By Janelle Foskett, managing editor, FireRescue magazine

Wouldn’t it be nice is someone just handed you a list of do’s and don’ts so you’d know exactly what to do as an incident commander? Well, maybe I can help with that.

In his Wednesday FDIC session “Incident Commander Do’s and Don’t,” Teaneck (N.J.) Fire Department Battalion Chief Joseph Berchtold offered attendees a long list of tips for everything from how to discipline personnel to how to manage a raging fire that could become a long-term incident. Following are just a few.



General Tips for Before the Incident
- Be consistent.
- Know your department’s disciplinary policy.
- Don’t micro-manage.
- Give praise where praise is due.
- Admit your mistakes.
- Learn from your mistakes.
- Stick to the rules.
- Don’t play favorites or keep secrets.
- When you have to discipline, offer constructive criticism, be sincere, offer the facts and don’t show emotion.
- Be a calm voice of reason.
- Don’t let your ego get in the way of good decision-making.
- Know that when incidents go bad, you are going to be the political scapegoat.
- Communications is one part talking and 10 parts listening.
- Know your department’s policy on social media, including twitter and Facebook, as well as its policies regarding helmet cams and cell phone cams at incidents.
- Have an open-door policy and be approachable.
- Know your chief well: What’s their agenda? Personality? Do they support you?
- Build a relationship with the chief.
- Look professional and be professional.
- Get to know your company officers.

Tips Related to Training, Preparation & Preplanning
- Take classes in reading smoke, building construction, managing personnel and fire inspections.
- Preplan whatever you can.
- Know your standard operating procedures inside and out.
- Know your first-due and the types of emergencies you could face.
- Learn about your mutual-aid teams and develop a rapport with them.
- Pay attention to the weather, even the night before you’re scheduled to work.

Tips for On the Scene
- On incidents that have the potential to be long-term, don’t be too specific with the media. If you may eventually need to resort to Plan C so don’t tell them early that you won’t take that route.
- If possible, do a face-to-face transfer of command from first-in company officer to you.
- Announce the transfer over the radio.
- Ask the necessary questions so you’re up to speed on everything.
- Get and give good progress reports.
- Conduct PAR.
- Order the necessary resources.
- Be mindful of where you transfer command; it should be a safe location where communications won’t be hampered.
- Pick a suitable location for the command post. Don’t get too close to the incident (certainly stay away from potential collapse zones); be out of the way of equipment; avoid loud areas where communications could be compromised; be visible and yet far away enough to have a good vantage point of the entire incident.
- Assign additional personnel as they assign.
- When making assignments, ensure your expectations are clear.
- Don’t have too many chiefs standing around; make good use of their knowledge and assign them to key areas.
- Expect the unexpected.
- Always have plans B and C, and be prepared to switch to them at any moment.
- Don’t be afraid to pull everyone out and start all over again.
- Have two companies in staging.
- Have additional RITs ready to go.
- Maintain span of control (3-7).
- Use thermal imaging cameras.
- Have and use your department’s mayday and urgent policies.
- Keep the command post organized.
- Have plenty of radios.
- Have handy whatever documentation and forms you need.
- Know how to use applicable technology (i.e., Google Earth); this is especially important for the technology you must use, like that in your command center or vehicle.
- Don’t be a moth to a flame, focusing only on the fire and ignoring what else is happening at the scene.
- Assign an operations officer, if possible, and know their role.
- Always assign someone to the rear of the structure and have them give you regular updates.

As you might expect for such a dynamic role, these are only a few of the do’s and don’ts that incident commanders should know. Take this list and expand on it as necessary. Then let the preplanning begin!