One of the most celebrated events on television is the Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars. This annual extravaganza, where the entertainment industry rewards its own performances, is now in its 75th year. The occasion is so celebrated that even some of the award ceremonies are classics themselves.

My favorite part is when the presenters read, “And the nominees are….” If I've seen the performance being nominated, then I test myself on how I felt about the experience. If you're like me, you're rewarded when your favorite wins and disappointed when the winner doesn't impress. What's important to remember is that what we are rewarding is, to some extent, not real. It is the performance that's important — not the character portrayed or the actor as a person.

Yet we accept a character as real because we believe the actor's performance. That is what the Oscars and other awards like the Emmys, for excellence in television, are for. In my lifetime I've had the experience of actually knowing some of the folks who have been portrayed by actors. For example, in the 1993 TV movie Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland, which dramatized the 1991 Tunnel Fire, LeVar Burton played Chief J. Allan Mather, a character based on Chief P. Lamont Ewell.

Which performance really counts? Is it the one on the screen or the one in real life? Seldom, if ever, does a person in the fire service receive an Oscar or an Emmy, but the word “acting” is used quite a bit in our business. This came to my attention recently when I was serving as an interim fire chief. While signing some documents one day, on which I called myself an acting chief, I was told that I was actually an interim chief. As the discussion continued, I learned that an acting chief was much more temporary, moving from duty officer to duty officer. In other words, although people could act like the chief, they didn't get to be one.

Although I've spoken often of reacting to problems, I've never really thought about the word acting. To act is to behave, so if a person is an acting officer, it follows that he or she is supposed to behave like one. However, what if the real officer doesn't act like one? What if the real chief doesn't act like a chief?

Perhaps we can learn a few lessons from the stage and screen. For example, there's a concept popularized by Lee Strasberg called Method acting, in which actors draw on personal experience to commit themselves to whatever character they may play. I don't know if Method acting is as popular as it used to be, but I do know that a lot of people have made their names by immersing themselves so thoroughly in their roles that we believe they've become the people they're playing.

Could acting officers benefit from acting lessons? Although most competent and capable fire officers believe they can step up to the next position in line with a minimum amount of orientation, they may soon learn that the behaviors needed to make the next job work are simply different from the ones in their current positions. The first acting lesson someone needs is to understand the job description of the position he or she is going to fulfill. The job description is like an actor's script, revealing new behaviors that need to be learned.

I once was taught this lesson quite dramatically when I was asked to be an acting city manager. The physical move was about 150 feet from my office to the city manager's office, but the psychological move was much further. Frankly, I enjoyed my stint as an acting city manager, but I quickly realized that the fire service's strengths in fact finding, decision-making and aggressively pursuing goals weren't perceived as strengths by those in the political arena. I made it through my stint without too much of a problem, but I will never forget that the job had a totally different feel and texture to it. In fact, several councilpeople disabused me of the idea that the behaviors considered important are based on your perceptions alone.

Another lesson to consider: Acting shouldn't be confused with acting up or acting out, two phrases that refer to people who abuse opportunities. For example, a person acting in a chief officer capacity could conceivably act out against people for pre-existing grudges. Such behavior is certainly counterproductive. However, when people in acting positions abuse their new roles by disregarding consequences, they often forget that they have to go back to their old jobs sooner or later.

Applause and critical acclaim are also important to actors. One of the purposes behind naming someone to an acting position is to allow that person to fulfill the job in such a fashion that his or her performance can be evaluated. If you use acting officers under your administration, make sure that when their acting periods are over, they are adequately evaluated and receive feedback. Feedback is among the most powerful forms of behavior modification. Positive reinforcement of good acting behavior may be one of the most fundamental ways to change the attitude within an organization.

Also, never forget that although actors may play many different characters, they also tackle roles that serve different functions, such as leading and supporting. With that in mind, acting officers should pay attention to the their impact on the organization.

Seldom does one actor make or break a movie production, and likewise seldom does one actor change the performance of an organization. However, giving a person an opportunity to act as a company officer changes that person's role within the department, especially in terms of individual relationships.

Different acting roles throughout a fire service career — from acting battalion chief to acting fire chief — mean different relationships with the rest of the department. When people serve in acting roles, they're reminded of where they fit in the overall organization. They're better able to understand how leading and supporting positions contribute to the organization's overall performance.

As I considered the similarities between an actor's roles and those of a fire department officer, I was reminded of how many fire departments have a process where they identify their “firefighter of the year.” Many organizations have similar processes to recognize the fire chief of the year, including this magazine.

While all of these accolades acknowledge leading roles, perhaps it's time to steal a page from Hollywood and award “Best Picture” and “Best Supporting Role” to the fire agency and support staffs of the year. I can't help but wonder what Oscar would look like wearing a firefighter's helmet!

A 40-year veteran of the fire service, Ronny J. Coleman is the president of the Fire & Emergency Television Network, which features career development and succession planning in its Command Transfer series. He has served as fire chief in Fullerton and San Clemente, Calif., and was the fire marshal of the State of California from 1992 to 1999. He is a certified fire chief and a master instructor in the California Fire Service Training and Education System. A Fellow of the Institution of Fire Engineers, he has an associate's degree in fire science, a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in vocational education.