Can't turn off my mind.

It is 5:30 in the morning, and I am in Marquette, on my way to Houghton County today. My bride is trying to sleep, and I woke up at 4:30AM from a sound sleep with the realization that I have effectively planned 3 things to do, all on the same day next month, three things that cannot be done together.  So, I have spent the last hour lying in bed trying to think of a way to still do all three, and not make major changes to other people's schedules.  Oh well, such is life.   We had training this week, and, would score it as about average.  I have a sense that the equipment checks are becoming, while profitable, also some what shallow.  According to everyone I asked, all equipment was started, and the missing items were noted.  I that area, I think next time, I think we will be missing something of importance, just to see if they catch it.  I do know that a certain few firefighters are putting the effort forth, as one came to me with a list of missing stuff and also a couple items that were not on the sheet, that were on the truck.  We have 8 gas saw, 5 generators, 2 fans, 2 pumps, and a power unit that are to be started and checked each month.  You would think that with that many motors to start the station would be blue with exhaust haze,  well other than the stuff my group started, I only can say for certain that two other items were started.  I sure didn't hear that many motors running.  Yet everyone said they started their equipment.  Also, each group has 6 firefighters in it, well this month my group had 2, for both meetings.  We had 2 show up late for one and not do anything, and 1 show up late for the other and help a little.  Kind of hard, to lay 200' of 3" hose, and operate a hand line by yourself, while the other person makes all the hydrant hook-ups.  But we got it done.  Speaking of training,  this has always been a sore spot with me, as I think we do not train hard enough or long enough.  Have tried various way to change that and have met apathy, quiet resistance, vocal resistance, and in a few cases, open rebellion almost.  Have come to the conclusion, thanks to a fellow EMS director of all people, that this is their (the firefighters problem) not mine.  We have documented evidence that they were all trained to FF2 level, with a couple of exceptions, and those are to FF1 level.  The main reason we have monthly training is to help them maintain their skill levels at an acceptable level, and to pass on new information now available that was not available at the time they tested and passed.  It is also to keep them current on our particular way of doing things.  To help them learn our SOP's and equipment.  It is not to train them in the basic firefighting procedures.  My EMS friend, told me that for his people to keep their job, they need to keep their license.  To do that they need so many CEU's in a given period of time, and in a particular number of fields.  His department offers the needed training to accomplish this, but if they choose to not attend, that's fine, just keep your certifications or goodbye.  I have not just exactly figured out how I will get this point across to the firefighters, but my training office and I are pretty much on the same page.  Our thought is to establish a set of standard benchmarks, and say here they are, you keep your training up to these levels or goodbye.  We as a department will provide training to help you meet these, but if you don't it is your fault not ours.  I think this puts the burden on them to maintain their skill level, not on me.  I think I have for too long felt their failure to preform as expected was my fault, not theirs.  No more.  I can in good conscience say we have provided the training, if you fail, it is your fault.  And if you continue to fail, you will no longer be with us.  Now to figure out a nice way to transfer this to them.  

It has been very hot this week, I think everyone at training wanted to have a water fight, but they got their chance last month.  Judging by the performances on Monday night with ladder for rescue placement training, most have lost more than a step on the their skill level.  The old man and a 3 year firefighter placed an extension ladder and packed up one firefighter and got that firefighter to the top of the ladder before most had gotten their ladder off the rig.   I know it was hot and humid, but we still have fires in that kind of weather.  We have the training trailer coming next month, and I'm working on ways to use it and improve there skill level, but also know that the few faithful will show, some will come once, and most likely some will not come at all.  Did have a interesting thing happen at the Monday drill.  We informed them that they needed to plan on coming in for drivers training competency course for one hour the last weekend of August.  They will be paid for it, but it is required.  Had one firefighter complain loudly in public that this was a bunch of crap and didn't see why they needed to do it.  They took their pager off and slide it across the counter we were sitting at towards me.  I grabbed it and put it on my belt.  They made some comment that they were resigning, and I asked for it in writing and to put it in my mailbox at the station.    About 20 minutes later, as we were about to leave,  this person asked if I was going to give them back their pager,  I said " you want it back?"  I took it off my belt, and held it in my hand,  looked at them and waited for them to respond.  They looked around,  than walked over to me and took it back.  They then left without saying another word.  I just got to love people.

Leadership

The past few days or maybe the last couple of weeks have found me doing some stuff that leaders supposedly don't do.  Yet I find that the really good leaders both in the fire service and outside it are in fact the ones who do these things.  I just go back from the funeral home for a visitation for the mother of one of our firefighters.  Her daughter has been a member of our department for almost three years, and if I do say so myself, our hiring her was won of the smarter things we have done.  Anyway, I would not have know her if she had not joined our department, but because I do now know her, and since I represent the department in so many ways, I felt that both as a friend and also as the chief I needed to take the time and go. Know that at least two other members of the department will stop by, but no sure of the rest.  I think that this is a part of leadership that isn't seen by most people when they think of leaders.  This morning in church, the pastor talked about leadership, in regards to the church.  I looked over his outline last night and we had talked in board meeting about it in regards to a direction that some of us feel the church should talk. So it did not come as any sort of a surprise to me.  But he shared that leaders have a responsibility to do what is best for those who follow.  In the fire service so often I have seen people who strive for leadership, with the sole intent to do things the way THEY want, and not necessarily what is best for the department as a whole.  I had this discussion some time back with a couple of my officers in regard to radio talk groups.  While they wanted one thing, and what they wanted was a good thing, I know that for the most part, it would be beyond the grasp of the many body of firefighters.  I would have  loved to do what they wanted, but reason told me to do what was best for the department as a whole, not what I would have like to see.  Leadership is also I think a position of servant hood.  For some time now, our station has needed a good cleaning.  I have asked my deputy to come up with some kind of a cleaning schedule that involves everyone.  I think I asked him about 18 months ago, and still nothing.  I just let it go, figuring he would get it done, but this weekend finally realized that to him it wasn't a problem.  He had no plans to take care of it, and I think he was hoping, in fact he almost said as much that we needed a fire call, so that Carol, one of our more faithful, caring, and not one to have idol hands, got to the station, and went on standby, so that she would clean the place.  Anyway that hasn't happened, so this weekend, I hired out of my own money, and for other reasons as well, a young lady from our church, who needed the money, and also needed someone to show they cared to clean the station.  She worked two hours on Saturday, never took a break, and got done what I thought would take three hours in two. Already had a couple comments later that day that the station looked a lot better and cleaner.  It was worth the money, in more ways than one.  But still need to remind the deputy that a schedule is needed.  Though I have thought of hiring her for a once a month visit to keep the place looking good.  I think too often some chiefs think it is all about them, when I really should be all about everyone else but you.  I think part of this stems from the fact that we as leaders need to see the biggest possible picture and to see how all of the parts come together.  In the department, and to some degree at church I see that and have that responsibility, in my everyday job, no so much.  But that said, I do try and follow and trust the leadership that is over me.  To me, the key word is trust.   Later this week I have a fire district board meeting and will have the hearing for our suspended firefighter.  Not sure how that will go, but need to get the packets of information to the board members tomorrow so they will have it to look over.  Not looking forward to that at all.  Think I will take my wife out for a flurry tonight.  Besides, I feel the need of a chocolate malt.