During my presentation concerning a company officer program at a recent conference, a discussion began among the attendees that was about the role that the company officer plays in the operations of a fire company. We all know that the lieutenant or the captain is the boss. Most of the tactical and operational decisions for the company are made by the company officer, who also keeps the firefighters’ behavior and activities in line with the organization’s rules and regulations.
When people try to compare the company officer’s role to that of the folks who run a football team, some people believe that the company officer would be most like the coach. I have a different viewpoint.
Not the ‘coach’
If we put time into considering three of the people who are affiliated with a football team—the owner, the head coach and the quarterback—the company officer is most similar to the quarterback.
A quarterback doesn’t own the team and certainly isn’t at the top of the organization. Similarly, there are numerous levels of officers and officials above the company officer in a typical fire department.
The company officer isn’t the head coach. Although the company officer is a “boss,” that role doesn’t extend to boss of the entire company or battalion or other level of command.
This leads us to consideration of the company officer being comparable to the quarterback.
At ‘practice’
What are the activities and responsibilities that quarterbacks have relative to the organization?
Like company officers, quarterbacks are integral to the team’s performance during games. That said, they certainly are involved with and critical to the training process. Whether it’s a high school, college or professional team, quarterbacks certainly practice—or train—much more frequently than they actually play official games.
To develop the team’s skills and plays, quarterbacks serve a vital and active role in practices. Because quarterbacks touch and deliver the football for almost every play, they must be involved in the team’s development.
The same goes for company officers and fire company “drill” activities. Company officers practice and train with their people and supervise and oversee the activities in and around the firehouse and at other outside activities.
Decision-making
What about on game day after kickoff? What’s the role of quarterbacks during the four quarters of play? What decisions do these leaders of the offense make? What part of each play are quarterbacks in control of?
You don’t need to watch a football game for very long before you’re apt to notice that quarterbacks communicate with the linemen, running backs, tight ends and receivers and guide the movement of this whole squad.
Company officers do the same thing during responses to alarms and other assignments. They call the shots.
Quarterbacks get the offensive players together and to work in unison to initiate the play, which might have come from the head coach on the sideline.
Company officers perform similarly when they get members to complete a tactic on the fireground. Firefighters who work in a company are part of a team, and the team leaders in the fire service are the company officers.
Effect on performance
The preparation, training and performance of company officers most directly and dramatically affect the performance of the members of a fire company.
If you are a chief officer who supervises companies and the officers who command them, you, too, can see the similarities and how that contributes to your job of evaluating, supervising and mentoring your company officers.
Just as firefighters are the team members for their company officer, unit officers are the members of the chief’s tactical team. With this “command structure” in place, chief and company officers are better able to train, motivate and supervise their people and produce a higher level of service for the community that they protect.
John J. Salka Jr. will present “Five Alarm Leadership” at Firehouse Expo. To register, visit firehouseexpo.com.
John J. Salka Jr. | Battalion Chief
JOHN J. SALKA JR., who is a Firehouse contributing editor, retired as a battalion chief with FDNY, serving as commander of the 18th battalion in the Bronx. Salka has instructed at several FDNY training programs, including the department’s Probationary Firefighters School, Captains Management Program and Battalion Chiefs Command Course. He conducts training programs at national and local conferences and has been recognized for his firefighter survival course, “Get Out Alive.” Salka co-authored the FDNY Engine Company Operations manual and wrote the book "First In, Last Out–Leadership Lessons From the New York Fire Department." He also operates Fire Command Training, which is a New York-based fire service training and consulting firm.
