I have spent the last 30-plus years of my life in the fire service. Much of this time has been spent as a trainer, instructor, coach and mentor. In the late 1970s I was leading new fire recruits through repetitive skills-training. In the mid 1980s, I embraced the challenge of designing, developing and instructing specialized training specifically for company officers. Over the next decade or so, it was a natural progression for my involvement to evolve into the training of command officers and chief officers, while still maintaining my involvement at the recruit and company levels. The changing trends and the constant exposure to new generations have allowed me an opportunity to observe, learn and listen. From this, I have formulated a thought or two.

Much of my fire-service exposure has been in the "rust belt" of America's Midwest, where traditions run deep. Indeed, many fire officers either embrace — or at least accept — the statement, "300 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress," as a way of doing business. I hope it is obvious that this statement is not a credo, but rather an excuse for not conforming or doing the right thing.

In 2005, I was introduced to a new mindset. I became the training chief for Avondale (Ariz.) Fire-Rescue. Avondale is an active participant in the nation's largest and most successful automatic-aid system, the Phoenix Valley Automatic Aid System. Phoenix also has been recognized nationally as the Mecca for fire command and firefighter safety. Over the past few years, I have learned and experienced a great deal, while realizing the statement, "The more things change, the more they stay the same," has merit.

Company consistency

Leadership cultures vary between rural and urban agencies. They also vary by region, state or coast. The one consistency I have found is at the company level. The methods used and leadership style seem not too varied. The effectiveness of company officers, in the eyes of their crews, is measured by their strength and actions at a fire scene. Their command presence and the decisions they make, while operating at a fire incident, are the only considerations. The company officer's ability to manage a station, coordinate company activities and be an effective member of the leadership staff never enters the equation. When these qualities are mentioned, they immediately are dismissed as an attempt to change the company officer into something he or she is not. This is ironic, as a company officer is a member of every organization's leadership team.

The irony comes from the enormous effort every successful candidate makes to become a complete company officer. Their journey starts by excelling at the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to operate successfully at an incident scene. Then it progresses into years of study and coaching, as they successfully complete courses in leadership, supervision, management theory, human resources, budgeting and more. Throughout this process, many promotional candidates have achieved college degrees. The final step in preparation to become a company officer is to develop the poise to express their thoughts and ideas in a method and/or manner that is acceptable to their administrative staff. Throughout this journey, every candidate comes to the sudden realization that, once promoted, he or she can have a positive influence on the organization, on a shift and definitely on a crew.

Their training and preparation have paid off in a promotion to company officer. Over the next few months, many find that the energy they dedicated to making a difference is transformed into the exhaustion that follows limited success. All of their personal aspirations begin to crumple under the daily fatigue they experience when confronted with organizational apathy. A few company officers survive, but many find it easier to yield to peer pressure and revert to the time-honored position of "senior firefighter."

Many company officers are perceived by the command staff as nothing more than a senior firefighter who sits in the right seat. The best definition I ever heard of a company officer reverting back to a senior firefighter comes from a battalion chief in the New York City Fire Department: an officer who wants the authority without any of the responsibility. This is not a commentary on what they do at an incident, but rather on what they are unwilling to do in and around the station. This dysfunctional approach is perpetuated by fire administration apathy towards the continued development of company officers. So who's at fault? Who can fix it? No matter which side of this discussion one may be on, it takes everyone's commitment to fix it.

Coaching staff

Leadership coaching is one way to address this issue. A coach is used to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the tasks associated in achieving a common goal. The coach accomplishes this by clearly communicating well-defined responsibilities for each participant and by shaping the team into a unified, cohesive unit. The roles for a group of beginners will be different than for a seasoned team. Whenever a chief officer encounters seasoned company officers who seem to be misdirected, the officer (coach) has to present these officers with a fresh START.