As Firehouse Sees It: Why Fire Chiefs Must Keep Their Eye on the Blind Spots

Last month during the Fire Chiefs Summit in Florida, I sat with a few chief officers who were talking about a growing number of apparatus accidents at their organizations. Despite various pieces of warning technology that was installed on their apparatus (e.g., cameras and crash/motion sensors), rigs were getting dinged and damaged more than ever. One chief talked about how the apparatus crashes occurred in the driver’s blind spots.

As the conversation waned, I asked the chiefs where their blind spots are within their roles and their respective organizations. I explained that the concept was something that I read in a book years ago. I couldn’t remember the source, but it spoke to the blind spots in the professional space and how others see them and can use them against you.

As I traveled home, I looked for the source of the quote. It’s from Assegid Habtewold’s book, “The 9 Cardinal Building Blocks: For continued success in leadership,” in which he writes, “The people who would like to manipulate and use you won’t tell you your blind spots. They may plan to continue using them to their advantage.”

Reflecting on it, I concluded that it very much is related to today’s fire chiefs, particularly in today’s highly politicized and “gotcha” society, where cellphones are in your face and citizens demand accountability at a moment’s notice.

During a roundtable at the Summit, a chief shared stories about being asked repeatedly about obscure facts or having to justify, on the spot, the actions of the members of the department in both positive and negative situations.

Another chief shared how a company officer didn’t file paperwork on a minor accident in a parking lot that involved a rig striking a citizen’s vehicle’s mirror and causing nothing more than a scratch. The problem: It was caught on multiple cellphones, and when the officer jumped off of the rig to talk with the owner of the vehicle, the officer was told not to worry, and he got back on the rig and left. During a council meeting, citizens showed damage that was much more significant and asked why the firefighters left the scene. The chief, who didn’t know about the incident, was caught unaware, and it caused issues throughout the agency.
Another chief shared why he keeps his eyes on the blind spots because of today’s council and board meetings.

Multiple chiefs said they always are on the hook for an answer. One example: “Why was Engine 1 parked at the city park for an hour and there was no fire and I didn’t see them?” He responded that the crew was inspecting the recreation center. The citizen challenged him as to why it took three firefighters an hour to inspect it. He explained that the members were stopped by a seniors group and the daycare staff about visits to the firehouse and that Engine 1 never missed a call. The citizen, he said, thanked him and seemed happy about the interaction, despite a possible agenda when the questioning began.

Later, another chief who has many of the credentials that are necessary to be a chief officer today—an understanding of finances, an overview of human resources, organizational leadership skills and roots firmly planted in the fire service—shared that it was sometimes a challenge for him to answer those unexpected questions in layman’s terms. He comes from an area where most chiefs are in their 40s and seek advice from older, more experienced chiefs to answer those difficult questions.

The Summit roundtable, or meeting of chiefs, can be replicated in any region in an informal setting by getting together on a regular basis. By bringing your questions and concerns to the table, you can get help from others to identify the blind spots that are within your crew or department to act before you’re under the microscope.