It’s March, which means that the NCAA Basketball Championships are happening.  Like most, this year has been full of surprise wins, surprise losses and surprise teams. Every year, flashy, marquis teams are sent home by teams from small schools that play hard-nosed and fundamental basketball. Because I relate everything to firefighting, it occurred to me that there are lessons to be learned from these teams that can be applied to our profession and personnel.

Someone once asked me if I would rather be, ” a great player on an average team, or an average player on a great team.”

The problem with average teams with great players is that, if you take away the great player, you lose.  The success of the team depends solely on the performance of an individual (or very small group of people).  You are in trouble if any of the “great” players have a bad day or are not there.  Not an ideal position to be in.

Oppositely, if you are an average player on a great team, the recipe for success could have many different ingredients.  For example, you may be a great player surrounded by other great players.  You may also have a group of average players who know and understand their role within the team, making it very effective and successful.  Either one, or a combination, of these is a good example of what a fire company should strive to be.

I relate this to urban/metro fire department versus suburban/rural fire departments.  Urban departments often get the repetition (fire action) to become great players.  Sometimes, their staffing allows them to specialize and truly hone their knowledge and skills.  Meanwhile, suburban departments may have to take on a “jack of all trades” approach.  There is nothing wrong with either of these scenarios.  Things are what they are, however what is important is identifying what type of “team” you have and clearly identifying and understanding everyone’s role.

One of the most important things, for any fire company, First Alarm Assignment and department is for everyone to know each other’s role and how it fits into the big picture.  Whether you are the first Engine arriving with five members or three or the second Truck with four or two members, everyone needs to know what’s going on and what needs to be done.  Whether it’s a basketball team or a fire crew, their ability to know and execute the game plan is vital to their success, and for us…safety.