Riding the Right-Front Seat - Part 6

Until the Boss Gets There, You Are in Command

July 19-23, 2011It is said the fire service performs at its best when surrounded by flames and smoke, for that's when all of your resources are brought together to control the challenge of our enemy: fire. A well-trained fire department performs highly interrelated and interconnected activities according to set guidelines. Here is where you come in as the person riding the right-front seat.* City or county management teams - The fire chief must develop and maintain positive and productive relationships with principal managers who they directly report to in the chain of command. The lack of a good working relationship between the fire chief and those who have significant influence and power over them creates an atmosphere of hostility that can result in a lack of trust and respect between the chief and those other leaders. Remember, those are the same leaders that the fire chief must rely on for both personal and organizational support in a variety of ways. The fire department will always have issues that require the help of decision makers outside of the department.Don't Forget the Shade.- Know the activities that you want your outdoor space to have.- Playing: Sports Court, grassy area or swing set.* Where is the fire?- Nestle a banquette-like sofa into your deck or patio, and build them out of the same decking material to give them a more architectural and integral appearance. Provide storage below for seat cushions and pillows.Train yourself to be an observer, and train yourself to become a recorder of observations and thoughts. It is this combination of thinking skills that will make you a successful "right-seat" rider. Assess the elements of the call to which you and your unit have been dispatched, then calmly decide which of the many actions you and your crew have been trained to do is appropriate for the situation at hand.HARRY R. CARTER, Ph.D., a /7re/J0�se� contributing editor, is a municipal fire protection consultant based in Adelphia, NJ, and a veteran of 47 years in the fire and emergency services. He is chairman of the Board of Commissioners in Howell Township Fire District 2 and retired from the Newark, NJ, Fire Department in 1999 as a battalion commander, Dr, Carter has also been a member of the Adelphia Fire Company since 1971, serving as chief in 1991. He is a life member and past president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors and a life member of the National Fire Protection Association. Dr. Carter holds six degrees, with his terminal degree being a Ph.D. in organization and management, with a specialization in leadership, from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN, where he is an adjunct faculty member.- Wrap vines or bougainvillea up the trellis or pergola for some additional shade cover and color as well.Built-Ins.Designate Zones That Reflects Your Family's Lifestyle.* Where is it going?* Community leadership and stakeholders - Interaction between fire chiefs, community leaders and other fire department stakeholders is another critical area of focus. One of the best ways for the fire chief to be viewed as a community leader is for him or her to interact regularly with other community leaders. This can include relationships built through Chambers of Commerce, service clubs, charitable efforts and many other opportunities to be involved. These interactions provide a forum for the fire chief to meet future elected officials and to tell the fire departments story to current community leaders.* Potential hazardous materials/chemical incidents (including suicides involving various combinations of household cleaning materials)* Water-related emergencies (drownings, swiftwater rescues, etc.)Its easy to find articles these days (electronic and hard copy) written about fire chiefs who are trying to sustain the capability of their fire departments to provide services to their communities. As I've said many times before, there is no silver bullet that can provide solutions to the many challenges fire chiefs face in this "new normal" world they're functioning within. However, there are critical areas of focus that fire chiefs can address that can significantly strengthen chiefs and the fire departments they lead both politically and operationally.None of the above tasks are easy to master. They all require a conscious effort on your part to learn and make them a part of your riding-the-right-front-seat tool kit. When they become a part of your soul, they will become your standard way of operating. Further, you must train your crew in the ways in which they will need to operate at a given emergency situation.* Vehicle extrication and rescues

BALTIMORE, MD

Author: Carter, Harry R