BY GERALD L. HUGHES
At 0800 roll call, Engine 48's members fall in to confirm riding assignments, conduct morning self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) checks, and discuss all pertinent information received from fire department headquarters from the previous shifts. With respect to riding assignments, the company officer asks that each member speak up to let the group know what riding assignment they are taking so everyone knows who is doing what when a fire call comes in. After a brief pause, one after the other calls out his riding assignment and radio signature (Table 1).
The engine and truck officers nod approvingly and continue with the SCBA drill. The tour of duty has officially begun, and the teams that will work together for the next 24 hours have been established. Team members have acknowledged their riding assignments in front of all other team members and supervisors. At a very basic team level, this is how a fire company is assembled; but in today's modern fire service, it is not always the way a fire company goes to work.
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