Have you ever been reading through the code and come to a section that you just can’t understand? One of those code sections that you read, read it again, think about it, then re-read it. Only to still not understand what it is saying? I’ve been in this spot more than once. So, how do you get past it? What are some steps to understanding what you are reading?
Here are the four steps to understanding hard code sections:
Annex information. Is there an asterisk by the code section (for NFPA codes and standards)? If so, refer to the annex for this code reference or section. Additionally, reading the code section before and after the problem section can help by providing context. If these sections have annex information, then review that, as well.
Other editions. Refer to past editions and future editions of the same code section or language. Sometimes the same concept is stated or explained another way in other editions. Other editions may make the concept to be more clearly understood.
Handbooks. Many codes have handbooks that are published by the code organization, or even outside publishers. Refer to the code section in the related handbook for potential commentary, explanation, or illustration, for clarity.
Google search. Finally, do a Google search of key phrases from the code section, the code reference, or copy and paste the entire code section into the search bar. This may produce other resources such as articles, blog posts, social media comments, and other items that may provide clarity and direction for understanding.
One of the questions asked was what is a book or resource that they would recommend for continued leadership development. There were a lot of similar answers. The books below were the most frequently cited by these ARFF leaders. These are their recommendations for continued education and professional development.
Holy Bible - The CSB Heroes Bibles feature the highly reliable, highly readable text of the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), which stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity. The CSB’s optimal blend of accuracy and readability makes Scripture more moving, more memorable, and more motivating to read it today and share it always.
First In, Last Out, John Salka - What does it take to lead people into a burning building? How do the leaders of the New York City Fire Department develop so much loyalty, trust, and grace under pressure that their subordinates will risk their very lives for them? As a high-ranking officer of the FDNY, John Salka is an expert at both practicing and teaching high-stakes leadership. He explains the department’s unique strategies and how they can be adopted by leaders in any field
It’s Your Ship, Michael Abrashoff- When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within months, he created a crew of confident and inspired problem-solvers eager to take the initiative and responsibility for their actions. The slogan on board became "It's your ship," and Benfold was soon recognized far and wide as a model of naval efficiency. Abrashoff shares his secrets of successful management
Pride and Ownership, Rick Lasky - Chief Rick Lasky gives an upfront and honest criticism about the need to reignite the love of the job on every level, from chiefs and on down. Learn what you can do to drive your members to take pride in their job and assume ownership.
Essentials of Fire Department Customer Service, Alan Brunacini - This text explains the application of common-sense customer service concepts to the fire service. Written in a humorous conversational style, Chief Alan Brunacini of the Phoenix Fire Department provides the reader with an enjoyable reading experience and vital information on how we can better serve our customers.
From Buddy to Boss, Chase Sargent - Whether you're a new officer or in need of a mentor, From Buddy to Boss: Effective Fire Service Leadership, is a must-have management book you'll turn to over and over again. Fire service veteran Chase Sargent has taken his popular course and written a no-holds-barred leadership book for the fire service in a conversational and easy-to-read style. He tells you how to accept and survive politics, deal with the fringe employees, and keep your cool -- tricks of the trade that usually take years to acquire
The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge - Senge describes how companies can rid themselves of the learning blocks that threaten their productivity and success by adopting the strategies of learning organizations, in which new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, collective aspiration is set free, and people are continually learning how to create the results they truly desire.
Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink - Detailing the mind-set and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat, Extreme Ownership shows how to apply them to any team, family or organization. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic such as Cover and Move, Decentralized Command, and Leading Up the Chain, explaining what they are, why they are important, and how to implement them in any leadership environment.
The Dichotomy of Leadership, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - Jocko and Leif dive even deeper into the uncharted and complex waters of a concept first introduced in Extreme Ownership: finding balance between the opposing forces that pull every leader in different directions. Here, Willink and Babin get granular in the nuances that every successful leader must navigate. Mastering the Dichotomy of Leadership requires understanding when to lead and when to follow; when to aggressively maneuver and when to pause and let things develop; when to detach and let the team run and when to dive into the details and micromanage.
Being Chief: Leadership Principles for the ARFF Professional, is the first book of its kind, dedicated solely to leadership in the aircraft rescue and firefighting field. More than thirty ARFF chiefs and leaders were interviewed for this book. Through the process of compiling the information from these discussions, a pattern for success emerged. Similar topics were discussed, and certain traits rose to the top. These came through these four questions:
What is your advice for the newly promoted chief officer?
What actions, behaviors, or thought patterns lead to leadership failure?
What is the top trait or characteristic that you believe every chief officer must possess?
What have been the key factors to your success and why?
What is your advice for the newly promoted chief officer?
Listen, to those above and below.
Learn, from others, from past successes and mistakes, commit to continual education.
Be with your people, they are the priority.
Remember where you came from, and how you got here.
Be consistent, always show up.
What actions, behaviors, or thought patterns lead to leadership failure?
Lack of respect for people.
Failure to recognize and adjust to different personality types.
Poor treatment, demeaning, unfair, unequitable.
Not ‘learning’ your people, or knowing who they are.
Failure to provide discipline and clear direction.
Not trusting your people.
Lack of integrity.
Not being true to your word.
Being inconsistent.
Non-committed to department, people, direction, or vision.
Self-serving.
Poor communication.
Not listening.
Unable to commit to decisions, lack of clarity in decision making.
Unclear vision and prioritizing personal agendas.
What is the top trait or characteristic that you believe every chief officer must possess?
Trust
Honesty
Integrity
Humility (approachable, listen, learn)
What have been the key factors to your success and why?
Knowing the job.
Commit to continual learning.
Stay relevant by listening to others.
Network with other chiefs, organizations, and departments.
Consistency.
Persevere.
Show up everyday at 100%.
Build experience.
Faith.
Family.
Support of...
Succeed for…
Being Chief takes a deep dive into each of these areas and topics, and lets you hear from the leaders themselves, in their own words through their own experiences.
As the leaders and the experienced in our profession age out, we are forever losing their wisdom and shared knowledge. Private industry realizes this and tries to capture that knowledge through, what is referred to as, “knowledge management”.
Knowledge management can be simply defined as, “the process of capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge.” Knowledge management is taking advantage of what is known to maximize an organization’s value, or a department’s value to the community. Of knowledge, there are two types, explicit and implicit. Explicit knowledge is data, facts, and captured documentation. Implicit is the knowledge that exists in the heads of people and is only acquired over time through education and experience. This implicit knowledge becomes codified when it is shared through discussions or documentation.
Being Chief is a best effort to jump start a formal knowledge management process in the ARFF industry. For this book, interviews, surveys, and follow-up conversations were conducted from more than thirty ARFF chiefs and leaders.
The book is divided into three parts:
Part 1: Leadership Lessons. Common themes, advice, lessons learned from these conversations are compiled and shared in this section.
Part 2: “In their own words…”. This section includes the full interview, survey responses, and personal stories from these leaders.
Part 3: Leading On. This section identifies mentors that have gone before, the value of mentoring, and provides recommended resources for leadership development.
What can you learn from reading this book?
There are many books on fire service leadership, and many more on leadership in general, however, this is the only book that focuses on leadership within the unique niche industry of the aircraft rescue and firefighting environment.
Being Chief will prepare the ARFF professional for a leadership role by enabling them to:
Know the most valuable traits an ARFF chief or leader must possess
Understand the five actions an ARFF leader must apply for maximum leadership impact
Hear directly from the voice of experience of those who have excelled in the industry
Prepare for a major aircraft incident response and post-incident effects
Being Chief is a tool for the ambitious and forward-thinking ARFF professional. This is a tool to be used for gaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to achieve their leadership goals. By reading and learning from the years of experience shared here, the gap to achieving a leadership mindset can be decreased.
