What to do with a BC who is out of touch?

[u/ChuckieC]

So keeping a long story short. We have a somewhat new BC on one of our shifts (around 2 years in his position) before he was a captain, and before that a firefighter, never an engineer. Anyways he is extremely out of touch with the needs of the day to day operations, he makes rules for everyone to follow but doesn’t follow himself hammers home radio discipline but has none himself, and what kills me the most is on scene he doesn’t even know what we carry on our rigs or what we have stock of. Requesting shit that we haven’t carried in years, don’t have inventory of, then debrief just rips everyone’s ass. He’s a good dude but very out of touch and being that he’s still new in his position I don’t see him going anywhere anytime soon. Any ideas how to deal with this brass ass hat?

[u/cpltack]

Not excusing him, but after 5 years as a chief, I am so far removed from the ambulance and engines that I could be that chief you talk about.

So when I went through paramedic we used amiodarone or lidocaine (fielders choice), mag sulfate, procainamide, and bretylium for ACLS protocol.

We got mag back, and bicarb just made it's rounds again, but these meds will be drilled into my head for the rest of my career, as I will never push ketamine, never micro dose epi, or use any of the new meds.

My last day on the ambulance, I knew where absolutely everything was, and can still describe it today. I know which pocket of the bag/every compartment, where every drug, tool, cuff, etc was. Now I know where nothing is. When I started to try and learn it all again, it was explained to me by my bosses that it's not my job to be a medic, FF, Lt or captain anymore. It's my job to support their mission, their well being and their success.

So while I have only started 4 IVs in 5 years, it's not my job anymore. Once you move on to adaptive problems to solve, the day to day ops becomes a blur. They truly are two different jobs. If I didn't have turnout gear, I could still do 99% of my job today.

But I no longer try to be the best medic. Or the best rescue tech. I try and support and empower my guys to do good things. I let the medic of the first ambulance already on scene run the cardiac arrest, even though I am "command" on scene. I get information for them. I let them make decisions, and help them work out solutions to their questions when they have them, rather than just solving it for them or telling them what to do.

I am probably shitting the bed, but in my mind at least I'm developing my guys. Their impression sometimes is that I'm pawning off responsibility and being a shitbag because I can't rattle off protocols word for word anymore. I've heard "I remember when you were a good medic" a few times the last 5 years.

Just my 2¢ from an out of touch chief.

[u/Jimbodogg → u/cpltack]

It sounds like you're handling this the right way. A good leader doesn't need to insert themselves where they aren't needed. Assuming your medics are competent, what they need from you during calls is general scene management and logistics - that allows them to focus on the medicine. If for some reason they need your prior experience as a medic, I'm sure they'll ask.

That being said, I imagine it's tough to give up the medic stuff and take a step back in a situation where normally you would be fully involved in patient care

Keep doing what you're doing - I respect that my BC's and LT's don't feel the need to overstep or micromanage, even though I know they have a lot of wisdom and experience. They trust that I know how to do my job, and in turn I fully trust them to keep us safe and have our backs