Let me start out by saying that there is no such thing as a perfect company officer. I was fortunate enough to serve as a company officer for almost six years, and have been a chief officer for more than nine years. As a company officer, I was far from perfect.
While I think I was a competent company officer during my tenure, I look back and realize that I could have been a much better company officer in so many ways. As the saying goes, “If I had only known then what I know now.”
To be clear, when I say company officer, I mean the person at any type of fire department (career, volunteer, combination department, military, industrial, etc.) who is serving as the “designated adult” on a daily basis and supervising a company (engine, truck, rescue, etc.). Whether you are a current or future company officer, I’d like to share my 10 Commandments for being the best company officer you can be, now or in the future.