Deputy Fire Chiefs...

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Was talking with some people early today about Deputy Chiefs and realized I know very little when it comes to anything about Deputy Chiefs...

I know a lot of departments have Deputy Chiefs, but a lot don't. I also know of some departments that used to have them then got rid of them.

Some questions I have are:

If the department give it Chief's cars, are the Deputy Chiefs (who use their POV's) given lights/sirens?

Pros? Cons?

Are they allowed to use lights/sirens?

Are they Chiefs all year? Term? Or just when needed?

How many Deputy Chiefs do departments have?

Do they receive the same LOSAP points as Chiefs?

Lights and sirens for all calls? Especially when Chiefs are responding as well...

Are they voted on?

Thanks,

Madison

[firedude 985]

I could be wrong, but I thought only paid departments have deputy chiefs.

Edited March 19, 2011 by firedude

[PFDRes47cue 653]

I could be wrong, but I thought only paid departments have deputy chiefs.

I have found that your are not alone in thinking that. However, volunteer departments have them as well.

[wraftery 1,275]

Only speaking for career depts, Deputy Chief is a permanent civil service rank. Their function is usually that of shift commander or in an administrative position. When the Chief is out-of-the-area, one of the DCs is usually appointed Acting Chief.

Under NY law, a DC is allowed to have red lights/siren in his pov. I don't know of a single DC who has lights/siren.

Once appointed, they are DCs until they retire. If you are respected, you tend to be called Chief for much longer through the graciuosness of your brothers. (Thanks, Brothers)

Oh by the way, the unwritten rule is that "there are no Chiefs in the kitchen"

[velcroMedic1987 330]

My old VFD used to designate past chiefs as "deputy chiefs". They still ran with lights and sirens on their POVs and could be used as a line officer if none were present.

[jrf344 5]

In some volunteer departments most Deputy Chiefs are just past Chiefs. Some who can't let go of power or lights. But if you are thinking of going to Deuty Chiefs my question would be, do you really need more Chiefs? In 2011 you should consider creating FF positions not Chiefs.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Only speaking for career depts, Deputy Chief is a permanent civil service rank. Their function is usually that of shift commander or in an administrative position. When the Chief is out-of-the-area, one of the DCs is usually appointed Acting Chief.

Under NY law, a DC is allowed to have red lights/siren in his pov. I don't know of a single DC who has lights/siren.

Once appointed, they are DCs until they retire. If you are respected, you tend to be called Chief for much longer through the graciuosness of your brothers. (Thanks, Brothers)

Oh by the way, the unwritten rule is that "there are no Chiefs in the kitchen"

I never saw a DC with light/siren until recently. I was sitting at a red light and saw a car come through the intersection (through the red light). the car had red dash lights and a siren (both of which were on). The care was a POV and was unmarked with the exception of a small half plate that I noticed under the front license plate. It read, "Deputy Chief" in big letters and the name of the department in small letters.

In some volunteer departments most Deputy Chiefs are just past Chiefs. Some who can't let go of power or lights. But if you are thinking of going to Deuty Chiefs my question would be, do you really need more Chiefs? In 2011 you should consider creating FF positions not Chiefs.

My department uses a DC when all Chiefs are out of town (perhaps attending a conference). This is a past Chief...

And, I don't think many places need more Chiefs . More firefighter is a different story.

[SECTMB 612]

As with many items, the vocabulary varies from location to location and department to department. I was a member of a volunteer department in Massachusetts. There was a Chief and a Deputy Chief, then Captains and Lieutenants. The Deputy Chief was what in Westchester would be the Assistant Chief.

Our Westchester department, Briarcliff Manor, has Deputy Chiefs. These are former Chiefs, appointed as Deputy Chiefs. They respond in their POVs which are equipped with red lights and sirens. They act as a Chief Officer until they are relieved by a current Chief or Assistant Chief. As with many volunteer departments, there can be times when no current Chief officer is available and the Deputy Chiefs can fill the void if they are available. Otherwise command falls to the Captains then the Lieutenants then to the senior firefighters, according to standard chain of command protocols.

[hudson144 150]

Only speaking for career depts, Deputy Chief is a permanent civil service rank. Their function is usually that of shift commander or in an administrative position. When the Chief is out-of-the-area, one of the DCs is usually appointed Acting Chief.

Under NY law, a DC is allowed to have red lights/siren in his pov. I don't know of a single DC who has lights/siren.

Once appointed, they are DCs until they retire. If you are respected, you tend to be called Chief for much longer through the graciuosness of your brothers. (Thanks, Brothers)

Oh by the way, the unwritten rule is that "there are no Chiefs in the kitchen"

In some cases you don't want a Chief in the Kitchen! lol

[IzzyEng4 427]

Deputy Chief is a rank that is not widely used correctly in the fire service. A Deputy Chief in the structure of ranks can come after the Chief of the Department or after the Assistant Chief. Basically it how the terms Assistant and Deputy are utilized.

Definitions from Dictionary.com

deputy - dep·u·ty  /ˈdɛpyəti/ Show Spelled [dep-yuh-tee]

noun, plural -ties.

1. a person appointed or authorized to act as a substitute for another or others.

2. deputy sheriff.

3. a person appointed or elected as assistant to a public official, serving as successor in the event of a vacancy.

4. a person representing a constituency in certain legislative bodies.

–adjective

5.appointed, elected, or serving as an assistant or second-in-command.

assistant - as·sis·tant /əˈsɪstənt/ Show Spelled[uh-sis-tuhnt]

–noun

1. a person who assists or gives aid and support; helper.

2. a person who is subordinate to another in rank, function, etc.; one holding a secondary rank in an office or post: He was assistant to the office manager.

3. something that aids and supplements another.

4. a faculty member of a college or university who ranks below an instructor and whose responsibilities usually include grading papers, supervising laboratories, and assisting in teaching.

–adjective

5. assisting; helpful.

6. serving in an immediately subordinate position; of secondary rank: an assistant coach.

So by definition a deputy chief or an assistant chief can be second in command. My department that I work for has the rank structure of Chief, Deputy and Assistant (three top ranks). New Haven runs the rank structure of Chief, two Assistant Chiefs (admin and line), four Deputy Chief (shift commander for each shifts) and eight Battalion Chiefs (two battalions). The volunteer department I come from has a chief and four assistant chiefs, no deputies. There are career departments in CT that do not have a Deputy Chief rank at all, they run assistants and battalions instead.

I think the chief ranks structure is mostly depends how each department is set up and how they specifically want to run their ranking system.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Where I come from there are only 2 titles that I know that you get for life. Supreme Court Justice and Deputy Fire Chief. Get out as Chief...put Deputy on your coat, keep lights and sirens for I don't know what, get a radio number and add to the congestion on the airwaves after an alarm marking responding, on scene etc. And then race across town with your lights and siren despite apparatus responding and often another actual chief. Oh did I mention some haven't taken training in over 20 years...or know the first thing about newer equipment but no problem..fill the personnel gaps and run a scene when no chief is available because they're working.

[DaRock98 76]

To me a Volunteer Deputy Chief is just another way of a department saying they don't trust the current line officers to be an IC at a scene therefore putting an ex-chief in charge over a current Captain and Lieutenant. If that is the case that department needs to take a serious look at the line and re-evaluate the current promotional process and the current line officers.

[Fireman488 57]

In our department, former chiefs are eligible to be appointed by the current Chief for a one year term as a Deputy Chief, which must be renewed annually.

Our Deputy Chiefs mostly serve in a support role: training, administrative duties, command board assistance, mentoring of younger officers, etc.

They continue to take classes on a regular basis.

They do not have white helmets or white coats. They do not have red lights or sirens in their POVs.

They do have white frontpieces on black helmets, indicating their designation.

They do have radio designations (2110-1, 2110-2, etc), which they use when in command only. Our department always uses Incident Command terminology, which mostly negates the need for personal numbers.

They respond on the apparatus as regular firefighters and only take command in the absence of any officer: chief, captain, lieutenant.

They are also available to give advice, when requested.

Personally, Deputy Chiefs were most helpful to me during my term of office.

[abaduck 123]

Different departments use different terminology. In our department there's one Chief, who has 1st and 2nd Deputy Chiefs to support him: 2231, 2232, 2233. Captains & Lieutenants below them.

In the normal course of events, when a Chief finishes their term, the 1st Deputy will move up a slot and serve their term as Chief. That's the command structure we have, and it has nothing to do with 'ex-Chiefs'; in our department it's the precise opposite, 'Deputy Chief' means 'former Captain, future Chief' - and I think people who post disparaging comments about 'Deputy Chiefs' should pause (before giving unintentional offense) to consider that this term doesn't mean the same thing in every department.

Mike

[x129K 1,393]

My old VFD used to designate past chiefs as "deputy chiefs". They still ran with lights and sirens on their POVs and could be used as a line officer if none were present.

In some volunteer departments most Deputy Chiefs are just past Chiefs. Some who can't let go of power or lights. But if you are thinking of going to Deuty Chiefs my question would be, do you really need more Chiefs? In 2011 you should consider creating FF positions not Chiefs.

This is something that I have discussed in the past, and honestly - IT BUGS THE CRAP OUT OF ME!

I DESPISE the notion that a Past Chief (whom I have ALL THE RESPECT for in the world, once a Chief, ALWAYS A CHIEF), is made a Deputy Chief...like mentioned above, why? Thanks for your time and service, but pass the torch. Let the junior officers get the experience. They WILL come to you if they need help.

Where I come from, the Deputy Chief is "Car 2", the second in Command....Chief, Deputy Chief, then Assistant or Station Chiefs....Past Chiefs are just that.....NOT an EX Chief, but PAST CHIEF. They go back to being a fireman, black hat with a gold leaf Past Chief shield...or sometimes appointed as Safety Officer.

[Dinosaur 844]

This is something that I have discussed in the past, and honestly - IT BUGS THE CRAP OUT OF ME!

I DESPISE the notion that a Past Chief (whom I have ALL THE RESPECT for in the world, once a Chief, ALWAYS A CHIEF), is made a Deputy Chief...like mentioned above, why? Thanks for your time and service, but pass the torch. Let the junior officers get the experience. They WILL come to you if they need help.

Where I come from, the Deputy Chief is "Car 2", the second in Command....Chief, Deputy Chief, then Assistant or Station Chiefs....Past Chiefs are just that.....NOT an EX Chief, but PAST CHIEF. They go back to being a fireman, black hat with a gold leaf Past Chief shield...or sometimes appointed as Safety Officer.

Dude, I'm with you 100%. But some people have big egos that need to be fed.

[wraftery 1,275]

The career guy who makes DC and brings his education to a halt should be flogged.

Edited March 20, 2011 by wraftery