Leadership Development

Based on our own experiences, most of us could probably come up with a pretty good definition of an effective leader. For the purposes of the wildland fire leadership development program the following working definition is used: A leader is an individual whose values and character enable them to influence others by providing purpose, direction, and motivation, in order to accomplish the incident response mission and improve the organization.

Why do we need to build a wildland fire leadership development program, and why this new emphasis on leadership in wildland fire management?

Wildland and safety managers have consistently addressed the mistakes commonly cited in accident and fatality reports. They have improved wildland firefighter training, equipment and techniques, and heavily emphasized safety. Yet, firefighters still die or are seriously injured every year on wildland fires.

Recently, training specialists and wildland fire managers have begun focusing on another factor commonly cited in accident and fatality reports: leadership. A Leadership Task Group was chartered in September 2000, under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) to analyze the NWCG training curriculum and make recommendations on leadership training issues. The Leadership Task Group submitted its final report to the NWCG’s Training Working Team in February 2001. In its report, the Leadership Task Group recognized that addressing leadership issues within the large interagency wildland fire organization would require more than training alone. The group identified the need for the wildland fire service to start developing leaders, beginning at the basic firefighter level and continuing throughout the firefighter’s career.

In November of 2001, The NWCG Training Working Team charted a Leadership Committee to begin the work of implementing the 14 recommendations found in the February 2001 Report. The Leadership Committee began their work in January 2002.

What does the wildland fire leadership development program consist of?

The program includes a formal curriculum with five levels of training from the least complex (follower) to the most complex (organizational leader) levels. A basic course in Human Factors lays the foundation. After that, firefighters advance to a course with a focus on the transition from Followership to Leadership. More extensive training follows in the Fireline Leadership, Incident Leadership, and Advanced Incident Leadership courses. The program also incorporates self-development opportunities, assessments, and on-the-ground training.

How long will it take to build and implement all the courses in the five levels of training?

It will probably take three to five years to integrate all components of the leadership development curriculum and make the related changes to other interagency documents such as the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Qualifications System Guide (310-1).

Why do we need fire leadership training when agencies already address leadership through current curricula?

The wildland fire leadership development program focuses on developing leaders who operate on emergency incidents and make critical decisions under stressful situations and in high-risk environments. Standard leadership training does not address these specialized situations, and is not always available to people at all levels of the fire organization, such as temporary or seasonal firefighters. Agency leadership courses provide valuable training to natural resource professionals in most fields; however, wildland firefighting is one of the most dangerous of the natural resource occupations, and requires specialized training. Still, if agencies feel their internal training courses already meet the intent of the fire leadership courses, the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Qualifications System Guide (310-1) allows agencies to determine equivalency.

Do the Human Factors and Followership to Leadership courses mean more required training?

No, these courses will not be additional training. Human Factors will be integrated into an existing course, S-130, which is currently under revision and Followership to Leadership will replace an existing course, S-201/281. Additionally, the Fireline Leadership course will also replace an existing course, S-301/381.

Will this training be recommended or required in the NWCG’s Wildland and Prescribed Fire Qualifications System Guide (310-1) system?

The Leadership Committee will recommend leadership development courses be required for certain positions. The NWCG’s Training Working Team (TWT) and the Incident Operation Standards Working Team (IOSWT) will review the recommendations and make the final decisions.

How will we determine if the wildland fire leadership development program is successful and if the training results in better decision-making on an incident?

Frankly, measuring the success of leadership courses in the classroom may be easier than evaluating the results of the training in the field. Through evaluation tools used in the courses, students and trainers can immediately determine if the objectives of the training have been met. However, training is only one piece of the complex puzzle required to develop effective leaders. One of the most important strengths of the leadership development program is its blend of training, assessment, self-development and experience that allows students to put the concepts they’ve acquired into practice in the field, assess their success, modify their behavior if necessary, and then again evaluate their success. Through this process, the senior leaders can measure the progress of individuals who are growing as junior leaders.

The wildland fire leadership development program sounds like it will cost agencies more money and time due to the additional training.

Developing effective leaders who operate in one of the riskiest occupations in the country will require training, cost money, and demands time and management support. However, consider the leadership development program as an investment – in time, money, and management support – that will help increase the effectiveness of our fireline leaders, which will, in turn, help ensure the safety of firefighters and the public during wildland fire incidents. It should also be noted that the first three formal courses in this leadership development curriculum are either being integrated into current S courses or replacing current S courses. So the additional training load is not as significant as one might assume at first glance.

Leadership training is already built into several NWCG skills (S) courses. Why are we concerned about developing separate fire leadership courses?

An interagency analysis of the existing curricula found very little genuine leadership content in our existing S courses. While there are a few S courses that have “leadership” included in their titles, the analysis showed they actually addressed basic supervision skills rather than the leadership skills necessary for effective emergency incident response.

Who will teach the Human Factors and Followership to Leadership courses?

Much like any other 100-level or 200-level course, qualified local agency instructors can teach the Human Factors and Followership to Leadership courses.

Why are leadership components not included in Position Task Books (PTBs)?

Although responsibility for PTBs belongs with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Incident Operation Standards Working Team, a Leadership Committee member will be evaluating each skill (S) course for leadership components when the course is due for revision. A subgroup of the Leadership Committee will also analyze the PTBs for certain key positions (CRWB, ICT3, etc.) and identify leadership elements that are missing or unclear in the task books, and ensure that tasks are written so they are understandable and measurable during a trainee assignment. Suggestions for clear wording for tasks related to leader duties will be forwarded to the IOSWT.

Yes, these existing course packages can be used until NWCG’s Training Working Team establishes the actual transition dates for them to be officially discontinued and replaced. That is estimated to begin in 2004 and continue through 2005.

Shouldn’t we be using agency instructors with wildland firefighting experience to teach courses such as Fireline Leadership, instead of using contract instructors?

Most fire agencies don’t have the resources to support the cadre skill and delivery demands for the type of training courses required at the higher level of a true leadership development curriculum. However, the Leadership Committee intends to establish course objectives and criteria for Fireline Leadership and Incident Leadership courses. This will allow agencies to develop their own course material, establish cadres, or use vendors to meet their internal delivery needs.

Fireline Leadership is critical basic training for entry-level career firefighters who are moving into leadership positions, such as Crew Boss or IC Type 4. This course supplies the foundation individuals need to begin to take on more responsibility for actions and behaviors on the fireline. It’s important that we prepare firefighters as well as possible to meet the demands of a wildland fire career, as opposed to withholding training on the chance that they will not stay in wildland fire management. The bottom line is if we want quality leaders, then we must provide quality training. Incidentally, various one-week leadership courses sponsored by the Federal Office of Personnel Management will run between $2,000 and $4,500 per person. A three-day course from the Center for Creative Leadership, a private vendor, will cost $3100.

What assurance do we have that folks won't be passed through the leadership modules before they are ready for the next level?

A training and development curriculum cannot be expected to replace supervisory and management responsibility. Screening and promotion is an agency’s responsibility, and supervisors or managers in an organization determine who will fill their leadership positions. Within the NWCG fire community, individuals who evaluate and sign position task books have this responsibility.

A structured leader development process should give our organizations more knowledge about leadership in general. In turn, it should be more difficult to promote underdeveloped leaders because everyone will be able to clearly define what leadership is, and easily identify whether people in leadership positions embrace commonly accepted values and principles.

How are we marketing the wildland fire leadership development program?

The “Report of the Leadership Task Group to the Training Working Team” has been posted on the Internet for agency managers and firefighters to review. This document provides valuable background information on leadership issues and contains 14 recommendations aimed at enhancing the development of leaders in wildland fire.

By October 2002 a leadership web site will be established at www.fireleadership.gov. This site will include the status updates on the leadership development program, specific curriculum information, resources available for those individuals interested in developing their own leadership qualities, and other information.

The Leadership Committee, consisting of representatives from federal, state, and county wildland fire agencies, is constantly coordinating with and updating agencies, field managers, geographic area training representatives and others on the status of the curriculum.

Does the new leadership training apply only to operations personnel?

Absolutely not. Although effective leadership is critical to incident operations, it’s also very important to other aspects of incident management and helps ensure overall effectiveness and response. At this time, it is uncertain as to which positions in the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Qualifications System Guide (310-1) will have leadership training requirements and which positions will have leadership training as recommendations.

NWCG

The Leadership Committee is sponsored by the NWCG Training Working Team

NIFC

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