One thing that’s constant within the fire service is change. We often attribute change to new technology or a new procedure. The change that’s pertinent to this column is the inevitable change of position—from a firefighter or engineer to officer—that some members of a department make.
This transition could come through a well-defined promotional process or even a popular vote that’s held once per year at the department annual banquet. Every department is different in the way that it selects its officers, but one oft-cited statement by officers is that they didn’t believe that they were prepared for the position.
So, the question is: How do we prepare firefighters and engineers for the position of an officer?
Officer preparation is based on building a solid foundation. The foundation is achieved by focusing development in three areas for the future officer: training, experiences and mentorship. By developing these areas, future officers will have a solid foundation on which to base critical decisions, so they feel prepared for their new role.
Training
The first foundational area that must be developed is training. For the purposes of this discussion, training is the formal classes that an officer should complete prior to assuming the role.
The first portion of training is a formal fire officer training program. This program should lead, at minimum, to the achievement of Fire Officer I certification under the requirements of NFPA 1021: Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications. At the very least, the officer development class should focus on legal requirements, leadership, personnel management, department operations, and incident strategy and tactics. Note: States have different versions of this program, so please research what’s applicable to your state.
Additionally, the candidate should receive formalized incident command training in accordance with FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) guidelines. For most entry-level candidates, this training is accessed via the online FEMA NIMS classes at training.fema.gov/is.
In addition to a Fire Officer I certification class, it also is recommended that candidates receive formal leadership training. A recommended course is available through the National Fire Academy, along with other sources. This allows candidates to be exposed to concepts on how to lead people and the department for future growth.
Experiences
Also included in their perspective on not being prepared for the position, officers might state that they didn’t have enough experience for the position. However, one gains experience by being challenged prior to preparation for the test. How do we change this pattern? The goal should be to expose candidates to opportunities to gain experience in a controlled environment prior to being truly challenged without assistance.
For candidates to gain experience, department leadership could start by assigning them nonemergent projects. One project that most departments can begin with is the design, purchase and distribution of station shirts. Although this task seems meaningless, there are experiences for candidates to gain. The first experience is project management. With project management comes interpersonal relations and interacting with external stakeholders. Members also learn something about the budget process and purchasing procedures. All of these lessons are integral parts of officer duties that might need to be accomplished.
In addition to being assigned nonemergent tasks, members should be exposed to realistic scenarios that will prepare them to function in an emergency situation. Here is where we take a page out of the military’s playbook and utilize simulations to prepare members.
Simulations can be accomplished in numerous ways through computerized simulation software, playing videos of past incidents and/or examining photographs. Each way allows members to command an incident over and over again to complete sets and repetitions. These sets and reps allow members to gain experience that they might utilize to assist them in mitigating a real-life emergency situation.
Mentor program
The last foundational element that officer candidates must have is a mentor. Unfortunately, this game-changing step is overlooked by many organizations.
A mentor program assigns a more-senior member to an officer candidate as a mentor, to assist the candidate toward development into an officer. Often, the mentor is a sounding board for the candidate to ask questions, gain guidance from for particular situations and/or simply provide suggestions of where the candidate needs to focus development.
Consideration of who is assigned to which mentor must be a point of emphasis. Not every person is a match for another person. Consider such things as personal identity, age and cultural background. The reason: Members who can identify well with their mentor might be more open to criticism from their mentor. If the mentor and mentee don’t identify well with each other, criticism might be viewed as a personal attack instead of assistance.
What happens if your department doesn’t have anyone to fill the mentor role for a new candidate? This is a reality in many departments. In this situation, the candidate should be encouraged to reach out to outside sources. Mentors from the outside might be identified by candidates through taking a class, networking at conferences or asking for a mentor suggestion from other members. The focus should be on growth by the candidate.
Conquering the challenge
The transition into the officer’s role might seem like a challenge. This challenge can be conquered by having a good foundational officer development program for future officer candidates. Their firm foundation for success can be achieved by assisting them through a formalized training program, assisting them with gaining experiences and providing them with a mentor.
