Chief fire officers, especially those of us with longer careers, often become blasé about rank-and-file firefighters and forget just what a job those men and women do on the line. Day after day these brave individuals put their lives on the line with dedication and accomplish things mere mortal individuals only dream of.

I had an epiphany recently as I began my second career with a new fire department. Recently retired from a major urban fire department where I was an assistant chief, I started at the bottom again as a fire inspector I. This time, however I am working on a rural fire department where things are done differently. I say “differently” in the sense of survival rather than basic tactics. Fireground operations are pretty much the same tactically speaking, but the manner in which things get done is where the difference is. Things I took for granted working in the city were either sparse or non-existent. Out here in the country, just finding a hydrant is a rare luxury.

Backup assistance exists, but you might wait a half-hour for additional firefighters and equipment. A multiple-alarm request might bring one, or perhaps two additional pieces of apparatus, each manned by one to three people. Aerial apparatus? What aerial apparatus? Things I took for granted just don’t happen in this setting. Throw in a drought and constant wildland fires, and the complications are endless.

Comparing the call volume of my new department with that of a city department is like comparing apples and oranges. Of course, in a city where the population is greater you’re going to have more calls, although when you consider the resources available in the country, it kind of equalizes things. The point is, during a recent training session, I had a sudden realization of what it is we as chiefs need to understand and consider.

The Incident Command System helps immensely when a commander is setting up fireground operations, but a new type of thinking is the order of the day. A fireground commander better have something on the ball or he or she will get firefighters killed.

I have become intimately involved in the training arena here, with the hope my experience might make a slight difference. Last weekend we were training some volunteers with a training burn. I was the safety officer assigned to the building. When in a fire situation, and when watching raw recruits entering a burn building, vigilance is paramount. The student/instructor ratio should be at least no more than two or three students per instructor.

I had on full turnout gear and an SCBA — mandatory for instructors in our state on training burns. This was the first time in about 14 years I had worn this gear. I had forgotten how heavy and cumbersome it is. Even taking breaks every two hours as we rotated crews and students through the burn building, I was very tired, no, downright exhausted at the end of the day. The next morning I hurt all over and decided to write this article. The experience was humbling and I am glad this happened. It gave me a new respect for the firefighter doing the job day-in and day-out. When you consider three-quarters of this country’s firefighters are volunteers, it makes you think.

I suggest that all chief officers suit up and get involved with their departments. Get your hands dirty. I suggest you do this in a training setting rather than actual fireground operations. Think of the effect it will have when the rookies see their fire chief actually wearing turnout gear and with soot on his face. I dare say the respect you gain will be incredible. It also will give you a chance to see what fantastic people you have working for you. And most importantly, you’ll remember how grueling the work of fighting fires actually is, so when you next ponder those operational decisions that affect those very firefighters, you make the most intelligent and informed decision you can.