Experience is the great equalizer within our profession, the golden ticket if you will of knowing not only what to do and when to do it, but also how different environments impact both of those things. We typically associate experience with the fireground, using it as both a crutch and a barrier to our operational outcomes. Still, we often fail to assign the same criticality to how experience impacts what happens inside our walls as we do outside of them. As our responsibilities move us further from the environments where our decisions and orders will be applied, we are faced with an inevitable disconnect which fools us into believing not only that our experience lacks a shelf life, but also that the process of gaining it in a new role or position comes without consequence.
Perspective is extremely hard to maintain when we are not directly subjected to the repercussions of our influence and decisions. It is easy to make a shift in policy or procedure when such judgements will not directly affect how we accomplish our own responsibilities. From the acting officer to the chief of the department, anyone tasked with the supervision of other members is susceptible to selecting a course of action which may be favorable from their perspective but does not consider the true impact of the other members. We also forget that we often make such assertions based on theory, best practice, or past precedence, rather than personal experience with the desired results. This is because it takes time to gain experience with new perspectives, especially the further away they take use from the direct delivery of service to the community.
Unfortunately, it has become all too common for departments to operate in a manner which neglects to acknowledge we exist to answer calls for service above all else! Instead, we create organizational vacuums which protect our egos more than our members or our citizens, often as a result of the personal and professional interests of those external to our mission that have direct authority over the funding and resources required to execute it. Rather than face the challenges head on, we ushered in corporate mentalities to a service profession, marketing them as a way to bridge the gap between external stakeholders. Unfortunately, this approach seems to be creating new gaps between different levels within our own organizations as we have watered down the concepts of leadership to nothing more than a poor camouflage for management.
Although perspective should be a key consideration in both our decision making and our understating of the decisions being made around us, perception is a factor we all too frequently assign little or no value. Much of what we do is subjective as there are multiple ways to perform most of the tasks we are assigned, however, departments often treat these tasks in an objective manner, chastising those who perceive them differently than we do. Perception seems to be a priority when considering external stakeholders, but all too often the perception of those within the organization is quickly dismissed. We continue to place emphasis on hiring practices, training and educational requirements, and professional development only to at best ignore, but often ridicule those attempting to apply the concepts found within those areas. The same command and control models that are necessary for operational success create climates that do not allow us to challenge those immune to the unintended consequences of their actions. The result is organizational silence fueled by the echo chambers which only permit affirmation despite the implications we face as a result.
Perhaps what we need is a change to our perception of perspective. Something I continue to hear as my education and development trend more towards administrative functions than they do operational assignments is the narrative that suggests the “10,000-foot view” of an organization is the most important. However, when we only address issues, needs, and policy from such a broad perspective, we overlook the fact that even the most chaotic situations will appear calm from such a high altitude. If we make decisions solely from the safety of distance, we risk introducing procedure from a picture which lacks detail, often with repercussions not seen or felt from the higher rungs of the organizational ladder. While I can agree that it is certainly important that we consider our activities from a wide lens, I also think our profession could use a parachute to help us float back down to the reality from time to time. I would be lying if I said changes in position, responsibility, and authority have not changed both my perspective and perception of many areas, however, there are just as many areas where they have not, and for good reason.
Although “always” and “never” can be extremely dangerous words, in this instance I can safely say that I will ALWAYS believe the most important view in any department is out the windshield of any apparatus answering a call for service; period! Unfortunately, that view does not seem to be the primary concern of many curriculums, policies, or decision makers in today’s fire service. Functions like credentialling, certification, and data collection intended to support the mission have quietly replaced it, focusing our time and energy on the appearance of readiness, even when it does not produce a correlation to execution. This combined with false narratives regarding fire duty and firefighter safety have created a false sense of security in our capabilities that only becomes exposed when we are faced with poor incident outcomes which reflect our shift in emphasis.
As tenure and experience continue to decrease, we must actively chart a new course in development which acknowledges appearance if of little use if it lacks utility. We need policies and procedures which meet the needs of our citizens by encompassing the perspectives and perceptions of internal and external shareholders alike, not one taking precedence over the other. We need a return to leadership which addresses the challenges we are facing instead of masking them. We need to stop confusing honesty with hostility, recognizing that what our people are experiencing may not always align with what our personal experience may have been. Most importantly, we need to remember to pull our parachute now and then to ensure our perception and perspective remains focused on our must important function; answering calls for service!
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