HARRY R. CARTER, Ph.D., MIFireE

America is in the midst of a period of crisis right now. Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we have all been consumed by a mental state that can best be described as a sort of stunned, but focused fervor. Each of us has been impacted, in one way or another, by the terrorist attacks. We are all seeking focus in our lives, a feeling of normalcy. We are all seeking a fuller purpose for our lives in service to our fellow citizens.

Our armed forces are in the process of bombing the "enemy" back to a period of time that would seem to be prior to the Stone Age. The enemy leaders are being hunted around the globe. Irving Berlin's patriotic hit, God Bless America, is being heard and played more often than at any time since World War Two. And President Bush and the leaders of our national government are urging us to be normal.

I am pleased to report in this commentary that a number of the top local-level people in the American Fire Service are proudly carrying out the orders of our Commander-in-Chief. They have returned to their normal "stick it to the troops" method of management.

They have returned to being in charge, rather than being leaders. And for many of them, this was as easy as rolling off of the proverbial log. All it took was a staff meeting with the Ivory Tower Crowd that they keep around the dark recesses of fire headquarters like so many stacks of mental dead wood.

The problem, as I see it, comes from the fact that we in the American Fire Service suffer from a world-class case of inbreeding. Just as many breeds of animals suffer mental and physical disease from the continual inbreeding of closely related siblings, so too do we in the fire service also continue to grow ever weaker for the same reason.

None of us likes to see things change. That is a given. However, in the fire service, we often grow and nurture our future leaders in the same way that cancer spreads. The existing disease touches undamaged tissue and begins to destroy it. And all who would seek to battle the disease are met with the widest possible show of furor and devastating punishment that the front office louts can muster.

This type of leadership style, if in fact it can even be considered as a form of leadership, is perpetuated by the tendency of a certain type of person in a position of leadership to surround themselves with people whose favorite words are, "yes and sir" used frequently and passionately. These are the same people whose favorite pastime is butt smooching. To paraphrase our state motto here in New Jersey, "Butt smooching and incompetence - perfect together.

Therein lies the rub. In far too many places, the promotional system is designed to promote from within, rather than without, from the bottom up as it were. This may be an idea that is great in theory, but its implementation leaves a great deal to be desired. It creates an environment that is not very responsive to change. It also works overtime to stifle creative thought.

The element of knowledge is sadly missing from many of our promotional schemes. This is best typified by the major Mid-western city that uses seniority as the sole basis for advancement. Heck this is a fire department that sank so low as to have the city administration appoint a police department chief officer as the fire chief.

Worse yet, eager people are treated like the dregs of the earth. How many times have you see this? How many times does a progressive, younger firefighter or EMT have to be beaten over the head with the club of official sanctions before they turn their brain off and begin to go with the flow? Not too many times at all, as I have observed time and again in my career. However, we must remember that these people in positions of power, in far too many places, could care less what their people thing.

These managerial Einstein's believe that they are omniscient, all knowing, and all powerful. Who are these lowly cattle that they are ordering about, to question the wisdom that comes from the Ivory Tower crowd at Fire Headquarters. And on it goes.

Let me share a selection of the latest range of management boo boos from around the country. The names have been changed to protect the innocent who shared their stories with me, from the wrath of these minor municipal deities. It is their example of bad style and spiteful actions, rather than their names that is most important. It is their bad style that really matters most to me.

In one major metropolitan city in the northeastern region of our nation, a new low in managerial gall has been reached. The city administration and its fire department leadership have gone so far as to place themselves on a higher plane than that of the federal courts. They have decided that they can do whatever they want.

This is a city that has classically treated its fire department members as common chattel. It is a city that has practiced management by threats and spite for more than twenty years. It is a city that gave the members of its fire department an annual Thanksgiving Day present of layoff notices for well over a decade. It is a city that has sought to shave money by not promoting a sufficient number of properly trained and qualified officers at all levels.

However, it is their latest escapade that takes them to a new height of contempt, or depth of ignorance, depending on your perspective. The state department of personnel determined that the city in question was not promoting a sufficient number of officers. Like many cities, this urban garden spot was continually using acting officers to cover operating vacancies. But, when asked by a federal judge if they were guilty of this charge, this particular city chose to lie to the judge.

"Oh no Mr. Judge," they cried, "… we are not guilty of doing that." Imagine how angry the Judge became when confronted with solid evidence of the city's falsehoods. So angry that he decried that permanent promotions be made to the ranks involved. The city countered with an offer of temporary promotions. For it seems that they really didn't think that the promotions were in order. This statement was particularly interesting, since some of the vacancies involved dated back more than two years.

Anyway, the judge forbade the city from making temporary promotions. He ordered them to make a number of permanent promotions by early November, and a further number by the middle of the month. His words were spread far and wide by the print media in that state.

Needless to say, the brain surgeons in this city issued the promotional orders as "Temporary Appointments." And then in a show of further spite, these same people passed over the candidate for promotion who had achieved the highest score on the state-administered promotional examination. This man is a veteran of more than 25 years' service in the city's busiest fire districts. Now that's a real morale booster, if ever I saw one.

I would dearly love to be a fly on the wall of the judge's chambers when he received the word on this one. From my time spent as an expert witness, I have learned one important fact. There are two absolute rulers on the face of the earth. They are the captain of a ship, and a judge in his court. How can the people in command of this major fire department think that they are above the powers of the court?

The answer, of course, is quite simple: "BECAUSE." Because I am the boss I can do whatever I want. This is the same boss who had to be ordered by the courts to provide proper protective equipment for his department. This is the same boss who never served a day in the suppression division at a rank above captain. And on it goes. I am sure that I will have more on this matter in a future column.

In another major middle Atlantic fire department, the top management has attempted to use a new managerial tool called "management by musical chairs." It seems that the Fire Chief in this city was mad because the unions representing the members of his department took a vote of 'no-confidence'. Guess what happened gang; he lost. As one who has followed the fitfully journey of this department under their current leadership, I can't say that I am surprised.

A vote of no confidence has no real force of law. People in positions of command ignore these things. They continue to steam along piloting the Good Ship Lollypop directly toward the rocks and shoals of administrative disaster. That is just what the captain of this ship almost did.

In an action strikingly similar to one that might have been taken by Attila the Hun, this individual sought to transfer just about every officer in his fire department at the exact same time. Without a thought for the chaos that might ensure, this latter day Napoleon chose to punish everyone perceived as an enemy.

Imagine just how shocked and astounded I was at this act of petty ministerial meanness. How could anyone justify switching people in complex technical positions with people in regular fire suppression units? Maybe it's just me, but there are certain jobs within any fire department that require extra time, training and talent. Some of my best friends command truck companies, but those skills do not all translate to technical rescue, collapse operations, or hazardous materials operations. Worst of all, this is not the first punishment transfer list that was published in this department.

Someone must have gotten to the people in charge of this city. I read this morning in an article from the Washington Times that the transfers in that department had been cancelled. Good! At least someone in that city's administrative empire was capable of listening to reason.

It is unfortunate that we have such examples as the two that I have listed above. What really bothers me is the fact that these are becoming the norm, rather than the exception.

It would appear that far too many people in positions of authority seek to practice Management by Vendetta. Rather than allowing for a fair and open discourse of ideas, these petty tyrants hold up with their cohorts in the Ivy Tower of their fire headquarters. All of their time and effort is spent planning retribution rather than progressive leadership.

My mission is quite simple. Keep shining the light of knowledge into the dark places where these Neanderthal managers scurry about planning their evil doings. This I promise to do.

For those of you who must work in these fetid places of mental and moral decay, I say, " … take heart, have patience, and study." Your time may come, and you must be ready. Until then, I urge patience and perseverance. Keep your head down, and try not to draw

The commentary in this column does not necessarily reflect those of Firehouse.Com, Firehouse Magazine, their employees or parent company Cygnus Business Media. Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., MIFireE, is an internationally known municipal fire protection consultant and contributing editor to Firehouse Magazine. He recently retired as a Battalion Commander with the Newark, New Jersey Fire Department. His commentary appears regularly on Firehouse.Com. For more commentary and information, visit Carter's web site at www.harrycarter.com Harry has published several books available for online ordering, including Firefighting Strategy and Tactics and Management in the Fire Service