戴维·迪斯塔诺（David Destefano）
传奇教练文斯隆巴迪没有短缺quotes that apply equally well to football and the fire service. One such pearl of wisdom includes the following, “…we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will never catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good.” These words illuminate the very best of our fire service values. Just being good has never been our goal. Every firefighter, officer, and chief must strive for perfection each day. The constant pursuit of this goal is the very thing that builds skills and knowledge, and this spirit has led our profession to great accomplishments and acts of heroism.
The individual pursuit of perfection is a noble undertaking. However, like Coach Lombardi’s players, we take the field as a team. Each element of the team must strive for perfection to catch excellence. An excellent company is easy to identify in any fire department. It consists of a leader who has a vision of perfection and a plan to work toward the vision. That company is a team of firefighters sharing the vision and working each day to pursue perfection. These me members understand that hard work must be offered every shift to catch excellence. When times are good, when the going is rough, when others quit the fight, when some of the team falters, pick them up and move on. A great benefit of our team is the bond of shared experiences throughout our fire service careers. We have seen our successes catch excellence and felt the pain of coming up short.
How can we pursue perfection in our fire service careers each day? There is common ground for every firefighter regardless of rank or tenure. However, depending on their position within an organization, a firefighter will have certain opportunities to pursue perfection that can affect the progress of those around them as well as their individual goals. Some of the paths to catch excellence are discussed in the following paragraphs.
新的消防员
作为新成员，请务必继续掌握您学院中向您展示的交易。寻找高级消防员以寻求指导。聆听，观察并阅读有关消防服务和部门历史的所有内容。了解我们服务的根源，以了解持续的教育，培训和对我们传统的尊重的重要性，并为未来保持开放的态度。与有动力的导师和同龄人在一起。致力于每天至少了解有关您的工作的新信息。有了这个目标，即使您无法实现完美，您也会赢得卓越的成就！
Senior Firefighters
Mentor the next generation. Don’t shield them from reality. Enable them to cope with a dynamic environment, adverse situations, and unfavorable outcomes. New firefighters will look to you and emulate your reaction to emergency and non-emergency situations. The reality of our profession is that even perfectly executed operations may not have perfect outcomes. As a senior member embrace continued education and evolving theories. Strive to understand and apply as appropriate new tools, techniques, and tactics. Understand that senior firefighters are the most influential group for the future of any fire department. A senior firefighter should have mastery of skills and experience in applying them during a range of incidents. This group will develop the talent of new members, provide them institutional knowledge, and become the next supervisors to lead the department into the future. To develop the skills of new firefighters and be prepared to advance to a supervisory role, the senior firefighter must never be satisfied with his or her base of knowledge. To catch excellence, it’s imperative to know that the fire service is a profession that requires constant evolution in skills and information.
有关的：消防官：您是经理还是领导者？|尾板谈话：说出来|变更管理：预先成功的建议
Company Officers
作为公司官员，请注意与不同经验的最有积极性的消防员在一起。与一些高级成员和其他新手合作具有巨大的优势。作为追求完美的官员，高级消防员是宝贵的资源。此外，那些具有较少经验的积极进取的人会挑战您教他们的教学，从而帮助您确保您的基本技能保持精打细算。官员成功的一个障碍是了解军官影响力的范围。中尉不太可能在一夜之间改变消防部门的方向。一个更合理的目标是建立消防部门中最强大，最有效的单位。这是一个目标，一旦实现，将使周围公司注意并效仿。这样，随着时间的流逝，中尉willchange the course of the department.
公司官员必须为公司的所有成员提供一个不断的领导榜样。由公司官员分配的消防员将寻找与他们在该部门中的位置相对应的领导层的不同属性。备忘录和较新会员将需要了解规则，政策和海关。高级消防员将在事件和例行事务期间向军官寻求决策指导。这种类型的领导将塑造这些成员有一天会成为的军官。
尽管公司官员可能已经花了多年的时间来磨练消防技能，学习战术和学习响应区域，但追求完美需要持续学习。官员必须使用他们的知识基础，并将新概念应用于部门的情况。这种能力将有助于准备成为首席执行官。
Chief Officer
As the actions and attitudes of a chief officer are held as an example to all ranks, do nothing to jeopardize your honor or reputation or that of the fire service. Continue your pursuit of perfection by learning new approaches to firefighting as well as management skills. Apply and aid in the evolution of fresh ideas that flourish from all levels of your organization. A chief officer can promote excellence within the department by supporting and cultivating the projects and ambitions of all motivated firefighters. Additionally, chiefs must continually groom their replacements. The science and art of strategic decision-making during incidents as well as routine operations is not perfected overnight when a new chief is promoted. Allowing senior officers to participate in or at least observe aspects of a chief officer’s duties will enhance the officer’s perspective and allow for a shorter learning curve upon promotion.
Regardless of whether they serve at the battalion level or chief of department, chief officers should observe and listen to what the firefighters need and do everything possible to be sure those needs are fulfilled. As long as the chief applies an honest effort and doesn’t bluff, the members will generally understand that not every request can be immediately accommodated. In assessing the welfare and needs of the firefighters, a chief officer should take time to talk to probies and junior firefighters on the job. Whereas experienced firefighters and officers may be most helpful in equipment and policy matters, newer firefighters need the acceptance of a chief officer. These members represent the future of the fire service and they need to know their chiefs are approachable and concerned about their welfare.
也许最重要的是，要成为一名消防员的最初目的以及导致您晋升为首席的核心价值观。作为消防部门最高级成员之一，很容易被许多优先事项分散注意力，这些优先事项与引擎或梯子公司的任务无关。花时间思考在这些公司中的服务，以帮助您专注于当前在公司级别运营的人的任务需求。
这些想法几乎没有刮擦消防员可以追求完美的无限方式的表面。为消防部门的职业生涯的每个阶段制定了一个雄心勃勃的目标，以树立卓越的道路。
大卫·德斯塔诺（David Destefano）is a battalion chief with the North Providence (RI) Fire Department, where he has served for 29 years. He is a shift commander in the operations division. He was previously chief of training and safety and has also served as a captain, lieutenant, and firefighter in Ladder Co. 1 as well as a lieutenant in Engine Co. 3. DeStefano is an instructor/coordinator with the Rhode Island Fire Academy and lectures on fire service topics throughout Southern New England. He was a presenter at FDIC International 2017 and 2018.
