t go your way are you going to just throw resources at it? Or reevaluate and asses current strategy and tactics.    I like the old military term: FART.  Fall back and reassess tactics.

5. Use effective division of labor.  The whole idea behind this thing is to create a chain of command and unity of command, so set up your incidents so that everyone reports to a supervisor.   If you have interior operations taking place, set up an interior division.   Let me touch on this a bit, as I see this as one not used enough.  I am not a big fan of divisions on the exterior of the structure.   Yes they can see smoke, but what about interior conditions?  The best resource for this is someone inside – hence: Interior Division. Charlie side is great for Safety and perhaps if you have an exposure or potential for extension I can see a division, however to be communicating with this guy (or gal) about interior conditions and making decisions based of his information alone isn’t correct.   This is a great source for keeping an eye on smoke, don’t get me wrong.  But do they know how to read it?

Ok, back to Interior Division- This generally would be your second due captain through the door.  Reason for this is, your first due captain is probably working.  He or she doesn’t have time to deal with managing resources.  In addition to that, in ICS, additional structure is only added when needed.  So if you are managing one resource there is no reason for additional structure; now you send 2 companies in plus 2 from your first due Ladder for search,  now you have the need for that line of communication inside.

This is huge and I can’t stress it enough.  If you don’t do this on the simplest of incidents, you won’t on the larger or your small incident will get large and you will already be behind.

6. Listen to your guys.   Yes you are the Chief, everyone knows it.  They can see your brilliant white shirt from across the incident, you have nothing to prove.  Yes, you have the final say.  But you also have experienced guys inside or on the Charlie side.  Listen to them and use them.  If you are on a HazMat scene and you’re a Chief who only has awareness level and your Captain is a tech- Guess who knows more! That’s not to challenge you as a commanding officer or a leader; but if you choose to ignore those resources, you better believe they will begin to doubt and challenge you.

7.. Understand tactics and strategies.  Keep up with the latest strategies and tactics used by resources.  Not just the ones defined in your SOG’s but alternative ones as well.  If a company told you they were on scene with a confirmed rescue and were going to VES on the Charlie / Delta corner, would you know what that was?

8. Don’t fall into the trap of following a script.  Many departments in an effort to work well together in a boundary drop or automatic aid agreement have developed SOG’s dealing with operations.  These are extremely helpful but can also be a trap and make the IC lazy and unable to deviate when needed.

9. Continue to learn and develop yourself as an IC.  I am trying really hard to stay away from leadership in this article and focus on operations; but the 2 are so close at times.  A good leader will have trust of his crew on and off scene.  A good and effective leader will know there is always room for improvement and will seek to better at his/her job.  Learning, studying, reading magazines, networking and lastly implementing changes on the scene or training ground.   If you don’t believe me with regard to interior division, try it on your next job.  You may be retiring soon and feel like “you cant teach old dogs new tricks” but you obviously feel its important enough to still come to work; why not continue to develop yourself into a better IC and Chief for your guys.  You never know who you could teach or influence and even more importantly, learn from.

Are we developing the next generation of Leadership?

Posted by Jeff Armstrong on

Many Departments focus on succession planning training; offer classes and have programs designed to develop the next generations of Fire Ground commanders.  These programs are invaluable; however, with declining budgets and many fringe benefits being cut some agencies are seeing these go away.

What can we do in house or even at the company level to train and develop the next generation?  Two quotes that I have always held on to and tried to live are:

“Teach your job to the person below you and learn the job of the one above you.”

And:

“There is no success without a successor.”

Are we developing true leadership?  I am not referring to an individual who can command a fire scene or a company officer who is really good at being first due to the big one; I’m referring to Leadership qualities not associated with decision making on scene.  There are so many qualities of a good leader that I don’t have the time this morning or the space in this post to delve into it- But one of the most important qualities of a good leader is passing on those characteristics and qualities (good ones) to the next generation.  This is often overlooked, or leaders feel that setting a good example is enough.  Others feel knowledge is power and sharing will diminish their power.  ( I believe these individuals to not be true leaders at all, but that’s another subject) What about a proactive approach?  I challenge you to teach your leadership qualities to your subordinates and teach them why your leadership style has developed the way it has.  Do they know what leaderships truly is?  If you educate them on leadership I guarantee you that will challenge you to be even better.   Sit with them, share why you think some aspects are more important than others.  Share your strengths and your weaknesses.  Then they will begin to develop their own leadership style and hopefully will take your passion for leadership with them.  Sharing your weaknesses will not take away your clout; trust me, you don’t have them fooled.  They know your not perfect.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe in “white board” training only, nor do I tend toward the “touchy feely” but I believe this process in leadership development is lacking.  Someday you will promote, and those below you will promote into a leadership role?  Have you done your job to prepare them?

Training – The often overlooked aspect of Customer Service

Posted by Jeff Armstrong on

Recognition on a national level of Customer Service in the Fire Service undoubtedly began with Chief Brunacini (Ret. Fire Chief,City of Phoenix,Arizona) and his books and lectures on the subject.  Many catch phrases came from the introduction of this subject including, “Be Nice”.  We all agree many things have changed in the fire service since the introduction of this idea, from the type of incidents, to what we do on our time in between calls for service and, yes, even how we treat member of the public who stop by the station has changed in the last 20 years.  Responsibilities for firefighters have increased on scene as well as around the station and in the community.

Chief Brunacini identifies customers in two categories; internal and external.  Internal being ourselves, the employees of the Fire District or City; and external as the residents of our fire district (tax payers), employees of companies located in our jurisdiction and those vacationing in or traveling through our jurisdiction who may be receive service from our department.

So what comes to mind when I say customer service?

Is it simply the way we treat people?  Is it the manner in which we conduct ourselves when we are out in the public view?  Is it looking up an address in our map book for a lost motorist?  How about an elderly lady who calls the fire station about something that isn’t in our scope or “isn’t our problem”?  Do we explain that to her, help her get in touch with the proper department or agency and then follow up to make sure she was taken care of?  Of course these are all great examples of customer service and I hope these interactions with the public are happening everyday in fire stations across America.

I recently traveled about an half an hour away from where I live to a small community. As I was trying to look for an address that my GPS couldn’t find, I found myself passing a Fire House several times.  It was about 17:30 hours and thinking that was a “safe” place to stop, I dropped in to ask for help locating the street.  I entered with great deal of respect as I always do when visiting a house; I apologized for disturbing them, I even knocked on the front door (even though the bay door was open and someone was out back).  Let’s just say I was greeted in a less than professional manner.  You would have thought I was an intruder. I wasn’t dressed in fire department garb nor did I identify myself as being on the job, but that doesn’t matter.   So ask yourself, what is my impression of that department now?  How would a general member of the voting public have taken that interaction?

So with regard to the above, I’m sure in theory we all agree with the examples of good customer service, and in practice we are doing the best we can day to day. However, I would also like to address an often overlooked aspect of customer service; and that aspect is training.  Since we don’t deliver a tangible item our “product” to our customers is a service.  And just like any factory or manufacturer we should have a quality control procedure in place.   This should be occurring at a company level (at the most basic) as well as on a broader scope.  Officers, begin to look at this; evaluate the simple things: response times, response routes, crew cohesiveness and crew effectiveness.

We are required by our departments (as well as NFPA recommendations) to meet a certain number of hours per month, quarter and year; and if we meet those requirements, our names aren’t on the “bad boy” list, and the Training Chief leaves alone.  But is this enough?  Do we train only to appease the “powers that be” or are we using training as a learning and evaluation tool?

Side note: ISO drills are not relevant and they do not accurately evaluate the abilities or effectiveness of a department.

Think back to a drill where (we have all had them) when you were done the consensus was, “that was horrible”.  Then after that was said, all discouraged and brow beaten, everyone chipped in and rolled hose and went back to their stations.  Why? Why didn’t anyone say lets do that again?  If your drill didn’t go well, do it again or consider breaking it down into simpler task level skills and then build on those to complete the objectives.  Too many today are satisfied with delivering second rate customer service because in all reality we have no competition and the customers can’t go somewhere else for our “product”.   Remember poor customer service affects not just our external customers but our internal as well.  Train as if your life depends on it, because it does!

The difference in water on the fire in 2 ½ minutes versus 5 minutes after arrival can mean the difference in saving a house or it contents; or even its occupants.  Getting the ladder up and getting 2 to the roof can not only make conditions safer for our interior division but also have positive effects on fire behavior (if done correctly).

Alternative techniques such as; back up fireman, nozzle forward, vent enter search and vent for life should all be considered and evaluated as options for delivering a better level of service.  Not only has what we do changed in the last 20 years, but how we do it should be progressing as well. 

Practice the basics until your company performs like a well oiled machine, then do it again and try to improve even more.  This not only has positive effects on our service but can keep us safe and other members from our department or mutual aid departments.  Like a quality control department in any corporation; Company Officers, constantly evaluate the product you are delivering. Firefighters and Engineers evaluate yourself and be honest with yourself and your crew with regard to weaknesses.  We all have weaknesses and failure on the drill ground is much better than on the fire ground.

So how do you define customer service now?

PTB-EGH

Getting the badge – Part 2

Posted by Jeff Armstrong on

Today I am writing a brief continuation of my article “getting the badge”.   As promised I am going to continue with talking about questions you may face, and should be prepared to answer in a Fire Service oral interview.  The questions you will face will depend on if you are up for promotion or going for an entry level position.  Undoubtedly one the questions you will face in both are questions addressing Customer Service.  This may be phrased similar to the following:

“Tell us about Customer Service and how it affects the Fire Service.”

With some Departments having public relations issues, everyone questioning government budgets and salaries, Departments having to do more with less; this is becoming a hot topic for many agencies.  Chief Brunacini was the first major influence in bringing Customer Service to Fire Departments and if you don’t know who he is or the influence he had in the modern day Fire Service I suggest some homework.

Customer service is the biggest and most important aspect of what we do, because if affects everything we do, and everything we do affects customer service.  We deliver a non tangible product or a service funded by tax dollars.  From when the doors roll up and lights go on and we roll out to a call; down to the way we present ourselves in public, say hi to the little kids, open our stations to the public to see their fire engines.  Anytime we make contact with the public it should be our goal to make their day a little better because they had contact with us. And when they do call for service, we not only meet their needs, we exceed their expectations if we can.  

This is also a great opportunity to share a specific example of a time you or your company delivered exceptional customer service or a time you went above and beyond.  Don’t lie, don’t share someone else’s story; only share if you have one.  I sat on a panel for a department inCaliforniaand one of the candidates left a lasting impression when he answered this question moderately well, but he also used an example from his previous career.  The whole panel scored him a 5 (on a 1-5 scale) even though he stumbled with words to answer, he shared a real life example and showed us he not only understood customer service, but also practiced it. 

I’d like to address the day of the interview and your conduct during the interview process.   Preparation should have begun long before the day of, however it should go without saying; get a good night sleep the night before.  Get a shift trade if you can so you can be rested.  Do not go “out drinking” the night before.   If you are tired or “not feeling well” (bottle flu) the panel will notice or will assume you are inattentive.  

Be sure you know where you are to report to, and arrive 20-30 minutes early. This will allow you to walk in the door or check in no less than 15 minutes early.  If you need to, drive past the location the day before and scout it out.   

Wear a suit, shine your shoes and shave!!  Nothing less is acceptable.  A panel will not turn you away for your appearance however you should not be surprised when you don’t get a call after you have shown up with a5 o’clockshadow and a collared shirt.   This may sound elementary to some and that’s good; however in the last process I was involved with, there was a candidate that showed up in khakis and tennis shoes.  So I felt I should at least say it.

Bring several copies of your resume to the interview for the panel to review.  If you can, find out how many panel members there will be interviewing you.  If you can’t get that information, be prepared, bring 5 copies.  I know you probably turned it in with your application but the Human Resources Department often will keep the original and give the panel one copy along with your application to review.  Carry your copies in with you in a nice folder.  Most will have submitted copies of certificates with the application however when I promoted I brought in a binder with color copies of my certificates to give to the panel and department.  I have also seen many bring a binder of their originals and tell the panel you have them for review if they choose.  Both are acceptable, in my opinion, and shows that the candidate is organized, well prepared and takes care of his certificates.  Having originals will also show the panel there is no issue with you having counterfeits.  (I ran into this issue with a candidate in 2007.  He is no longer in the fire service.)  

Leave you phone and sunglasses in the car.   

Here are a few things that will make you stand out but that are not necessarily graded:

Many times you will be seated in a room while waiting for your interview time.  Take this time to think and reflect, not update your Facebook status or “check in” at Big City Fire HQ.  
Be prepared to get called in early.  By showing up early you have not only made a good impression but also made yourself available, and sometimes panels will call you in early- be that guy (or gal).  When a member calls you in by coming out to get you, stand up immediately and if they offer you a handshake, make eye contact and remember their name and address them by their rank.  As you walk in the room through the open door the panel will often stand and offer you an introduction and handshake.  Here’s where many fail; DON’T SIT UNTIL TOLD TO!  This is often a good time to distribute the resumes to the panel with their permission.  Once seated, maintain good posture.  Best position is ankles crossed, feel slightly under chair, hands folded or placed on top of your folder or binder if you brought one.   The reason I mention this is because I have seen so many poor examples and due to nervousness or as they are involved with answering questions they begin to fidget, slouch or swivel in their chair.   Some office chair swivel, don’t swivel.   Moving is natural but try to avoid needless moving or fidgeting.  

Part 1 of my article should have prepared you for what you are about to face now that your seated.   Remember: eye contact with the panel member asking you the question, then while answering make or attempt to make eye contact with all members.   Just because one member asked you the question, you are speaking to them all and they are all rating you. 

I hope these articles have given you some useful information in preparation for that next interview.   If anyone has specific questions with regard to anything not covered or addressed feel free to post as a comment and I will try to reply as time permits. 

 I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors!  

Coming soon:  Training, the often overlooked aspect of customer service.

Getting the Badge part 1

Posted by Jeff Armstrong on

“Getting the Badge” part1. A guide to successful interviews, entry level and promotional.

It’s no surprise to most of you I have had a moderate amount of experience with oral panel interviews, both as a candidate and as an evaluator on the other side of the table.  This has undoubtedly given me much insight to the process and allowed me to see many great examples and some not so great.  Being involved as an evaluator both with an agency I have worked for, and as a guest, I have come to understand the process a bit and can share some behind the scenes insight.  I have met one on one with many in attempts to help them better prepare for the hiring process.  I have assisted with Resume development, mock interviews, education development and mental preparation.  As with a written test, the oral interview is part of the testing/selection process, so I won’t give you answers; rather tips for success and ideas for preparation.  I don’t claim to be a professional writer so I apologize now for the format as I am trying to fit a lot of information into a brief article.

The first step, and often the most overlooked, is the self evaluation and mental preparation phase.  This step involves not only knowing yourself, but evaluating why it is you want the job at ABC Fire Department or why you want to be a firefighter (for the new candidates)  then finding a way to articulate this to the panel in a manner in which they can relate.  If you know yourself well you will be able to answer honestly.  You should be excited to be there and you should be excited to be able to tell the panel about yourself and why you will be a great candidate or recruit.  One of the best forums to accomplish this is both the opening and closing statements.  The exact forum will vary but an example is listed below:

“Tell us about yourself and what you have done to prepare yourself for the position of Firefighter.”

This is often the first question and is your opportunity to capture the panel’s attention.  Making yourself memorable is the key here.  There are a number of candidates interviewing for this position and they are all going to come in and answer this question the same.  They will state their name, age, mention they like snowboarding and have “always” wanted to be a firefighter then proceed with a verbal rundown of their resume listing experience and education.   While many panels may not rate this answer low, many will.  In addition to that, after 2 days of interviews a panel wont remember you because all the “other” candidates have a Firefighter I and II, they all volunteered, did a ride along, read Fire Rescue magazine, had an uncle who was in the fire service, owns a FDNY sweatshirt, ect (you get my point).  Find a life experience or a characteristic that makes you uniquely YOU and relate this to your chosen career as a firefighter and why that makes you a valuable member of an organization and member of a Pumper, Rescue or Ladder Company.  I want to be a firefighter because I like helping people is over used and viewed as insincere.  An example of an “opening statement” I have used before is listed below.  While it may seem lengthy, often a 3 minute answer to what is called the opening question is appropriate.

I think that to tell you about myself I have to go deeper than simply talking about my resume.   Who I am involves my character, integrity, work ethic, customer service and my dedication to the fire service.  My preparation for a career in the fire service and ultimately for this position began at an early age when I decided the Fire Service would be my chosen profession. My first position was as a volunteer firefighter and this was my first exposure to the challenges and comradery of the Fire Service and this is when I made the change in my career direction.  As I advanced in the fire service and became a Lieutenant in 2001 I found myself in a leadership role, not only on the fire ground, but in that position I was assigned to develop a recruit training program, implement it and lead instruction.  I began to evaluate myself as a leader, took the leadership principal- know yourself know your subordinates and know your job- and applied to myself.  Through examples of other leaders and those I served with I developed my leadership style.  I feel that a drive for continued self improvement and sound judgment has made me a successful leader and that that being able to adapt my leadership style to meet the needs of the situation has been one of my biggest successes.  Other aspects of leadership I’ve been able to achieve is setting an example, decisive action, team building and a unique problem solving ability. 

 I have been in the fire service for approximately 15 years, 12 of them career paid.  I have worked in California which has given me excellent opportunities for a very diverse background.  As you may know California offers some unique opportunities and challenges for firefighters.  We work in an all risk capacity so my background has included structure fires, Wildland fires, special rescue and emergency medical care at the paramedic level.  I have been assigned to a rescue, ladder truck and engine. I’ve worked as a volunteer, and paid; from the rank of Firefighter to Battalion Chief.  The California master mutual aid plan has allowed me to be involved with some of the major incidents throughout the state, on apparatus, as a strike team/task force leader and as part of the incident support in an overhead assignment.  I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to advance in my career as well as be in involved with training, program development and grant writing, and heavy involvement with all aspects of prevention including fire/arson investigation. 

On page 2 of my resume my certification levels through the California Board of fire services are listed as well as some the individual certificates I hold and classes I have attended.   In 2007 I became a registered California State Fire Marshal Instructor, which allowed me independently teach state certified classes throughout the state.  I have many contacts in the fire service so I was able to assist several departments throughout the state achieve different certification levels in their department. In 2009 I was invited to sit in and evaluate a new class for the State, called Command and Control of the RIC deployment.  This was a great opportunity for me and after some adjustments were made to the curriculum I was given the opportunity to deliver the class regionally. 

  I also have owned my own business form many years and that has taught me some valuable skills that are unique to the business world but that I have carried over into my fire service career.

 

While a candidate shouldn’t sound rehearsed, having an opening and closing statement prepared should help the candidate put honest thoughts and ideas onto paper and in an organized fashion.  Good grammar is important however, you don’t need to recite your statement word for word.   Often many panels will open with the question: “Why do you want to be in the fire service?”  This question is a little less open ended and requires you to do some soul searching.

Closing statements vary from panel to panel as well, but this question is often given to the candidate in the same manner: “This concludes the interview and the questions we have for you, do you have any questions for us, or anything you would like to add?”   This can be handled in different ways, but it is always wrong to answer “no” or not to answer.  Again, this is your moment to sell yourself.  Obviously, if you did miss something, you can cover it here but hope you don’t find yourself in this situation.  A few questions isn’t wrong either, it does show interest.  If you can in this question posed to the Board about their agency, find a way to show you have been researching their Department.  However, this is the last time you will be talking to this panel and after you leave they will be rating and scoring you.  They just asked you an open ended question, run with it.  I would advise of no more than 1-1/12 minutes on this statement and make it pack a punch.  Here’s an example again of one I have developed and used over the years:

First of all, I would like to thank you, the members of the board, for your time and your effort and being involved with this process. Second, I hope I have been able to show in our brief time together that I have the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position of _______ and how my education, training, and experience have prepared me for this position and how my abilities as a leader will make me a valued asset to this fire department. Years ago it was told to me, one of the best things you can do as a candidate is make that panel imagine you as a member of the organization.

 Something I have believe that sets me apart from the other well qualified candidates is my motivation, dedication, desire, and most of all, enthusiasm I have for the job.

 Given the chance, you can count on me to continue my motivation, dedication and enthusiasm to the fire service, to the community, to the Department, and to the position of ______ within your department.  I have prepared myself to the best of my abilities so that I am able to provide the best possible service to the members of the department and the citizens that are served by the ______ Fire Department. Thank you very much for the opportunity to be here today!  

 

Look for a second post within the next week that will address other aspects of preparation, conduct during the interview and address some other common questions candidates may face in interviews; and some tips for answering them in a manner that will set you apart from other candidates.