Officer development | Company Commander

Righteous means a person or conduct that is morally right or justifiable. Also means very good or excellent. I think it is a good term to describe a high-performance fire company. How to we move a fire company from “OK” to righteous?

A righteous fire company is more than a collection of competent firefighters. Righteous fire companies have:

A deep sense of purpose and commitment to the members and to the mission
More ambitious performance goals than average teams
Mutual accountability and a clear understanding of each firefighter’s responsibility to the team and each other
A diverse range of skills and capabilities that complements each other
Interdependence and trust between members.

1. Clarify Fire Company Purpose and Goals

The firefighters are committed to the work and each other. The role of the fire officer is to keep the goals clear and help each member utilize their skills and capabilities to meet short and long term goals. The expectation is that firefighters will work hard, exercise candor with mutual respect, holding themselves and each other accountable.

2. Encourage More Ambitious Performance Goals

These are created by individual intrinsic motivations, like being a member of “The Big House.” Fire officers identify or develop interesting projects that will provide the greatest impact on performance. Tom Downey’s book tells the story of how Phil Ruvolo, the new FDNY Rescue 2 Captain, worked to gain acceptance before 9/11 and build his team in the aftermath of the attacks.

A run comes in a few minutes before shift change and the day tour driver tells the driver who just finished the night tour that he’ll take it. The night tour driver replies “The F*** you will!” and jumps back in the rig. (Downey 2005)

3. The Fire Officer Needs To Be A High-Performance Leader

Essential leadership qualities include the ability to

Keep the purpose, goals and approach relevant and meaningful
Build commitment and confidence
Ensure that team members constantly enhance their skills
Manage relationships from the outside with a focus on the removal of obstacles that might hinder group performance
Provide opportunities for others without seeking personal credit
Get in the trenches and do the real work required.

There is widespread agreement that high-performance leaders focus on purpose, goals, relationships and an unwavering commitment to results that benefit the organization and each individual.

4. Crew Resource Management Works In The Fire Station

Conflict management is an essential part of becoming a righteous fire company. Open communication means a focus on coaching instead of directing and a focus on the ability to immediately address issues openly and candidly. The key is open lines of communication at all times to provide motivation, maintain interest and promote cooperation. The communication and problem solving tools used in crew resource management work just as effectively in the fire station as they do on the fireground.

5. The Fire Company Sets The Norms and Standards

Norms for righteous fire companies include open lines of communication, early resolution of conflict, regular evaluation of both individual and team performance, high levels of respect among members, a strong work ethic that focuses on results, and shared recognition of team successes.

The group I have been following, Rescue Company No. 2, is an elite unit within the Fire Department, and its old-school, tough-guy attitudes are even more pronounced than those in most other city firehouses. New recruits have to earn the respect of veterans by enduring the silent treatment, tolerating jeers about their masculinity and bravery, and performing menial tasks like taking out the garbage and cleaning bathrooms. But this ”hazing” is not an expression of gratuitous cruelty; it is a rite of passage that earns young men the respect their elders had to earn in the past. (Downey 2004)

Still Riding (2002) 57:58 minutes