What Makes A Good Chief?

[robert benz 344]

ok so much discussion on where the white helmet should stand, i have a better one/ who should wear it and what kind of qualifications should he/she have

[Scottyk107 9]

to start I think on the job experience is ranked #1. as a chief you need to know every position and know it well enough to know whats best for the men not only the check book. I think too much financial responsibility is placed on chiefs and how much money they can save rather then worrying about what kind of service they can provide and how to make them better as a department. In the fire service you can only gain so much by taking classes and getting a degree; real world experience is what matters the most when you basically hold so much in your hands. Im not down playing having an education background because that is also an important part but a teacher can only teach you so much. Character is also a big factor. Are they the type of person to stand behind their men and decisions or place blame down the ladder to try to keep their name clean. These are just a few of the many im sure qualifications to make a good chief....

[efd1674 5]

10 years in the fire service. Interior firefighter / EMT. A company line officer for 2 or more years. Then think about the white hat.

[PVFD233 68]

show up, know your people,dont diss any aspect of the company...(Younger crowd, Rescue squad, auxilary members). Someone that you can work with.

10 years in the fire service. Interior firefighter / EMT. A company line officer for 2 or more years. Then think about the white hat.

I can agree with that also certain classes they should have to attend...

[firefighter36 52]

I think education is paramount. A Chief wears many hats, as some of you have hit on.. financial officer, operations manager, incident commander to name a few.

Without a public administration backgound, can a Chief really have a good handle on public budgeting?

Without a management/ business background can a Chief work to resolve personality conflicts or effectively deal with the public? It can be very hard for a Chief to Manage Day-to-Day operations with just alot of firefighting experience.

Also, what does the fire service provide to officers beside initial officer (FLIPS) school? What is required on the volunteer side? It varies all over. I don't envy the responsibility a Chief hold, as they have to make the biggest overall decisions.

What does education give us? More important than any book knowledge, it gives us the skills needed to effectively communicate with each other. Additionally, it gives us Critical Thinking Skills, not just to solve problems, but to constructively implement policies that make sense. I think there is a lot of micro-management in the fire service, and overall, delegation should be considered as well.

It also depends on what kind of Chief the powers that be want.. Some departments hire a Chief to wear a suit and sit in an office, while others give them the more traditional role of running a small department, and being a more street-level operations manager. What is expected in your various departments by the comissioner(s)?

Just a few thoughts.

[RWC130 594]

Off the top of my head.....

-FF Experience

-Officer Experience

-Knowledge

-Certified Training

-Courses, Classes, Hands-On

-Education

-Awareness

-Dedication

-Integrity

-Loyalty

-Professional

ALL Fire Departments should have Minimum Qualifications

and they must be followed.

Don't just fill a position of Chief, 1st Assistant Chief, 2nd Assistant Chief with a body because the person does a lot of calls.

Chief of the Fire Department with 15 Firefighters, 50 Firefighters, or

5,000 Firefighters is a HUGE RESPONSIBILITY!!!