Should a company officer still be “one of the guys” after getting promoted? Or is it better for officers to be apart from the crew, so they can see the big picture and enforce discipline? Or is there a middle ground between these two extremes? How is it possible to balance roles as an officer in a fire station?
Many new officers say that finding this balance point in relating to the crew is the most difficult part of the new position. In some ways, nothing has changed — you’re still living together in the same space, eating meals together, watching TV after hours, and working on projects. In other ways, everything has changed. Now you are responsible — if something goes wrong, it falls back to you whether you’re on an emergency scene or just hanging around in the station.
This sense of responsibility can make some officers overreact. They separate themselves entirely from the crew, holing up in their offices or sleeping quarters, avoiding most social contact. This is a big mistake. Not only is being part of the crew an important aspect of the officer’s job but a company officer who is isolated will not know what is going on and cannot react quickly to situations that may be problematic or escalating.
Excessive isolation can also lead to a lack of trust among crew members. Firefighters want to know their officers — they want to understand that person, how he or she thinks and reacts to things. This is different than being friends. Crew members should know each other well as members of the team. Such knowledge makes a crew much more effective on an emergency scene and more comfortable and congenial during non-emergency duties. Friendship is a separate thing that may or may not develop over time.
On the other hand, being too much “one of the guys” can lead to serious problems. Whenever there is a story in the news about firefighters behaving badly as a group, one always has to ask, “what was the officer doing when this was going on?” In nearly every instance, the officer was an active participant, if not a leader of the inappropriate behavior.
Officers that just go along with whatever the crew finds entertaining in the moment are not doing their job. It is the officer’s responsibility to keep the crew safe under all circumstances, and this includes preventing the group mentality from getting out of control and involving otherwise decent individuals in inappropriate acts. It is the officer who needs to stand up and say, “all right, that’s enough. Time to do something else. This is going too far.”
One of the ways that an officer can tread that difficult middle ground is by setting clear expectations from the start. Crew members want to know what is expected of them, not only in terms of emergency response, but also during more casual interaction around the station. What kind of language will not be tolerated? What subjects are dangerous? What lines cannot be crossed? These standards can be put out there by the officer not only in words but primarily through example. The worst thing a company officer can do is live by the “do as I say but not as I do” standard. This example not only undermines the officer’s credibility but also does nothing to set real standards for others.
Some officers are afraid of being the bad guy. They want their crews to like them so they never stand up and set limits. Everyone wants to be liked, but it is far more important as an officer to be respected. Firefighters want officers to set standards — to define desired behavior and to model professionalism. This is what leadership is all about.
Officers who achieve that delicate balance in being one of the crew and also standing apart in a leadership capacity can achieve amazing results. Such officers can take a diverse group and truly make it into a team that is not only highly functional in a technical sense, but is also committed to the success and safety of all others within the crew. Such teams provide great service, are fun to be part of, and only make the news as a credit to their departments and the fire service as a whole. Performance like this is not accidental—it is always a result of good leadership.
