Career Survival ©2015careersurvivalgroup,llc Protecting Those Who Protect Our Communities

©2015careersurvivalgroup,llc

Career Survival

Protecting Those Who Protect Our Communities


Chief Brian Cummings

• 34 Years of Service LAFD• Board member American Red Cross Blood

Services• Board member Performance 911 – N- FORS• Consultant – PSSi• Trainer/Advisor –Career Survival Group


Danger

Hey Chief…. Can I run something by you?


Firefighter Terminated

• Google Search• Stories


Operational Emphasis

• Operationally Sound• Safety Focus• Near Miss

Reporting


Survival

• Education– What are common

issues?

• Expectation– Policy

• Audits– Outside review of critical

systems


A Culture of Accountability

• Bring it into the light of day

• Thorough, complete, timely


Tool of Accountability

• Non-disciplinary notes• Meaningful evaluations• Tracking


Danger

Hey Chief…. Can I run something by you?


Career Survival Group

Career Survival Training



CSG Contributors• Fire Professionals• Police Professionals• Govt & Labor Attys• Eric Rosoff– Executive Manager


Considerations

• Ops vs Administrative emphasis

• Similarities in firefighters across the country


Career Survival Training

• Why Career Survival Training?– Because you care about

your people!– Because you take

immense pride in what you do!



“You’re always on parade” -General George S.

Patton


This? Or This?

Will You be Leading..


Survival

• Operational Survival– Acknowledge and

respond to common behaviors that cost Firefighter’s their lives

– A balance of courage & skill


Operational Survival

• Courage– You got the job and you

hire new firefighters based on an inherent amount of bravery.


Operational Survival

• Skill– You strive to keep your

employees equipped and trained so when the time comes their courage will be supported by a “reflex response.”


Career Survival

• Acknowledge and respond to common behaviors that cost Firefighter’s their

CAREERS!– Like Operational

Survival, Career Survival requires inherent courage and honed skills.


Acknowledge the Danger

• There were 87 LODD’s in 2014.

• CSG tracked 233 terminations in 2014.– This number does not

include many unpublicized terminations or retirements in-lieu.

– Many times the behavior did not start out as malicious.


Acknowledge Danger

• Common termination themes are:– Money/Drugs– Social Media– Disrespecting the

Workplace.



• Social Media– In recent years there

have been at least 30 firefighters fired for Social Media related activity



• Social Media– We feel compelled to

add to the conversation– Does the First

Amendment apply?


Disrespect the Workplace

• Most frequent violations:

• On duty sex / drinking– Includes

employee/employee sex– Includes employees who

knew about behavior but didn't stop/report it


Disrespect the Workplace

• Most frequent violations:

• Workplace environment– Violations of agency

policy and training re appropriate conduct inside stations.


Respond To Danger = Training


Training Comparison

Operational Threats• Acknowledge dangers• Dedicated to training• Learn from others• Promote accountability

and reflex response to dangerous situations

Career Threats• Acknowledge dangers?• Dedicated to training?• Learn from others?• Promote accountability

and reflex response to dangerous situations?



Is it Safe?


Realities of Career Survival

• Changing Workforce• Changing Client Base• Complacency• Unrealistic Security


Realities of Career Survival

HeadlineJune 2, 2014

Blue Angels Chief Fired for Sexual Harassment

Veteran Navy pilot fired from the Navy's elite

demonstration team for allowing porn, explicit

speech.


Accountability and the Company Officer


Company Officers

• Organizational position/responsibility– Chief• Decides where we’re heading

– Chief Officers• Make sure we have what we need to get there

– Line employees• Rubber meets the road

– Company Officers• DRIVING THE BUS!


Company Officers

The agency’s success rests with the company officer’s understanding the rules of the road and ability to negotiate the hazards along the way.


Company Officers

Not recognizing the dangers in front of you, or failing to adapt to changing conditions, can have a devastating impact.


A Culture of Accountability

Maintaining a culture of accountability is the first step in protecting yourself

and those around you from career threatening events!


Accountability

Hold Subordinates Accountable• Look at this again. It does not say “Hold their

feet to the fire!”


Operational ComparisonCounseling/Coaching/Non-Disciplinary Docs Discipline


Career Survival Tools

• Coaching/Counseling• Not disciplinary!!– Counseling is essential to

effective supervision.– Sets a tone of

accountability.– Keep small things small


Career Survival Tools

• Non-disciplinary doc’s• How many do you have?

– Counseling memo?– Educational reminder?– Written account of oral

counseling?– Evaluation– PIP

• How many do you need?


Evaluations

• Standard is a paycheck• Encourage good

behavior and identify/respond to poor performance

• Anything over or below standard should be supported by specific events & circumstances


When Cultures Collide

• Discovery Documents (Public Culture)– Policy – Training records – Pay – Prior discipline

• Sworn Testimony (Actual Culture)– Will testimony differ from expectations?


Ops Proactive Activities

Brush abatement and business inspections.• Operational risk

management• Keep small things small• Personal safety


Ops Proactive Activities

Drill low freq, high impact operational events.• Reflexive response • Know your resources• Personal safety

What are your administrative comparisons?



• Essential elements of Career Survival.– Be aware of dangers– Set and maintain clear expectations– Model / Train to the expectations– Honestly evaluate efforts to meet expectations– Audit critical performance

•Trust and verify!


Incident Survival

• Firefighters have mastered incident survival skills– Seamless

communications– ICS– Comprehensive incident

review / debriefing– Continuous tactical

review and drill


Incident Survival

Even still, you experience line of duty deaths



Eric Rosoff818-381-6427

Career Survival [email protected]

www.careersurvivalgroup.com