How leadership started for me.

 This week on Business Blunders Trivia we are going to talk about Leadership, and we begin by telling you how it started for me. 

On a summer night in 1986, I experienced an event that shaped the foundation of what I, and my organization Forward Looking Solutions are all about.  At the age of twenty, having served in a small town as a volunteer fire-fighter for just under two years and already achieving the rank of captain, I experience a leadership role that will remain in my mind forever.

On this night, we were called to attend a dormitory fire at a private school, and when I arrived at the fire station, I discovered due to regular work commitments of our chief and deputy, I would be in charge of this incident.

A critical part of the fire service is contingency planning: our equipment was maintained; we were familiar with most establishments; we knew where our closest water source was for each address in our area; hydrants were inspected and flushed regularly; and we also had relationships with our neighbouring departments. 

 

As part of planning, training was a critical factor in delivering our services when called upon: each member completed required courses, practice sessions were conducted each week, and this was all documented.

 

Two things ran through my mind this night as I stepped into the command seat of the first truck, and one of these was not ‘this is beyond my capability.’ The first thought without having even seen a glow let alone the building, was this was going to be big; and the second, we were going to need help! Before our back tires cleared the bay door, I had already instructed the dispatcher to call a neighbouring department for assistance. 

 

As we approached the entrance to the school property, still without seeing as much as a glow, my intuition continued to tell me we were in trouble therefore ordered what we call a double hydrant jump; this is two large diameter fire hydrant supply lines running along the road from the hydrant to the truck, where normally we only have to lay one.

 

We then proceeded down the hill with the hose stringing out behind us, and as we came to the final crest, that was when I saw it, and I was right... this was going to be a long night!

 

When we arrived on scene, the entire second floor of the dormitory was engaged in fire, and I knew our normal 1 1/2” pre-connected attack line was not going to cut it. Donned in full gear and air-packs, myself and two others charged up the outside stairs with our 2 1/2” hose and nozzle, entered the building, and began our battle! (First mistake, and I will explain why later.)

 

Moments later the chief did arrive as he was able to leave work, and soon after the neighbouring department came on scene… and it was in fact a long night! 

 

The following week the provincial fire investigator commended us on how quickly we took the fire down; he could apparently tell by analyzing certain factors in the charred remains (and no thank God, they were not people.)

 

That night was a transition for me, but this was far from a perfect display of leadership on my part. To start with, I was the incident commander and had no business entering the building as my job was to remain outside in command until the chief relieved me. Second, when my low air alarm went off, I retreated without my two men and got turned around entering a room versus exiting the door we came in; this is when I learned the chief arrived... he heard me banging around in the room and stepped in to retrieve me. Thankfully, it was the first room just inside the door we entered, as he did this quickly, and without a breathing apparatus. (We won’t discuss this any further.)

 

Now, is when I get to use the young age and lack of experience as an excuse for my errors, but I only have this luxury as my companions retreated behind me, and none of us were hurt; had anything happened to them, I would have been responsible, and would have lived with this for the rest of my life.

 This was a defining moment for me, and thirty-five years later has become the foundation of what I am all about!

 At Forward Looking Solutions, we believe the key to success is to look forward, envision opportunities, anticipate challenges, and develop strategies to ensure goals are achieved. When the fire happens, we will have the right people in place, they will be trained and work as a team, we will have equipment that functions, we will know where the hydrant is and that it works, we will use the right size hose, and we will not be too proud to ask for help!