Too Inexperienced to Command?

I HAVE A FONDNESS FOR FEATURE ARTICLES IN ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPERS. They have the time, youth and drive to develop a detailed story.

By their nature they are suspicious of authority and paint a rich picture of an issue that is not possible with a two-minute news item. You can see earlier examples in articles about the hostile political atmosphere in Phoenix (here).

HE IS DEAD!

That is one of the comments on a YouTube clip showing the wall crushing San Francisco Firefighter Mike Estrada (at the 1:18 mark on this clip):

Dave Statter provided detailed coverage of the May 21, 2009 incident HERE. Firehouse.com re-post of TV article HERE.

RECOVERY AND RECRIMINATION

Yesterday, SF Weekly reporter Anna McCarthy wrote a 3,781 word article covering the investigation of the incident and the recovery of Estrada. (HERE)

SFFD_seal

The article covers three areas:

issues with the SFFD investigation (NIOSH report will not be released until 2010)
the near-amputation of Estrada’s leg
impact of changes in hiring and promotion practices, including the impact of a consent decree.

DO INEXPERIENCED LIEUTENANTS INJURE FIREFIGHTERS?

A spike in firefighter injuries and this near-miss incident raises concerns about the capability of first-line supervisors. From McCarthy’s article:

Of 200 lieutenants currently in the San Francisco Fire Department, 183 — 92 percent — were newly appointed to their positions, while 62 percent of those promoted had 15 years or fewer of experience. Many veterans had retired before the exams to avoid the possibility of demotion, so the newly appointed had few experienced lieutenants around to guide them.

In addition, Smith, Hanley, and other department sources say that serious flaws in the most recent lieutenant’s exam meant many of the more experienced firefighters did not end up high on the list for promotion. “Don’t get me wrong,” Hanley wrote in a recent union newsletter. “I’m not saying that these people with one or two years’ experience are not qualified, but something happened with this recent lieutenant’s test where experienced firefighters did not receive a promotion.”

How much firefighting experience is needed before someone becomes a first-line supervisor in a metro department?

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

URBAN COMMANDER is an irregular feature aimed at career staff working in metro-sized fire departments. It will cover topics that were too esoteric, short-term or “sharp” for the Fire Officer textbook. Click “Urban Commander” under Categories to get all of the articles

Also on FireGeezer…

Idiot Replacement Theory – August 1, 2009
Silent Bob’s final words – February 17, 2010
Best Worst Experience of My Life – February 7, 2010
Fire Officer: Principles & Practice 2nd ed – September 13, 2009

Share and Post on Facebook, Twitter and More:

Featured from across Fire/EMS

HallwaySledge

Is it that we have too many inexperienced or uneducated members taking the promotional exams or that the promotional exams themselves are not made to promote those who will make the best leaders? Not "officers", but "leaders". I recently took my dept's promotional exam for Lieutenant with 9 years at this job and 15 total years experience. Out of 7 oral interview questions NOT A SINGLE ONE had anything to do with tactics, strategy or leadership. Every question was a rules and regs or management based question. Right there it told me my dept wanted people to manage firefighters in the station and deal with personnel issues. The written exam was no better. Nickel knowledge with a huge emphasis on Haz-mat. From talking with other brothers and sisters my experience with the promotional is not unique. Maybe this is where at least part of the problem lies.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Hi Hallway, a belated thanks for your comments.

Your experience with the oral and written are (unfortunately) not unique. Of the three building construction questions on my first fire supervisory test, one was about cast iron columns (from Brannigan) ... we found ONE building in a 399 square mile county with that construction feature!!

Dave LeBlanc

Here is a question. Have we or will we promote Firefighters that have never been to a working fire?

Fire Duty is down. Some places have minimal qualifications for promotion. The Fire Service as a whole lacks mandatory training requirements. (As opposed to our Blue Brothers that have training requirements set by law.)

I would say that a Metro Department has a better chance of promoting more experienced members, But as Gregg stated there are flaws there too.

I think that inexperienced Firefighters get into situations they shouldn't be in, I think that inexperienced Officers can allow that to happen. Finally I think our declining manpower levels set us all up for failure, especially when combined with the above.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Hi Dave,

Sorry for the late reply. During the last budget crisis we learned that our state has NO minimum requirements to be a firefighter or fire officer.

Mike

Gregg

Just to provide some background, I am a 10 year firefighter with one of the largest metro departments in the country.

I think the entire idea of attempting to quantify experience in the fire service is absurd. It is the ultimate X factor that will inevitably vary from individual to individual.

I can name many 5 year firefighters who have absorbed every class that was offered to them, as easily I can name several "veterans" who haven't opened a book or visited a website like this since they graduated the academy.

Furthermore, I know several men who have 5-7 years on a busy company that a light years ahead of their "veteran" counterparts who came on and stayed at slower houses.

If we REALLY want to address the issues of qualified command, we will investigate THE WAY we promote, rather than WHO we promote.

The idea that the regurgitation of rules, regs and SOPs and evolutions on a mock fire scene, taken over a two or three day testing process, somehow "qualifies" men to lead others in dangerous situations is antiquated. It is my hope that fire departments around this country (mine included) continue the development of Officer Training as an on going process similar to the military OCS platforms.

Encouraging the development of Officers - investing in their skills - rather than the anointment of officers, has tangible benefits that will reverberate both vertically and horizontally through the rank structure.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Gregg:

An excellent post, I agree that the Officer Candidate School is a better model of promotion.

Mike

DaGonz

I was a firefighter for 7 years when I made LT, spent 12 years as LT before being promoted to Captain, held that rank for 6 years before becoming a Deputy Chief.

I have 22 years in a command capability and I am still learning. What scare the daylights out of me is "elected officers" based on popularity and the "wizards" who take every course they can for the certifications and getting promoted in their departments with little or no fireground experience.. just a piece of paper that says they are "certified".

Being "certified " does not mean one is "qualified"

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Chief:

"Being "certified " does not mean one is "qualified""

A great start to a column!

Thanks for sharing.

Mike

firehat

I made lieutenant with six years on the paid department after having joined a volunteer department 10 years prior. I felt my ten years in the fire service and six years on the job were definitely on the shorter end of the experience spectrum but I also knew that if I didn't go for the promotion some others with similar experience levels would. I thought I could do better than they could so I studied. I just knew that I would have to rely on my crew very heavily (fortunately I am not afraid to ask for help).