The Hat Dance: Realities of the Short-Staffed Company Officer

The Hat Dance: Realities of the Short-Staffed Company Officer

Marc Aloan

As staffing challenges become more prevalent, the modern company officer is often asked to wear many hats ranging from tailboard firefighter to command level officer.  The Hat Dance focuses on finding balance between the continuously expanding roles and responsibilities facing company officers and the realities of limited staffing.  This course defines short-staffing and its causes, addresses professional development shortfalls, presents ways to accomplish company level leadership as a functional crew member, and offers approaches to tactical preparation and execution with limited staffing.  Students will leave with actionable methods for bridging personal and departmental expectations by maximizing the effectiveness of available resources both in the firehouse and on the fireground!