Same Belief .. Same Misconception

Last week at a structure fire a firefighter ran out of air sooner than usual and human reflex was to pull the mask off. After an over night stay in a hospital and time in a hyperbaric chamber we are happy to report that he is just fine. Many of the young firefighters have the heart of a lion willing to attack until victory is at hand.  It's hard not to admire their willingness to risk life but a lesson that risk evaluation is an important aspect of the decision making process must be taught here.  In this compressed burst learning clip we have updated an earlier presentation on false SCBA alarm activations and understanding the technological information for the heads up display being built in select SCBA.   My contention is two-fold.   First, we have allowed many fire ground operations to ignore activated pass alarm devices until they begin to annoy us and we send someone to shut them down.  There will come a time when we will hear a faint SCBA alarm sounding but we will be about 30 minutes to late for a possible rescue.  Second, the HUD provides advance warning of your available air supply based on your breathing characteristics during any particular incident but many firefighters do not know what the light signals mean.  Many look beyond them and no longer notice that they are even there.   If we use the light signal information we can make better "go or no go" decisions.

Do we live behind walls?

Do you work for an organization that lives and works under a very strong top down hierarchy where little democracy exists in the organization.  An organization that can control what you do and when you do it.  If you recall, that kind of culture was what made the Soviet Union so powerful in its day.  But in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and cultures began to blend, communicate and learn from each other. Today the Internet has the power to continue to break down walls.  The recent tragedy in South Carolina bothers many. Talk around many station kitchens often includes comments like "who broke the windows" where was ICS, how about NIMS. Where were the big lines?  

What we are not comprehending is that they, like many, lived behind a social and cultural wall that was all that they knew. It was not wrong from their perspective. They are smart, hard working men and women who do the best job they can.  It is with a heavy heart that their story hit the outside world but with it the walls came tumbling down.   With an independent investigation taking place along with NIOSH, USFA and NIST the facts will eventually be published.  We will use it to break through other walls and educate more and more firefighters. 

This year seventy firefighters have died in the line-of-duty.  Most have a direct link to health, wellness and a failure to wear seatbelts. This is a wall common to and for many of us. Organizations like the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Courage To Be Safe So Everyone Goes Home Life Safety Initiatives Campaign is chipping away at these walls.  We will eventually make an opening wide enough for many to comprehend the facts.  We need to change what appears obvious to many others who look at the US Fire Service line of duty death statistics and wonder why we do not lose weight, exercise and simply buckle up.  See how easy it is to be misjudged. We can do a better job at preventing firefighter deaths.  Use the information to change the nations fire service today

Perseverance .. To Continue In Spite of Difficulty

It is time again to reflect back and remember the firefighters, police officers, and citizens who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. How many untold stories are there from the survivors of those men and women who lost and sacrificed their lives. September 11, 2001 was the extraordinary circumstances of a disaster. Families left to grieve, suffer, struggle, and wonder how or if anything positive could come from it. The nations federal and state public safety agencies began to make financial aid packages available in the form of grants. Many departments today, have more new equipment and training opportunities than ever before. These grants are an investment in preparedness. To be prepared means much more than new equipment. It means a new commitment to personal/professional growth and development. Many firefighters have begun to do just that. They have developed into specially trained individuals and teams much more capable to recognize and mitigate unusual events. Our goal is to shift fire service culture even more so that you recognize the value in accepting responsibility for developing a strategy for self education. PSEN has recognized the value that self education can bring. We launched PSEN on September 12, 2003. Our first newsletter was viewed by 75 people and 150 hits to the web site. Today we have over 500 students enrolled in various areas of the web classroom. We average nearly 5000 pages viewed each month. We average 500 new visits to PSEN each month. We have participants in 32 states and 9 countries.

Perseverance has shown that there are many public safety responders who continue to explore educational opportunities hoping to find a unique example of creativity and ingenuity for fire service training. We will never forget that and will work every month to make that happen.

I'm in Command! ... A rise in coercive leadership techniques

Many potentially successful organizations falter when it comes to earning the respect and loyalty of its members.  This occurs because of an inability to recognize value in their team. It seems that more young leaders today are choosing to develop and deploy coercive power leadership styles.  They can be heard saying "I'm in command here".  Command has its place and the structure of command is mission critical during emergency operations. However the results of coercive leadership are clear. Coercive leaders alienate, demoralize and break systems.  In a customer service business a team exposed to coercive power leadership often reflect their anguish to its customers. While management continues to jockey for position our crew and our audiences simply walk away. 

TIME FLIES

You never really appreciate the saying "Time Flies". Most of us live and work in order to find value in who we are and what we do. We hope to make a significant difference in the world we live in for our families, our community, and at work. Public Safety is a challenging business. We could always use more help, more training and more guidance. But we are often limited by politics, funding, community support, tax rates, other town services and morale. Some say not to worry about the things we can't control and concentrate on what we can. Seems simple. But do we really want to work on the things that we can control or is it easier to point to those that we can not and let another season fly by? Ask yourself ... What have I done with my life? What examples do I demonstrate as a professional? What changes have I made that improve life safety? Would I be willing to allow my actions be video taped and used as a leadership training session? PSEN has remained committed to safety education and training. We do not accept the status quo of a status quo business. We believe you want more, we believe you need more, we believe we are developing and bringing you more. When I find the pressure of a status quo environment slowing me down I read a quote that has become a personal foundation to build a life and legacy upon. Here it is. "My achievements in life shall be these --

That I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for what mattered, that I will have given help to those who were in need, that I will have left the earth a better place for what I have done and who I have been" C. Hoppe - (Author)

Our ability to ADAPT.

The dynamics of how the fire service is changing is a  direct reflection of adaptation. For as long as I can  recall fireground strategies and ultimately fireground  tactics were built on a foundation of common  denominators. Certain types of houses, certain  types of commercial buildings, certain types of fires,  and certain firefighter actions. Our need to "adapt"  remained generally confined to within these parameters. It is becoming more apparent that we must demonstrate an ability to "adapt" to new technology, tools, construction designs, techniques,  codes, and education all of which seems to be   changing at a rate ten times faster than just a generation ago.

The early success of PSEN is a direct result of the adaptation many public safety leaders recognize must be made. We have heard many say that we need to be more creative, flexible, and cunnning in  order to take control our destiny rather than destiny seeming to control us. PSEN is taking control  of its destiny and we will continue to lead the way.

Can We Bridge The Gap and Connect?

When it comes to helping others we generally act quickly and we collectively apply critical thinking skills in order to problem solve and we do it with remarkable success. On the other hand, when it comes to helping our organization move into non traditional fire service environments those same skills are used to construct hurdles and slow progress.  We become tentative, and weary and find it difficult to see our traditional fire station lifestyle change. But life outside the fire station has changed. We are adapting to it because we know we have to. Computers, hand held devices, vehicles equipped with laptops and the internet. Many of us pay bills over the internet.  We shop, chat, play games, study, explore, bank over the internet and the trend continues to grow at lightning speed. The vast majority of elder leaders are retiring and the new generation of younger, more adaptable leaders are beginning to incorporate technology into the heart of their organizations.   It may be one computer at a time but that is more than we had just a few years ago.  When it comes to using it to our advantage we need to open our minds. It is a system that can bridge the gap between how we have trained to a new way of training.  Training city to city, town to town, and across many states to share skills, share ideas, and share information to anyone who is willing to visit. The most difficult part is having the vision to see beyond the gap and recognize how much you can gain by bridging it and then visiting the other side.  

PSEN can build that bridge.

Commentary -  How Flexible are you?

A large part of what makes a person an "expert" in a respective field is his/her ability to be flexible.  Flexibility makes us stronger and more adaptable to change.  I taught a class on characteristic dimensions of leadership recently.  Of all that was discussed the concept of strength through flexibility got everyone talking especially when we discussed becoming a flexpert.    That's right a FLEXPERT.   Some students perceived being flexible as a sign of weakness or uncertainty.   Some expressed concern for how they might be perceived if they were flexible.  We all are accustomed to following fire ground commands and in most cases officers today are willing to incorporate levels of flexibility in order to make  better fireground decisions.   On the other hand in non fireground environments some become more rigid within their position and take a firm stance on many issues.   It is during these times that increased flexibility demonstrates personal strength.   It's that kind of strength through flexibility that can unite people around you.  Not convinced.   Look at it this way.

The strength of modern bridges and the strength of earthquake proof structures can only be enhanced using design features that revolve around structural FLEXIBILITY

OK ... buildings and bridges to much of a stretch.   How about this. What makesstrong and resilient athletes?  FLEXIBILITY. What does physical therapy do to strengthen your body when in pain from stiffness?   Improve your FLEXIBILITY and become strong

So --- How Strong of a person are you?

The Never Ending PASS device

The evening was clear, cold and dry when our engine was asked to respond to a structure fire in a neighboring community.  The mutual aid response came in at approximately 11:10 PM and we were to respond directly to the fire.  On our arrival the fire was going pretty good and we were ordered into the building onto floor number two.   With in 10 minutes of inching forward we were all ordered out as sketchy reports were saying there was a floor collapse. Fortunately there was partial collapse of a exterior wall but where we needed to go was intact. The one noticeable factor that seemed to go unnoticed by others was the continuous sounds of integrated pass devices that at some point activated and then sounded and sounded and sounded with no concern for whether they were accidental trips or a firefighter down.   No radio requests to check devices, no request  to silence them and conduct a roll call for accountability.  The good news it that no one was lost, or seriously injured.  This was a stubborn fire and the overall operation was a labor of collaborative team work and with the assistance from mutual aid companies we were making up by 3 AM.   So if accountability is important then how is it that all of us on the fire ground let something meant to indicate a down firefighter become a PASSIVE DEVICE rather than TRUE CALL for emergency help?

Impact and Opportunity

The fact that terrorism has caused such uneasy times is not something we will ever forget.  At a time when state government can only survive under the direction of good leadership and fiscally sound policies local public safety organizations need more personnel and equipment that ever before.  With federal grant programs providing opportunities for additional education and equipment and now the recently adopted SAFER program about to fund the hiring of 75,000 additional firefighters we have the chance to see some cushion of safety that many communities need.  Much of the success has come from fire chiefs and fire fighters educated in the process grant writing and producing winning documents. They have focused on our need for mission critical education and equipment and capitalized on that opportunity.  In addition, firefighters are getting more involved in the implementation process and that certainly makes the inclusion of this additional training and education more acceptable. 

Part of individual community success needs to spill over from our city/town limits and make its way across the Commonwealth.  This includes our statewide public safety education system.  It needs to keep pace. In fact, it needs to move a bit faster to meet the needs of local communities if it wants to be known as the best. This is a test of complete unity and alignment that I hope will strengthen over time. This network wants to be an active part of that cross over growth and success.

With your continued support PSEN will continue to assist anyway we can.

Yes, we are becoming more than a web site.

A substantial investment in time, effort, determination and funding has turned a vision into a reality.  It will be one year in April that this ideas was sketched out on paper.  It wasn't until September 12, 3003 that we launched it.  We have kept the pace up as much as time and money would permit. Burst learning, network communications, and resource functionality will always remain free to anyone who wants to explore the site.  At the same time I have been asked by a half dozen fire departments to develop an on demand internet based learning system.  The feeling is consistent with mine.   During challenging financial times, when the need to stay fresh, skilled and informed is critical the educational opportunities for fire service education are severely limited.   Limited to redundant programs, presenters with questionable teaching skills, to presenters that are coming out of retirement to fill a widening gap in educational opportunities.  I will however, never believe that one-on-one instruction no longer has personal value.  I do believe however that the quality of many of today's classroom experiences takes advantage of our valuable time.  In an average 6 hour, one day program you automatically can eliminate one hour for lunch, two half hour breaks, and a at least one hour of insignificant chatter offering no real value to the lesson at hand.   Therefore, you spend on average, a total of eight hours, one hour each way to travel, six hours in a classroom of which two and one half are a write off leaving you with three and one half hours of instructor lead programming. More than 50% of your day lost. 

The PSEN Learning Zone is our first commercial learning component designed to provide affordable, efficient, and effective internet based training - available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  From your, department, office, or home, you can learn, when you want, how you want.

Each program will be followed by a qualified public safety educator who will provide assistance, review your work, review your test and help you learn using the web in order to fit your schedule

We know that success is achieved one day at a time and that initiative, desire, friends and a mission are the key components to making any venture successful.   You ask for it and whenever possible we will bring it to you.

Is there such a thing as Unity, Uniformity, & Alignment?

During my twenty-one years in public safety I have rarely seen unity, uniformity and alignment within any single organization.

I know of organizations that are very close to achieving unity, uniformity and alignment.  They have some similarities.  A team of strong and progressive leader's.  Leader's who believes in accountability from every level.  They seem to be men and women who communicate and delegate clear goals, clear objectives and provide staff members with the tools to accomplish them.  Leader's who hold the entire organization accountable for a successful outcome whether at an incident or in the station.

Every person can possess and demonstrate individual leadership.  Rank provides various levels of leadership. Each person within your organization should be called upon to inject guided levels of personal leadership in order to become a contributor to organizational success.

Talented leader's have the ability to "DRAW OUT" from others rather than depend on COERCIVE power techniques to get things done.  

There is no Perfection

It takes time and insight to realize that we can never be totally ready to handle every conceivable situation with perfect performance at the moment the bell hits. The fire service is called upon to handle virtually every type of current situation. Fire, hazardous materials, floods, earthquakes, terrorism, mass casualty. Our mind set has to change from thinking that firefighters are lazy, slow, vocal, grumpy, and generally uninterested in getting better at doing their jobs.

I've spent the last year taking a closer look at that attitude and here is what I found.

I've found that every department has members with diverse mental, emotional and vocal strengths. I've found that within each group they find a place of understanding and collaborative compromise in order to function with a sense of cohesiveness. I've found that each person possess different levels of mastery and that a balance between ones strength and ones weakness interpolates into successful outcomes. I've found that more effort is placed on post incident analysis in an effort to close the gap between individual levels of performances versus efficient outcomes. There are more fire chiefs providing more guidelines than in the past. There are more training officers than ever and more effort put into meeting the constantly changing demands of public safety. There are more organizations offering seminars and conferences to improve our knowledge base. There are more grants and community based organizations offering funds to help get the kind of equipment needed. We have seen the birth of specialized training teams, more emphasis placed on mutual aid and multi agency involvement because of the very nature of the types of incidents and the impact they can have on areas outside your city or town limits.

We can only chip away each and every day to improve our training and training outlook. I guess you have to ask yourselves if we are better off today than we were five, ten or fifteen years ago.

This site will try to contribute ideas that will make your effort somewhat easier. Whether through links, or reports or compressed burst learning tips we want you to know that there is value in every tour that you work.

We are all better off today than ever before. Its time to say thank you to everyone that helps make a difference.

Anything NEW starts with YOU!

What Lies Beneath Why  / We Still Judge a Book by its Cover

We are first judged by our cover.   You know, what I mean.   In the fire service it's the color of your shirt, the bars and bugles that you bear. In the fire service you do not seem to be viewed as valued unless you have chosen the promotional path.  No promotion translates into views of little value.  You may be in the minority with this point of view.  I recently taught a class where someone in the audience asked how long I was a chief.  I responded with my usual reply.   I'm not a chief, not even a captain.  I'm a firefighter.  That's right a firefighter of twenty one years.  It seems people are taken back by that.   How could I be so productive in fire service education and yet remain a firefighter.  The answer for me is simple.  I chose a path that would take me to a personal level of professional satisfaction.   That is in education.  I have dedicated the last 19 years learning as much as I could about adult education, presenting as a professional, leadership ideals & values, and have helped others realize their potential so that they can improve their personal success and organizational success.  

In short, for those that know me, I am a professional fire service educator and administrator who recognizes that  leadership effectiveness is demonstrated on a day to day basis. It's not measured exclusively by promotional growth.  You must factor in personal growth, personal development and experiences.   True leadership is measured by how you live, how you work, how you listen, how you learn, how willing you are to be flexible, how ethical you are, how motivating you can be. True leadership is having a vision and passion for your work and cultivating those in your organization to find value in your goals and want to help the team see vision turn into reality.

Without vision we can not change .. without change we can not grow ..
without growth we can not succeed .. bcolameta
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Commitment ... Perseverance ... Flexibility ... Adaptability
Flexpertise .. Compromise ... Culture Shift