Fire Department Leadership…A Critical Safety Issue By: Chief Dennis Compton

1. Fire Department Leadership…A Critical Safety Issue By: Chief Dennis Compton ©

2. Introspection

3. 2004 Firefighter LODD Summit in Tampa, Florida • 2007 follow-up meeting in Novato, California • (Both identified Fire Service leadership and supervisory culture as a critical issue)

4. Culture: “the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.”

5. Is there a single “fire service culture” in the nation today? That’s debatable

6. Consistent Fire Department Values: • Focus on service…saving lives and • property • Strong sense of identity as a firefighter • Teamwork • Camaraderie • Compassion • Courage • Acceptance of personal risk

7. These values are not defined or acted out in the same way in all fire departments…and that influences the differences in culture among fire departments.

8. Healthy Definitions The focus on service…saving lives and property is built on a foundation of training and respect for the entire fire and life safety system

9. Healthy Definitions The strong sense of identity as a firefighter includes maintaining a positive, productive, and healthy attachment to the position…not a self-aggrandizing, arrogant, or infallible identity.

10. Healthy Definitions Teamwork, camaraderie, and compassion are complimented by effective leadership, supervision, and decision-making

11. Healthy Definitions Courage and acceptance of risk are acted-out within a standard risk profile, and potential gain is factored into strategic, tactical, and task level decisions

13. Impact of leadership on firefighter safety 16 LODD Life Safety Initiatives

14. Five Focus Areas to Consider • Heart Attacks & Strokes • Vehicles • Strategy • Crew Integrity • Training

15. 1. Heart Attacks and Strokes (Emphasize Rehab)

16. 2. Vehicles Please Wear Your Seat Belts

17. Avoid offensive positions on defensive fires. 3. Strategy

18. 4. Crew Integrity Stay Together: Voice or Vision or Touch

19. Must be a controlled situation and environment. 5. Training

20. Five Focus Areas to Consider • Heart Attacks & Strokes • Vehicles • Strategy • Crew Integrity • Training

21. MAP is a performance improvement tool that integrates into any training curriculum. It enhances command and control, leadership, decision-making, overall effectiveness, and safety.

22. Composure is critical…and so is analysis.

23. Assess Your Department • How does your department define and act-out the consistent FD values previously identified? • Do you have written SOP’s and expectations for behavior and performance? Are they enforced? • Does the culture embrace a structured health, wellness, and fitness program?

24. Assess Your Department • Are there written guidelines and rules for operating and riding in vehicles…including seatbelt use? Are they enforced? • Do you use a risk management profile to guide decision-making, strategy development, and tactical commitments? • Is teamwork valued within the culture and is free-lancing unacceptable?

25. Assess Your Department • Is composure considered an important trait and is psychological and emotional fitness part of training? • Are all members empowered to bring safety issues to the forefront? • Are effective leadership and personal accountability viewed as important?

26. Assess Your Department • Is there a process for infusing significant change into the department? • Do incident reviews result in information exchange and positive change? • (Focusing on these organizational keys will have a positive impact on the culture of your fire department as it relates to firefighter safety)

27. Introspection

28. Fire Department Leadership…A Critical Safety Issue By: Chief Dennis Compton