Improvise, Overcome, and Adapt

Ever see the Clint Eastwood classic "Heartbreak Ridge?" It's about a salty old Marine gunny who is assigned to a misfit recon unit and whips them into shape? Classic. Eastwood's character, Gunny Highway, says multiple time that the job of a Marine includes the ability to "improvise, overcome, and adapt." More than once, I have heard fire instructors and officers say the same. And it's true. Never knowing what that next run will bring, you have to be able to react and respond to a situation quickly and effectively.

We can make this potentially easier in a variety of ways. As always, training. But learning never stops and it isn't always donning the gear. There are multiple factors to consider. This article talks about how as building construction materials have changed, it has affected how fires burn thus affecting how we attack the fire as well. Sometimes, these changes alter tactics that have strong roots in the fire service, which isn't easy for some firefighters to adapt to. But that is why it's important to keep up on some of the underlying factors. I found this to be an interesting read, because even though a lot of this I knew, it was valuable to learn more about the background information explaining the "why" or "because." Ultimately, these changes in tactics provide better ways to achieve our goals of protecting life and sustaining property. Search and rescue is a top priority obviously, but, as explained in the article, getting water to the fire is needed in order to perform search and rescue because of how quickly the fire can develop with more rapidly-burning materials in existence.

Here is another informative piece explaining why we must allow ourselves guidelines and operational tactics that can be improvised in order to adapt to the situation at hand. What makes this a valuable read, I think, is that the author is not discrediting the research and studies that have been performed. He's taking those studies and showing how they can benefit us with our tactics and also how they can hinder us. Blanket statements and concrete tactics don't always work in fireground operational tactics.  There are too many variables for each incident. Different building construction, surroundings, manpower, the fuels that are burning, and many more. Every incident is different. Of course, we have an idea of how various scenarios will go or how we would like operations to go in a "perfect world." But those aren't always a reality, which makes adaptation a valuable skill in the fire service.

I don't think that this is just at the officer level, either. If you are an interior firefighter, exterior/support firefighter, or a pump operator, you have to be able to adapt. How can we do this? Read. Read up on the magazines and blogs and see what others are doing. Talk about it in your department, ask about various, potential scenarios. Even when you are just driving around in your first due, observe the area around you. What unique building construction is present? Could the terrain be a problem? What obstacles are present? Narrow streets? What can prevent you and your department from performing the best job to your abilities?

I know that to many of us, I am not saying anything new. However, it is important to go back to the basics, remember them, and be able to utilize and carry them out during operations. And you can't perform any operations without a size up. No, the average firefighter sitting in the cab of the engine may not be delegating operational tasks or  giving the size up over the radio. But it is just as important that they are aware of the situation. They need to know what could provide limitations or obstacles to their duties.

The best way I can describe this is that improvising and adapting are tactics which involve a lot of critical thinking. You need to be able to process and analyze a problem in order to come to a solution.

Check out this video. I know of departments around me that have done this, and I think it's great. It is utilizing the resources that you have readily available. We can't all always get a house to drill in. But this provides some good training. It puts you against obstacles. You could learn about your own limitations. I think this type of drill, using a playground to stretch lines, is a good example of improving and adapting.

Like I said, I know this post is telling us anything knew. However, I wanted to stress the importance of being aware of changes, the need to adapt and overcome obstacles, and the importance of always learning. Don't forget the basics. That is what keeps the foundations of your skills set and tactics together.

Stay safe.