I have watched mediocrity lead to disaster at fires. That is not acceptable. The officers in charge have to be certain about the risks involved and the ability and desire of the work force they have moving with them in a dark, smoky hallway. Less active units especially need leadership. Instead of sitting around listening to the old complainers, knowledgeable and enthusiastic officers are just what these young firefighters need.
Leadership is the absolute key to any issue, in the fire service, certainly including safety.
Our top-notch units are that way not because of brilliant decisions made by the managerial team in place, but because of years of tradition and pride. That tradition and pride is passed along by the excellent officers and firefighters who find their way to these units. At FDNY, we are trying to change this culture. We rotate young Lieutenants to increase experience and expose them to different role models. We rotate new probationary Firefighters for three years, a year at a time, to units that are very different.