It’s snowing outside. I realize that for those of you in Ontario or Alberta who have already received the first dump of snow, this isn’t quite the shock as it is for me, but this is earlier and heavier than we’re used to seeing. In interior BC, we don’t tend to get much snow that stays around until mid to late November, or even mid December. Plenty of slush, sleet, rain and fog, mind you, but not big heavy flakes that stick.
That being said, I’m pretty much ready for it. My snow tires are on, the winter gear is unpacked, scrapers, sand and brushes are loaded up. The baby’s snow-suits are laid out, and my sandals and shorts are in a box for another year. I’ve got my heavy gloves and winter insoles out for my bunker gear and I even washed my balaclava (about time, too…).
So I’m set to stand by the side of the road and direct traffic - which is pretty much the general vocation of the volunteer firefighter at this time of year. That and trying not to drive off the road as you hurry to the scene of yet another car in the ditch. I’ve ranted about this before, but I think we need to stop letting “all-season” tires be sold in Canada.
OK, OK, the lower mainland and southern Vancouver Island can get away with all-seasons in, well, all seasons. But everywhere else in this blessed country of ours, they should be called “dear lord not in the winter” tires. Or maybe “I hope you like sliding” tires.
I also think that there should be 2 speed limits – summer and winter. Perhaps a magnetic sign that says “We really mean it now - seriously” that you could attach to all the speed limit signs in the winter would do the trick. In any event, the snow is here, and no telling how long it will stay. At least daylight saving time hasn’t hit yet, so we’re still mostly driving while it’s light out.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Importance of Buy-In
I thought that this week I’d talk about the concept of buy-in, specifically as it applies to change in an organization. Human beings in general are not fond of change – we have to do things differently, think differently. Change makes us unsure of ourselves, and it makes us feel less proficient – not things that most people like.
Because change is uncomfortable, people tend to resist it, either consciously or unconsciously. This can make changing things in an organization a risky process. The stress of change can cause arguments, anger and bad feelings that persist even after the change has passed and become the “new normal”. In the worst cases, organizations can be made dysfunctional, or revert to older “comfortable” ways of doing things.
The idea of buy-in, or actively getting people to support changes, is a powerful part of change management. If people have bought into an idea or proposed change, they are much more likely to support it, speak positively about it, and put in the effort that any change requires. Attempting to make changes without at least some level of buy-in from the boots on the ground is going to be difficult at best, and impossible at worst.
As powerful and useful as the idea of buy-in is, it’s also somewhat risky, from the management perspective. It means, essentially, going to the people involved and asking them for support. Outlining the benefits and rationale for the changes is a good idea too. The risk is that you won’t receive the support you want, and you may have to put the proposed changes on hold, or cancel them altogether. Or you might just want to make a better case and try again.
Ultimately, creating the culture of communication and respect that is necessary to achieve true “buy-in” is a good thing, regardless of whether a particular change is achieved. This sort of bottom-up change can be more difficult to accomplish in the short term, but it makes the human factor of a big change more supportive. And as we all know, it’s the human side that tends to make things more difficult…
Because change is uncomfortable, people tend to resist it, either consciously or unconsciously. This can make changing things in an organization a risky process. The stress of change can cause arguments, anger and bad feelings that persist even after the change has passed and become the “new normal”. In the worst cases, organizations can be made dysfunctional, or revert to older “comfortable” ways of doing things.
The idea of buy-in, or actively getting people to support changes, is a powerful part of change management. If people have bought into an idea or proposed change, they are much more likely to support it, speak positively about it, and put in the effort that any change requires. Attempting to make changes without at least some level of buy-in from the boots on the ground is going to be difficult at best, and impossible at worst.
As powerful and useful as the idea of buy-in is, it’s also somewhat risky, from the management perspective. It means, essentially, going to the people involved and asking them for support. Outlining the benefits and rationale for the changes is a good idea too. The risk is that you won’t receive the support you want, and you may have to put the proposed changes on hold, or cancel them altogether. Or you might just want to make a better case and try again.
Ultimately, creating the culture of communication and respect that is necessary to achieve true “buy-in” is a good thing, regardless of whether a particular change is achieved. This sort of bottom-up change can be more difficult to accomplish in the short term, but it makes the human factor of a big change more supportive. And as we all know, it’s the human side that tends to make things more difficult…
Monday, October 5, 2009
Confined Spaces
A few weeks back we went up to the fire training ground at the Selkirk College campus in Nelson. The training ground has a bunch of natural-gas powered emplacements that can be lit and used for firefighting practice. It has dumpster, wall fire, propane tank, barbeque and car fire emplacements, and it looks like they will be adding a larger bus fire location as well.
The training ground also has a simulation building, built from cargo containers. It’s full of small rooms, furniture, closets, stairwells and other fun stuff. You can build a fire in an enclosed space at the back, filling the building with smoke and heat. We had a little problem getting the fire emplacements running, so we decided to do a Search and Rescue practice run into the building.
Tommy, another Firefighter who joined the department around the same time as I did, and I geared up in our BA’s. The training officer asked if we wanted to have a look around the building, before we went in. Everybody else went inside, but I said no. We won’t get a chance to preview a real structure before we go in, so why do it in training?
After everyone got back, the training officer used a smoke bomb to fill the building, and we headed inside. I’m not claustrophobic. I’ve done SCUBA diving and caving, and I’m not bothered by blackout simulations or wearing SCBA’s. But being in a building were you can’t see anything but smoke still feels a little… close. If you were the slightest bit panicked by tight spaces, I would really not recommend this sort of thing.
Like a good Firefighter, I checked my air before going in. 1900 PSI. Crawling, we worked our way down the upper floor of the structure, checking closets, working our way through hallways and keeping one hand on the right-hand wall. I was the second man, and I know the theory here – keep one hand on the leg of the first guy, and use the fire axe handle to extend your reach and probe for obstructions or people.
Of course, the practice is a bit different. A sofa feels a lot like a person when you are poking it with the handle of an axe. And an axe in a small, confined, obscured area becomes a bit unwieldy. It’s also lots of fun to find your way around. We had a little trouble on the way back, starting down a hallway that we hadn’t come in on.
We made it back out, and it felt like we’d been in there an hour, so I checked my air again. 1400 PSI. We were inside maybe 6 or 7 minutes. It was a totally foreign experience, and I imagine that heat and crackling flames would have made it a lot more stressful. I really enjoyed myself, though. It was a mental and physical challenge, and something that very few people get to do.
It also highlighted to me how critical scenario training like this is – dangerous, unfamiliar environments are easy places to panic or make mistakes in. Hands-on training makes those experiences more familiar, and allow you to use the trained skills. I just wish we had the resources to do this more often – I’d rather have the skills and not need them, than need them and not have them.
The training ground also has a simulation building, built from cargo containers. It’s full of small rooms, furniture, closets, stairwells and other fun stuff. You can build a fire in an enclosed space at the back, filling the building with smoke and heat. We had a little problem getting the fire emplacements running, so we decided to do a Search and Rescue practice run into the building.
Tommy, another Firefighter who joined the department around the same time as I did, and I geared up in our BA’s. The training officer asked if we wanted to have a look around the building, before we went in. Everybody else went inside, but I said no. We won’t get a chance to preview a real structure before we go in, so why do it in training?
After everyone got back, the training officer used a smoke bomb to fill the building, and we headed inside. I’m not claustrophobic. I’ve done SCUBA diving and caving, and I’m not bothered by blackout simulations or wearing SCBA’s. But being in a building were you can’t see anything but smoke still feels a little… close. If you were the slightest bit panicked by tight spaces, I would really not recommend this sort of thing.
Like a good Firefighter, I checked my air before going in. 1900 PSI. Crawling, we worked our way down the upper floor of the structure, checking closets, working our way through hallways and keeping one hand on the right-hand wall. I was the second man, and I know the theory here – keep one hand on the leg of the first guy, and use the fire axe handle to extend your reach and probe for obstructions or people.
Of course, the practice is a bit different. A sofa feels a lot like a person when you are poking it with the handle of an axe. And an axe in a small, confined, obscured area becomes a bit unwieldy. It’s also lots of fun to find your way around. We had a little trouble on the way back, starting down a hallway that we hadn’t come in on.
We made it back out, and it felt like we’d been in there an hour, so I checked my air again. 1400 PSI. We were inside maybe 6 or 7 minutes. It was a totally foreign experience, and I imagine that heat and crackling flames would have made it a lot more stressful. I really enjoyed myself, though. It was a mental and physical challenge, and something that very few people get to do.
It also highlighted to me how critical scenario training like this is – dangerous, unfamiliar environments are easy places to panic or make mistakes in. Hands-on training makes those experiences more familiar, and allow you to use the trained skills. I just wish we had the resources to do this more often – I’d rather have the skills and not need them, than need them and not have them.
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