What does it take to be an officer? For me it was eleven years and two attempts. I signed up for a lot of classes in leadership, strategies and tactics, and professional development. I studied for written exams. I practiced for my assessment panel. Finally, I received the word from the Chief that I was going to be promoted.
I received my gold badge, my title, and my shift. I thought I was set. I was only partially right. Nothing can prepare you for the transition from firefighter to officer. All the books in the world can make you think it’s easy, but until you’re sitting across from your newly assigned shift being introduced as their officer you just can’t know. I firmly believe that it takes a special kind of crazy to be a firefighter and an even more special kind crazy to try and control them. “What’s the biggest obstacle” you ask? Well, you see, you’re no longer “one of the guys”. You’re the boss.
This is where the first bitter taste of leadership is experienced. Your job requires you to give orders, demand results, and administer discipline to guys you used to cut up with. You may now be in charge of people you once looked up to. Even worse is the fact that they are all now looking to you for answers and guidance. There is a great line in the movie Ladder 49 where the character John Travolta plays is an officer in the firehouse. After helping put some kids to bed the wife of his guy tells him he would make a great babysitter and Travolta tells her “What do you think I do all day at the station”. This couldn’t be a more accurate statement. You can interact with the personnel, but you must maintain an amount of separation. You can’t be one of the guys anymore.
Some new officers forget the golden rule of promotion. Just because you have the gold and you enforce the rules doesn't mean that your crew is going to respect you. I've heard time and time again as an officer “you better not forget where you came from” and I agree that just because you’re an officer now it means you have to have a personality transplant. Just like the fire service, you adapt to the ever changing environment. Respect on the other hand is a funny thing because firefighters will respect a position while hating the person in the position, but only to a point. I tell aspiring officers that if you don’t respect you personnel, they will never respect you. A good officer molds his team using the strengths of each person to get the job done. Give credit to your people because everybody knows you probably didn't do the heavy lifting so without them you’re just a paper pusher.
Finally, I had a Fire Chief once tell me “always remember, NEVER promote past your happiness” This is probably the best piece of advice I have ever received. I share it with every person I can who decides to seek a promotion. If you’re not happy with your position then do absolutely everything you can to change it. Once you find that happiness, then strive to be the absolute best at that position you can be. Everybody will make mistakes and as a good officer you must learn from them. You take the good and the bad from your officers and develop your own style, your own way of doing things. Don’t be so proud you can’t admit there is a better way of doing things. Don’t let your ego get out of hand. Last but not least, have fun! If you can’t go to work every day with a smile on your face because you want to be there, then get out. Find something else or just retire and go fishing. Nobody likes an officer with a continual case of “short-timers” syndrome. Your poor attitude will infect the entire shift and that is nothing but a ticking time bomb
**Thank you to Paul Combs for permission to use his images.
My name is Richard Berkobien and I am a career Battalion Chief with the Richland Hills FD in Richland Hills, TX. I have been in the fire service for over 20 yrs, starting my journey as a vollie with RHFD, doing a short stint in College Station and coming back to spend last 15 years at RHFD. I am married to Beth M (who writes for WBF as well), live in the Fort Worth Metroplex, and have three crazy pups together.
Thanks for sharing, Richard! I think some things that help our guys is that after X number of yours, they have the opportunity to take Acting Officer training. That gives them a small taste, and also allows them to ride in charge of the apparatus. When someone makes Lieutenant or Captain, they are transferred to another station, and sometimes another shift entirely. Captains are on a crazy shift, so that they work with each of the three shifts in their new house. I think that helps a LOT. I can only imagine how hard it would be to make the transition while staying in the same house and just suddenly having a different badge and a different bunk!
Richard from another fellow officer Captain my hubby very well written and very true.
Thank you Richard for sharing you experience and insight on being an officer. My husband is a 26 yr. volunteer, he was a LT for awhile and had left the area for a job but has since returned and has not been offered the position back yet (it is an appointed one). He is currently the training officer at the station and you are right, it is different to be in a position where you are the authority, you have to watch how buddy, buddy you are or you lose the respect, definitely can be tough but also rewarding when you are able to share your knowledge with the younger guys/gals who are coming into the fire service. As the saying goes, the best thing an old fireman can do, is teach a young fireman to be an old fireman. 🙂 Best wishes and stay safe out there!!!