On this Superbowl Sunday, I’m reminded of an article I read recently on an NFL production crew directed by Bob Fishman. The article paints an amazing picture of the action that occurs in the production trailer, and how the decisions and actions of one or two people determine what millions are watching on their screens—indeed, their actions determine how those viewers experience the event.

But the article hit home for me on another level: It reminded me why I have so much awe for what fire officers do.

Sure, it’s gratifying and exciting to be the firefighter reaching through the window to the awaiting citizen or charging up the stairs with the hoseline that will save the day. But the blunt fact is that those firefighters wouldn’t be in their positions, doing what they’re doing, without the decisions of their company officers and incident commanders. Sometimes, what goes on behind the scenes is more important than what everyone sees.

Ever thought about the few moments between a touchdown and the extra point? This is what it sounds like from Fishman’s perspective:

“Ready five [close-up of Manning jumping for joy]. Take five! Ready two [close-up of Boss, still carrying the ball, mobbed by joyful teammates in the end zone]. Take two! Ready three [rejoicing New York fans]. Take three! Ready four [beaten Bengals strong safety Chinedum Ndukwe trotting off the field]. Take four! Ready eight [Marvin Lewis looking forlornly up at the scoreboard]. Take eight! Ready 12 [a pan of cheering Giants fans in the upper deck]. Take 12! Ready two [another close-up of Boss]. Take two! Ready five [a close-up of Manning leaving the field]. Take five! Ready eight [close-up of the shell-shocked Chad Johnson]. Take eight! Ready three [another crowd shot]. Take three! Ready two [a close-up of Boss, reaching the sidelines, still carrying his touchdown catch]. Take two! Ready 12 [Bengals huddling on the field before the extra point]. Take 12! Ready six [close-up of Manning accepting a pat on the helmet from Gilbride]. Take six! Ready four [close-up of Lewis, shaking his head with disgust]. Take four! Ready five [more high fives for Manning on the sidelines]. Take five! Break! Extra point! Ready four [a high shot in the end zone behind the goalposts as the Giants line up to kick].”

If you wrote a play-by-play of a working fire, you might have something equally complex, equally rapid, equally unseen to the average person.

And that’s where the role of the officer/IC is so critical. Because when the crew is celebrating a touchdown, the director is anticipating the opposing team’s comeback. And when your enemy is fire, that anticipation can save lives.

It takes specific type of person to be satisfied with working behind the scenes. It means you won’t be the MVP, or the heroic firefighter on the TV rescuing the small child from an inferno. But as one of Fishman’s crew put it, it does mean you have the “ability to see everything.”

And that’s kind of its own reward.

Shannon Pieper is managing editor of FireRescue magazine.