Getting promoted is easy. Yeah, right. Hour after hour of studying seemingly minute and unimportant facts never to be referenced again. Years lost waiting to go into interviews with wringing hands and sweat down the back; waiting for the list to be posted; waiting for the list to be certified; waiting for anyone in headquarters to actually make the promotions.

The hard part of becoming is an officer isn't getting there; it's surviving once at the top. It's a study in learning how to be successful and defining just what success means.

Great expectations

The first landmine many new commanders face is not establishing a set of clearly defined expectations immediately upon arrival. One of the most critical things an officer can do is define expectations to the crew and verbalize them. To do so, the officer must decide what is important. For example, is it important that personnel arrive on time for work? Is it important that the apparatus is clean and ready for inspection at all times? What are the expectations for uniform appearance and personal hygiene?

Although these issues are addressed in rules and regulations, your predecessor may have had different expectations. If you fail to define yours, you will be forced to live with someone else's idea of, for example, what being on time means. When you fail to define your expectations, you are forced to address an issue from a defensive posture. It's impossible to fix a landmine once it has been stepped on. Your choices at that point are to stand on the one good leg remaining, or lie on the ground trembling in fear of having to address an issue. Many new officers lie awake at night worrying, even dreading, the time when they are going to have to confront an issue that requires a change in behavior from a subordinate.

A very effective way to avoid this landmine is to simply define the road that you, and therefore your crew, are going to travel. If, after defining the road to travel, a firefighter chooses to step off the road, the landmine stepped on will be his or hers to survive. Effective leadership draws strength from decisive action. Your first step into the world of being an officer should not result in an explosion. Define your expectations early. Some examples include: Report for work on time. Everyone goes home. Be nice. The organization is bigger than the sum of its parts — so treat it with respect.

For some officers this may seem simplistic or even insulting to the firefighters. I would submit that the overwhelming majority of firefighters are dedicated individuals who want to do a good job for their boss. They want to believe they are liked and respected. You will earn that respect by providing your firefighters with a clearly defined path to follow.

Personnel failure

Once expectations have been defined, immediate and decisive action must be taken when someone falls short. Failing to address a personnel issue promptly is the second landmine. I have known officers who have spent entire careers privately carrying a critical event when they should have acted promptly. Having failed to do so, they suffered an incalculable loss of confidence. They always start the recollection of such an event with, “If I could have that moment to do over, I would ….”

This isn't to say that you must act in a way that appears heavy-handed or unfair, nor is it to say that you must be a strict disciplinarian. Oftentimes, the harder you pull on the reins, the more the horse will buck and bite at the bit. It does mean, however, that when you are presented with a clear and present danger to the integrity or safety of your crew, you must act in a measured, controlled way.

As a new officer this is perhaps the most difficult and important action you must be willing to perform. Courage on the fireground isn't nearly as difficult to muster as it is in dealing with a personnel issue. You must be willing to define your expectations and then hold your people accountable to meet those expectations in a reasonable way. Failing to do so will yield predictable and potentially devastating results. One of the most effective ways to ensure your success in this area is to seek out and rely upon the counsel of a fellow officer whose opinion you trust. The value of a mentor in reinforcing a potential decision is extremely valuable. It can help you traverse the minefield without walking alone.

There will be times when the urgency of a situation won't permit this. However, in the majority of cases, an opportunity exists to review and seek counsel before action is taken. You are not alone. Others have been in the exact situation and can provide the support you need in making difficult but critical decisions. This is not to say you must follow the advice you receive. Mold your own sense of right and wrong into a workable solution.

No popularity contest

Officers often place their desire to be liked over doing what is right, which creates the third landmine. Firefighters die when company officers fail to be “the bad guy” in requiring them to comply with a particular policy.

For example, a firefighter routinely fails to wear a facepiece when conducting vertical ventilation operations on a roof. The officer, who wants to be liked and would rather not address the issue with the more senior firefighter, chooses to ignore the practice. Sooner or later, the practice catches up with the firefighter, who falls through a roof and is killed. How will he explain to that firefighter's children why their father will never come home?

As the officer, you must be willing to care more about your firefighters than they care about themselves. Get over it. As a very capable officer once told me, “If I want to be liked, I'll buy another dog.” The voice in the back of your mind is very effective and usually correct — listen to it. I would rather have a group of firefighters mad at me for 50 years because I pulled them out of a burning building too early rather than live one second knowing that my weakness as an officer killed one of those same firefighters. Ask any officer who has lost one of their own what they would do to have that firefighter back.

Getting promoted is easy. Surviving it is hard. Few if any firefighters will ever come to you and thank you for doing your job, career or volunteer. You must learn to appreciate words spoken about you that may not appear positive, but in fact reflect you are a competent, dedicated officer. Being liked is OK. Being respected as an officer who is dedicated to doing what is right and bringing the troops home every time is the key to success.

---

Matthew Tobia is a captain with the Anne Arundel County (Md.) Department, currently working as an executive officer in technical operations. A 16-year veteran, Tobia holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Maryland and is a nationally certified Fire Officer II and Instructor II. He is an adjunct instructor at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy; has served on curriculum development teams at the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute for Fire Officer certification programs; and has been involved in program development in Pennsylvania for rapid intervention, firefighter survival and trench rescue.