From Fire Engineering:
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| Photo by Pete Santos |
Funeral for a friend and questions for you:
Six to eight firefighters will
be chosen to carry the casket of our friend. Any less we would be absurd even
in ideal conditions. They will have to bear the weight of the member, endure
environmental conditions and possibly negotiate stairs.
It is likely that the family will
select a command officer from your department to oversee the funeral. This
solemn responsibility may include choosing the pallbearers.
If told by the grieving widow
that she only wanted two pallbearers the department liaison would not hesitate
to explain the necessity of a full complement. They would advocate for what is
in the best interest of the department and the family.
Incredibly, At this point we
are all in agreement. So why would the same command officer fail the living,
fail our communities and fail our families without rebuke?
If it takes a minimum of six
to carry a casket in ideal conditions, how can our leaders justify a Rapid
Intervention Team of two firefighters or only sending one company to the
highway. How can they justify responding to a house fire with three floors with
less than twenty-four firefighters or responding to a commercial fire with the
same response as a house fire?
The fact is they can’t. They
have succumbed to social norms placing us all at risk. They use banter at the
table and complain about budget cuts, the mayor, policy, damaging equipment, city
council or the size of their department. All these arguments fall short.
We all seem to be in
agreement that IAFF, Metro Chiefs and the IAFC should continue their work on
staffing. However at the same time we handcuff them. Our efforts on a national level will fail if
we don’t demand the proper response at home.
We have determined who the
enemy is. It is ourselves! We have done more with less creating a new minimum
standard. I have long stated, “There is no Politian on scene that says you can’t
call for the help you need to keep your firefighters safe.”
You have the power to pick up
the radio and call for resources. You have the power to stand apart and become
part of the solution. We all have the training, knowledge and experience to
justify our actions. You have the responsibility to lead.
Are you the leader who would have two
firefighters carry a coffin that requires six?
Failure to lead is easy to
recognize. Take a look at the following eight questions and conduct your own
self-evaluation and than try to justify your actions to a widow or the court.
1. Will you ensure
your RIT is staffed with at least four and replaced them when utilized?
2. Will you strike a
2nd based off potential of a commercial structure fire?
3. Will you request
an additional company to assist you in getting a 2 ½ line in place for any
commercial structure regardless how light the smoke is?
4. Will you ask for
another company to get your line in place if help is needed?
5. Will you call for mutual aid for a two to three story house if less than twenty-four firefighters are on the assignment?
6. Will you call for
an additional piece of apparatus if traffic is moving to protect the scene on
the highway?
7.Will you call for
a second if all your resources are working and no reserves are on scene?
8. Would you
advocate to a widow that only two or three firefighters should carry the coffin
our friend?
A common leadership axiom
tells us to “wear your rank” accepting responsibility for your position and
your members is the first step. Most of the eight issues can be addressed by a
simple request on the radio.
Everyone I know would love to
come to your fire. It is who we are and what we do. Every role needs to be
filled to guarantee our safety. It is easier to pick up the radio than bear the
weight of a friend at a funeral.
