Train Them, Trust Them

Once upon a time there was a company officer, that company officer took it upon himself to assure that his men were trained appropriately to be able to handle whatever situation occurred. Then one day that officer retired……………………………………………………………..

This is a message to the company, house, BC, or anyone who someday wishes to become an officer that will lead his men into the battle of life vs. death, this battle is known as firefighting.  We are in an age of fear, fear that we might someday make the mistakes that so many have made and get one of our men hurt or killed. This is most definitely a valid worry and a fear that many have, and should. As I stated before it seems that this fear has overwhelmed the fact that we still have a job to do, and that job is protecting life and property. As an officer you must assure that your men are trained to the point that they are rarely surprised by any situation, and if surprised, can adapt and overcome whatever situation they face. How often have you heard the excuse for lack of aggressiveness being, “I feel fine with my skills, it’s my guys that I’m worried about”? This to me is an invalid excuse and I’ll tell you why. As an officer your skills should be their skills. They should be trained by you, led by you, and believe it or not they should look up to you. Regardless of title, age, years on the job, you have taken this position of leader, so just do it (I didn’t ask Nike for that). We are in a day that requires such leadership in order to properly mold and develop the men and women that are coming out of the academies and hitting the bay floor running. If you are stumped as an officer then ASK someone for help, it’s not embarrassing. Yes I know that when you go talk to Bill he talks your ear off about everything else but ya know what, he’s been doing this for thirty years and I bet he knows the answer to your question, so be an officer and get the answer. Be the role model that your men need and do your job. Instill a safe and aggressive attitude into your men and explain to them the importance of why we do what we do. Be the officer that takes it upon himself to assure his men are properly trained and able to handle whatever situation occurs. Then you won’t need to worry about your guys skills, they’ll be the same as yours.