By Jerry Wells
Effective teamwork has a direct effect on the success of any fire company. This is obvious for emergency incidents, but it also applies to everyday station life and fire service training programs. To teach successful teamwork and leadership concepts, I use one of the most popular sports in this country for comparison: football. I often cite examples from the Boise State documentary Out of the Blue: A Film about Life and Football from Arts Alliance America. The new leader of the team, head football coach Chris Peterson, explains his philosophy on coaching and player expectations, all of which can be valuable to adopt in our fire service. As more time passes, his coaching and life philosophies are proving to be not only the groundwork for a single successful season but the foundation of a very respectable multiyear football program.
Training does not have to be a bad word in your department. If it is, then it is time to start changing the training culture. The fire service is a team sport. We must depend on one another. We need to teach each member that he is expected to do his part for the success of the entire team. We have to start thinking more of "we" and less of "I."
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