Preparing the next generation of officers is no easy feat. Some departments have academies; others have no formal process. Some candidates have the luxury of a good officer to prepare them. In some departments, firefighters can take a test and then lead a station the next week without any preparation.
A way to better prepare members for the challenges of leading a station is an exercise that I call living in basket. The concept draws from the in-basket exercise that frequently is found in promotional processes.
A recurring exercise
An in-basket exercise gives candidates a series of tasks to prioritize. These include daily station tasks and others at the discretion of the process. A panel grades from a template and ranks the candidate’s ability.
While preparing one of my past drivers for the promotional process, I decided to take the concept a step further and do it in real time at the station, with some prompts added in. Thus, the birth of living in basket.
I performed this for multiple firefighters and drivers, with positive results. It now is a recurring exercise.
Assigning vs. being assigned
To perform living in basket, the officer must allow the firefighter or driver to take charge of the station for a shift. This in-station activity doesn’t translate to on-scene activities. The officer is responsible for everything in and out of the station.
Note: For the purposes of this column, the term firefighter is utilized below for any person who participates in the exercise.
In the morning, the firefighter is assigned the role of acting officer; the officer is available in the scenario as the acting firefighter. The officer must ensure that crew members know that the firefighter is acting as the officer that day. The officer ideally chooses a day that normally is full of activities, such as a truck day.
To influence the day into a more challenging exercise, the officer can add tasks that must be accomplished or are optional to accomplish. This lets the firefighter have tasks to prioritize by urgency and the order in which they must accomplish them. Tasks don’t have to be included at the start of the exercise; they can be inserted randomly throughout the day to simulate something coming up (e.g., the battalion chief calls to request an inventory of hydrant supplies).
Training is an agenda item that always should be included. Often, the firefighter requests feedback from crew members on what they would like to see training cover during their shift. The firefighter then can conduct the training or delegate it to another crew member. Either option is OK.
The officer is there to assist as a silent guide and shouldn’t override the authority of the firefighter unless a safety hazard is present. The best way that an officer can ensure that the exercise is a success is to stand back and wait to offer advice until the firefighter works through options but comes to an impasse. A priority of the exercise is to build confidence. The officer also must remember that the firefighter might not prioritize or complete things as the officer would. Again, the officer must be willing to accept the role of a crew member and complete tasks that the firefighter assigns.
I write must-complete and optional tasks on the white board. The firefighter takes charge and meets with the crew about the day’s agenda.
This drill assists with building the mindset of delegating tasks. Firefighters who usually are accustomed to being assigned tasks now must switch to assigning them. New officers often struggle to make the switch to assigning and delegating versus doing it all themselves—not that officers also shouldn’t be working, but they must realize the importance of delegation.
Numerous pluses
One of the most rewarding aspects of the living in basket drill is seeing a firefighter develop before one’s eyes. I have seen firefighters fall naturally into the role of officer and take charge of the station, setting the pace for the day. An interesting thing that often happens: The firefighter prioritizes a project or training that the officer might have overlooked.
Another positive to the exercise: It better prepares the firefighter to lead in an officer’s absence and ensures that station-level work is completed. Often, when an officer takes off, that person isn’t replaced with an equal rank; therefore, the usual crew must step up in the officer’s absence. Better-prepared firefighters are a positive for the present just as much as the future.
Opening eyes
Feedback from firefighters that often is brought up: They didn’t realize all that an officer does. This might lead some to enjoy the challenge and to try out for the next promotional exam or cause others to decide to wait on promotion until they’re more comfortable or willing to step into the role.
Another common theme: firefighters realizing that, sometimes, not all tasks can be accomplished in a shift because calls and other items come up.
The pass-on
At the end of shift, a pass-on must be completed. In most departments, the pass-on occurs from officer to officer, driver to driver, and firefighter to firefighter. Let the firefighter who you are training give the pass-on to the oncoming officer. Stand with the firefighter to observe and to ensure that the pass-on is adequate. Offer feedback to the firefighter about the pass-on after it’s complete.
Next-generation officers
Feedback is how the living in basket drill becomes successful, but the feedback must be constructive. No two people handle every task the same, and that must weigh in the officer’s mind. Feedback can be given during the day as advice and as a summary before bedtime. The summary also makes for great kitchen table talk and can include all members of the crew, who might have input themselves.
The living in basket drill can be conducted as frequently as an officer chooses, but, ideally, it’s conducted for each member of the crew about once per month. This gives firefighters ample opportunity to practice and remain sharp. It can be conducted more frequently if it’s used to prepare someone who is being promoted or who is testing soon.
The possibilities are endless with this drill; they only are limited by your creativity. The drill builds confidence in the member in a way that only can be achieved by doing the work that’s associated with running a station.
Watching a good officer manage a station day to day is a great learning opportunity, but the living in basket drill places members in a position to manage in an environment where the officer can provide guidance. Try it to help to prepare the next generation of officers to step up.
Lee Coker
Lee Coker is a career lieutenant with the Whitfield County, GA, Fire Department who has more than a decade of experience in the fire service. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fire administration and holds the Chief Fire Officer Certification from the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs.
