Question: In your department, what are the actions of the first-in officer at a fire? What should the officer do? Where should he be?
Things aren’t what they used to be in the fire service. (Picture an overweight, smoke-wrinkled old fire officer!) “When I came on, son, officers were officers! They went in with their crew and did what had to be done! No standing outside with a radio in your ear. Just get in and get-er-done!”
When I came on the job, officers always participated with their crew-even if they were the first on the scene. Size-ups were given, and then the crew (the entire crew) went in and did something. Then, slowly, like a reverse sun rising (from west to east), this incident command thing came along and changed the face of fireground operations. Gone were the days of the first-in officer’s participating with his crew. Gone were the days of an officer’s doing what he knew needed to be done. Gone were the days of only the chief’s standing outside, barking orders like a drill sergeant.
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