Corinth Fire Department

STATION 5 "TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS!!!" Engine Tanker Rescue Ladder 51

Tunnel Vision In Rural Fire Departments


Assistant Chief Dwight Easler, Corinth Fire Department

 

 
 

For most of my career as a volunteer firefighter, I have served rural fire departments. Currently, I serve in a department that averages 250 calls per year, medical and fire. For 6 years, I served in an urban\suburban fire department that ran 1400 calls per year. One of the big differences that I noticed between these 2 types of departments was how call volume affects decisions making. For the department with a large call volume decision making is often based upon the routine. It is the unusual call that exposes tunnel vision. For the rural department there is no routine. Every fire call is unusual and tunnel vision takes on a different form.

 

For the sake of this discussion, tunnel vision is defined as the tendency to see things from a narrow viewpoint. It is a mind filter that blocks needed observation skills and causes you to act quickly and think little. For firefighters tunnel vision is deadly. It is why each year we have firefighters charging into “new construction” type homes and dropping into basements because we see fire and ignore the walk around of the structure. It is why officers like you and me, tie our hands trying to manage tactics instead of delegating operations and thinking about safety, accountability, and the overall strategy on the fire scene.

 

When I moved back to the slow pace of the rural department I was reminded of a different kind of tunnel vision. This tunnel vision doesn’t come from being worn out from response numbers the tunnel vision that I am talking about comes from the rust that builds from not seeing but 20 working fires in a years time. Here are some causes of tunnel vision in a rural fire department:

 

1. The completely trained mind- The officer or firefighter who has determined that he\she has enough training and can no longer be taught anything. This person typically has years of experience but their decision making is hindered because they are no longer students. They will say, “ I have forgotten more about firefighting than you know.” Then they will prove that statement on the next house fire when they act like they have forgotten everything they know.

 

2. The action oriented mind- The officer or firefighter in this frame of mind has determined sub-consciously that it is better to act quickly and decisively even if it is the wrong decision. They ignore warning signs and value aggressive tactics over everything else. In the rural fire department, this is even more dangerous because there is no routine based on large call numbers to guide action. The officer or firefighter is acting from a gut instinct rather than a thought out action plan.

 

3. The memory lane mind- This mind bases all fire tactics and strategy on a fire that occurred 20 years ago. They will say things like, “ This house is just like the house we fought on …” Upon research you will find that was many years ago and probably burned down. This may be very beneficial when you work in areas with similar types of construction. However, with new and more dangerous types of construction appearing everyday living in the moment must be the first priority.

 

4. The undisciplined mind- This person is the most dangerous mind in the volunteer fire department. This mindset strikes the experienced and inexperienced and can be caused by:

a. A lack of respect for policy, procedures, and standard operating guidelines.

b. Simple panic because of the situation or lack of experience.

c. A departmental failure to adopt and communicate safe practices and procedures

d. A departmental failure to do continuous education.

 

Knowing these things how can we avoid tunnel vision in the rural fire service?

 

1. We can be students. We read, we practice, we take classes, we think about what we will do on the next fire to keep everybody safe.

 

2. We can value discipline over action. We discipline ourselves to do the 360, ensure all safety equipment and practices are in place, and we do accountability on the fire scene.

 

3. We can operate under sound policy, procedure, and standard operating guidelines no matter how many calls we run per year.

 

In the world of the unlikely, it is dangerous to be unready. Readiness begins with the mind no matter where your fire station is located.

The Hardest Job in the Volunteer Fire Department

Assistant Chief Dwight Easler, Corinth Fire Department

 

Asst. Chief Dwight Easler

The fire department I serve designates the lieutenants as training officers. These officers along with their respective fire ground duties are responsible for keeping up with training records, enlisting people for academy classes and leading training meetings weekly.  In my observation of many fire departments, this has become one the most difficult task in the volunteer fire service for several reasons.

 

  • First, the training officer is the first source of retention. If volunteers are captured by the joy of learning to do something beyond the ordinary during weekly training drills they will be retained and develop appropriately. However, the changing work environment has greatly hindered our ability to train volunteers. Training officers must be forceful enough to challenge the volunteer to grow and learn, yet be understanding enough to realize when the volunteer is simply exhausted from working five straight 12 hour shifts.

 

Second, the training officer is often the least liked of the officer core. The training officer has the responsibility to push the volunteer to develop. This often causes friction and conflict as people refuse to move away from their comfort zone.

 

Third, the training officer often has the least support in the fire service from other officers. Often training officers unwittingly intimidate other officers who feel that their turf is being stepped on or their qualifications are being challenged if they participate in a drill. The result is an intimidated officer who has become negative and defensive toward the training efforts of the department. This at the very least gives the appearance to the firefighters that there is unrest and conflict among the officers.

 

There are several things that both officers and firefighters can do to make the training officers position an easier one.

 

1. Officers can affirm the importance of the training officers position among the membership. Senior officers must affirm the training officers position and respect their job as a priority. This will empower and elevate the position in the department.

 

2. Officers can actively participate in training and communicate openly with the training officers about what training they would like to see performed in the department.

 

3. Officers can offer their expertise in teaching on drill nights. Senior officers can attend drill nights and participate with the membership or serve as advisors or facilitators greatly assisting the training officer.

 

4. Firefighters can respect the training officer by being teachable.

 

5. Firefighters can affirm the training officer by expressing gratitude for the training officers part in their development.

 

6. Firefighters can accept the challenge of the training officers with a good attitude knowing that their job is to make them better.

 

7. Firefighters can offer their expertise to assist in teaching certain principles within the fire department.

 

All of these things will go along way to show our training officers more respect and empower them to do their job of making us better.

The Courage To Do The Hard Things

Assistant Chief Dwight Easler, Corinth Fire Department

 

Asst. Chief Dwight Easler

Most people think that firefighters must be courageous because we rush into burning buildings when they are running out. This does require some fortitude but most of us would have to admit that it has more to do with adrenaline than courage. Much of firefighting is reacting on instinct and training. Experience over the years teaches us how to handle incidents as we come upon them.

 

When I think of the most courageous acts performed in the fire service I think of the things we do that can cause us personal trauma. All of us can think of those calls that caused us difficulty emotionally and psychologically. Recently I counseled a young firefighter who assisted in the body retrieval of two young people who died in a fire. I was reminded that these situations change us forever because those images never leave our minds. However, emergency services accept the responsibility to be the ones who will have the courage to do the hard things. We do not ask for it and we must avoid what we can because we will always suffer personally for it, but there are times when we are the ones who will have to do the hard things. I have witnessed firefighters do courageous things just this year and these acts of courage make me proud to be a firefighter.

 

I have watched them work with the utmost professionalism in a traumatic situation while the unforgettable screams of a mother can be heard in the background. I have watched them on television carry their brothers out of a sofa factory with dignity and respect and I know that they were dying inside. Let us never get so cold that we block out the pain of others and fail to have sympathy on those who are hurting and in need. However, let us have the courage to do the hardest of duties even when our bodies shiver behind our gear at the thought of what is happening around us. Giving our lives sacrificially for others does not always mean dying for them. It could mean mustering the fortitude to do the most difficult of duties for them.

 

I am talking about those difficult duties that will change you and cause you to seek a place to cry after its over. Duties that will give you a pause and make you want to quit for a while. Actions that will give you reason to wake up at night and kiss your wife on the cheek. God help these difficult experiences to better us and not embitter us.

Being Safe Begins With Being Respectful

Assistant Chief Dwight Easler, Corinth Fire Department

 

Asst. Chief Dwight Easler

I spoke with a drill sergeant with 20 yrs experience in the army who told me that he was considering retirement. I asked him why and he said, “ The kids today coming into the military have one big problem, they do not respect authority and that is going to get them killed.” This is extremely detrimental to the military as you might imagine but it can also be life threatening to the fire service. I have been in battles against the established leadership in fire departments because I felt like I needed to do what was right for the sake of myself and others. However, what I am witnessing now in many departments is a simple disrespect for all authority. It seems many of us think that we are a law to ourselves. I see many who show disdain for anyone in leadership just because they are there. In my opinion, this is one of the most damaging trends in the fire service. How many young people wanting to join a fire department will hear something negative about the leadership before they will hear anything else? How many firefighters come to work in dread and negativity because they spend most of their day in disdain for the leader placed over them? We all have seen the negative affects of these situations.

 

All of us need leadership and authority. Quality leaders make us better by teaching us and being a guardian for us as we accomplish our duties. Worthy leaders realize that they are servants who hold their position with great responsibility. The idea of needing leadership and authority causes us to chafe and rise up against such thoughts because all of us are individualist deep down. We talk loudly to our young firefighters about not freelancing yet we pierce our leaders through as they try to lead. We point out their flaws hoping that when promotion time comes around people will see their flaws over our own and choose us. We can pretend this doesn’t happen but deep down we all know this happens in both career and volunteer departments. I am not talking about being robots that always agree with a leaders decision. That is dangerous and may be life threatening as well. I am speaking about being respectful to leadership in order to maintain a necessary chain of command that could save your life. I think it is time once again to teach our young people about respect for authority. How will this help them?  Apart from teaching them valuable life lessons, it will assist them in becoming top-notch firefighters and might save their lives one day when you give them an order on the fire scene. How do we practice and teach respect for authority? 

 

  1. - If you must voice a disagreement make sure it is in private or in an appropriate venue. Vocalizing disagreement or hostility in the truck bay or to the public cannot help the situation.

  3. - Call your superiors by their title and say things like “yes sir”. It will help you and it will help them lead.

  5. - Learn to respectfully and intelligently disagree with your superiors. Learning to speak this way will give them pause to stop and think about what you are saying.

  7. - Give your superiors the benefit of the doubt when they are making decisions. Don’t assume the worst about what they are doing.

  9. - Determine that you will respect anyone promoted to leadership even if it your closest friend. It seems those we know best often get the least amount of respect.

  11. - Treat your superiors like you would want to be treated. Many who gain promotion by slander and attrition find that they will be treated the same way when it is their turn to lead.