New Dep. Chief

[capt1304]

I will be accepting a new position as Dep. Chief come 1-2000 and was wondering if anyone has any advice. 1. On leadership 2. On Commanding 3. On Teamwork. I have been a line Capt. for 5 years and feel I know that job pretty well, but what do I have in store for me now?

[DD]

Advice on question 1, 2, & 3 = Integrity

[Lieutenant Gonzo]

Congratulations on your promotion. I agree with DD's response, but it goes into more than that. When I got my promotion to LT in 1988, a friend of mine who was a Captain on my Department gave me a little advice. By the numbers, it is...

1. Be fair...if there's a disagreement between you and your personnel or between the personnel, listen to both sides. Sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose, and sometimes you will have to compromise.

2. Be honest...if there is something you don't know, tell the truth then research it.
Bull****ting the troops is a loss of credibility.

3. Don't forget where you came from....

[Chief2]

Good responses....but don't forget...

There are a lot of people there (maybe including you) who like the old chief, and respect what he/she has done.

Don't make any changes in the first month or two....then start making changes (if any) slowly and cautiously. When you do make a change, explain why, put it on probation, and take comments. If the firefighters don't like it, be open to suggestions.

[BURNSEMS]

Hello, I was in your shoes Last Year and again this year... Here are some things I have Learned,,, Dont Forget what its Like in the Pit,, Listen and Then Listen More your folks are a wealth of Knowledge,, Dont Micro Manage if its working now it will work better if you TWEAK IT just a little,, Create Ownership in your Dept the members work alot harder if they belive in the Goals you set,,, You cant Fight Fire and Manage the Scene Too,,, Let your Officers do the Leading and You Manage Your Officers,,, and Last but Not Least,,, Your Dept will mirror the Leadership within its Ranks do your self a favor and Lead but dont be afraid to follow... Things I Learned in the Last Year what a Crash Course.

[Captain88]

Congrats on your new promotion. I have never had the opportunity to be a Chief, but have had the chance to be on two departments that have hired new chiefs, and one only lasted a couple of years. I am definitely not telling you how to do your job, because you will have to come up with your own technique in which you will be comfortable with. As said in previous replies to this, you're not going to be able to please everyone, but the biggest mistake I have seen out of the new Chiefs that I have worked for is honesty. Keep your chin up, and take the complaints as they come. Everyone will settle in in due time. I'm sure you are very qualified for the position, and will do just fine. Good luck in your new position and be safe in the years to come.

------------------
Cappy

[FallsFirefighter]

Having served as both a Fire Chief in the past and currently serving my fourth consecutive term as Deputy Chief , I offer the following.
* Never speak negatively of the Chief in front of the members of your company or in front of officers and members of mutual aid companies .

*Express any questions, concerns or differences to the Chief in a private setting.

*Do not openly covet the Chief's job. If you decide to run for the position, give the Chief the news personally.

*Carry out your duties in a prompt, professional manner.

*Maintain calm when setting up your initial size up. Your initial radio report sets the tone for the rest of the job.

*When you are the Incident Commander, you must discipline yourself to stay in your command vehicle. You must observe the incident as it is occuring and place your companies accordingly. You must also be ready to move the companies from harm's way.

*Attend training to keep up to date on latest developements.

Good Luck.

[This message has been edited by FallsFirefighter (edited January 03, 2000).]