First Line Supervisors

New technology, building inspections, leadership, and administrative duties are just a few of the challenges presented to new company officers in the fire service, stated Turner (2014, para. 1). As the fire service continues to evolve so too must the duties of the first line supervisors. Yet, where does an aspiring crew chief begin his journey to become a better leader, and company officer? In Turner’s (2014) article “Preparing for the Role of Company Officer”, many core values have been presented to help further prepare junior officers in their advancement through the fire service. Let us look further into some of the core principles that are discussed.
Understanding Your Department
Turner (2014) stated that first line supervisors should

read and examine their department’s standard operating procedures (SOP’s) first and foremost (para. 2). This is sound and wise advice. In order to lead junior members of the fire service, you first have to know what is expected of you. What better place to look than the directives on how your department operates. SOP’s cover many topics such as uniform regulations, administration policies (leave), and how to respond to certain emergencies with in your jurisdiction. By utilizing this resource many questions can be clarified and answered. These SOP’s will help lay the foundation on which more senior officers can then begin to build upon. However, there are many other aspects that the company officer needs to have knowledge of.
Learning from Senior Officers
What better way to grasp new concepts than to learn from others who have lived them.

Officers already holding the position should mentor those who are up for promotion showing them day to day tasks and assignments that are expected to be supervised by them specified Turner (2014, para. 3). This mode of instruction would be very beneficial to firefighters progressing through the ranks, because it allows them to actually see, and utilize programs for time keeping, and tracking training. Furthermore, this practical application will allow them to become more efficient when using the department’s data bases. Many times it is not knowing the answer, but where to find the information. Therefore, by being exposed to programs already in use, will allow for less apprehension when engaging them

again.
Further Preparation.

Turner (2014) referenced “National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications, provides the standard for fire officer professional qualifications. Fire officer training varies among fire departments according to the requirements of the jurisdiction” (para. 7). I completely concur with the above statement. Why would you want to waste time, money, and resources on training you wouldn’t apply? For example, would you spend hours of training in the ARFF category is you did not work in or around an airport? The officer candidate should concentrate on hazards and situations in his region. This familiarization would allow the officer to be more comfortable when operating in these scenarios. Thus, by becoming accustomed to certain circumstances that they may encounter this will in turn help his/her crew operate more efficiently. I strongly believe that the first line supervisor sets the pace and tone of the emergency. This will then be reflected in the atmosphere on scene. When someone is confident and knowledgeable it can be contagious on the fire

grounds.
Conclusion. In conclusion the training and mentoring of the company officer can be extensive, and challenging. Nevertheless, some apprehensions and guess work can be removed, by laying the foundation through proper reading and understanding of the standard operating procedures (SOP’s). Understanding how your department policies will help in how you conduct your day to day operations. Similarly, senior officers must instruct these candidates on how to make practical application of their SOP’s, by exposing them to programs that support the functioning of the fire department. Lastly, it is a combination effort between the department and the company officer to continue to train and evaluate. Constant upgrade training will only hone in the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform at maximum efficiency, which will in turn be reflected in his/her crew. Only then by applying the above mentioned can we ensure that we are ready to preserve life, property, and provide incident stabilization.