Practice

Your Dirt; OTHERS EXPERIENCE

Every Captain and Chief operates inside fixed realities—buildings, access, construction, and water that do not change. Knowing your dirt and what actually exists on it matters most. Growth comes faster when you are willing to incorporate others’ experience; it builds recognition of patterns you’re likely to face again and turns prior exposure into faster, more confident decisions.

MORING Captain; Hey Chief

Every Captain and Chief will face ideas, issues, and problems rooted in behavior, not tactics. What was once acceptable will not always remain acceptable—crews change, standards evolve, and expectations can fluctuate. Failing to recognize when conditions have shifted, or not knowing how to adjust, creates risk long before it shows up on the fireground.

Preparation means understanding that ignoring behavior is still a decision. Officers must be willing to reassess, recalibrate, and address issues early—especially when past tolerance no longer serves the crew, the mission, or the moment.

Performer, Spectator, Anchor

The inconvenient truth is that at any time, any of us can become a performer, a spectator, or an anchor.

When people resist change and cling to old habits or past success, that resistance becomes toxic—it shifts the burden to others and drags the entire organization. Past performance does not meet today’s standard; experience only matters if it is actively refined, challenged, and adapted.

If you are not deliberately improving, you are not standing still—you are actively falling behind.

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