Drift Towards Failure

Presented by: Chief Leroy Smith, Holly Springs Fire Rescue Department

Room 203

Complacency is an illusion of competence by those who embrace mediocrity as a way of life. It is a dangerous pitfall that deadens our vision, weakens our proficiency, and if not recognized or corrected can result in tragic circumstances.

Responding to and operating on emergency incidents is the most significant and important aspect of our profession. When lives are at stake we need to operate flawlessly. Incident responses are up, however, actual working incidents are down. To some in our profession it seems to be a waste of time to lay in a supply line, put on all that heavy PPE, pull an attack line, or fill out an incident command sheet……. why should we, we never need them?

This repetition of unacceptable behaviors gradually becomes acceptable, why? Because nothing catastrophic happens, then the next time similar circumstances come up, the same unacceptable behavior occurs, and in the absence of consequences the cycle will continue and the organization begins to drift toward failure.

As Chief Officers, we seem to have a diminishing capacity to enforce our own SOG’s. How many times have you heard someone say, “that’s not the way we do it?”, or we didn’t know that rule or procedure even existed? Or even worse are we guilty of the same behaviors? No PPE on the emergency scene, no command sheet, or not assuming command when needed?

This class will engage the participants in a discussion on how to address this growing issue within the modern fire service. Having a critical conversation and setting expectations are key in solving or fixing these issues. Confrontation may be difficult, but it is necessary.