The Fire Chief: It’s Lonely At the Top

By Thomas N. Warren

A Google search of the phrase, “It’s lonely at the top,” doesn’t tell us much about who the first person who said these words or provide any context about why its author was so alone in his success. Randy Newman and Bon Jovi are just two of many musical artists who have brought some emotional context to this phrase, helping us to understand why success and loneliness sometimes go hand in hand. There are also many articles written about corporate CEOs and how they deal with the isolation that often surrounds their success. In many cases, today’sfire chiefsfall into this category, as well.

Success in the fire service does not come easily, requiring long hours of study and many years of practical experience. Promotions to lieutenant,队长， 和battalion chiefare necessary to provide the legitimacy and validation required for anyone who is seeking to command a fire department organization. Continuing professional development is now mandatory, with a bachelor’s degree at a minimum and a master’s degree preferred. In addition, completion of the Executive Fire Officers Program at the National Fire Academy is beneficial. The basis for success in the fire service has evolved into a complex combination of real-world emergency experience coupled with extensive academic achievement. To attain this level of achievement requires many years of hard work and personal discipline.

The accomplishedfire chief必须在一个工作环境与previo吗usly experienced in his career and surmount many obstacles. The daily struggle that a chief must endure to be successful includes issues like dealing with the impact of the national economic downturn, local tightening of budgets, professional regulations/standards, equipment costs, personnel costs, political realities, and labor organizations reacting to all these events. It is truly a balancing act to keep your perspective and move the organization forward. In many cases, all the experience and academic training does not prepare the chief for this challenge. As the late Congressman Tip O’Neill declared many years ago, “All politics is local.” These words ring true when managing today’s modern fire department, because it will require as much local political skill as academic achievement to be successful, since each community has its own financial problems and agendas to wrestle with. But remember–you wanted this job.

THE BIG ISSUES

Although not much can be done about the national economic troubles, the nation’s economic issues will have a direct impact on a community’s budget. When taxpayers find themselves in personal financial trouble it will be reflected in the revenue stream that a community relies on for public services. Loss of a job, downsizing, furlough days, salary reductions, upside-down mortgages, family illness, inflation, and many other personal calamities will directly impact a taxpayer’s ability to pay their taxes to the community.

In the last four years, personal financial struggles have become common in every neighborhood, and there is little cause for optimism looking toward the future. This directly affects a community’s ability to provide services. Thefire chief发现自己与每个市政部门竞争相同的有限资金，并将受到挑战，要求提供相同水平的服务，并提供较少的资金和员工。他将不得不做出一些非常困难的决定，尽管做出了任何承诺，但没有一个真正提供相同水平的服务。消防人员可能会失去休假时间，工作时间更长，或者部门可能brownoutor close companies. The chief will be caught in the middle between the firefighters, the labor organization, the local governing body, the taxpayers, and, perhaps worst of all, the chief’s own conscience.

The taxpayers will in most cases accept the recommendations of the local governing body and require the首席为了更改消防部门，因为如果没有这些更改（减少）服务交付，他们的税款将增加。不幸的是，但是大多数纳税人都认为他们无论如何都不需要消防部门。唯一的神圣服务通常是紧急医疗服务。火灾抑制，防火，设备购买，培训计划，人员配备水平甚至新员工都会看到重大变化。该部门的五年和10年战略计划的实现将被推迟到未来，从而失去了成功所需的势头。酋长将不得不做，并尝试通过赠款资金来补充消防部门（如果有）。

Personnel issues are another lightning rod for the fire chief. Maintaining纪律and morale is paramount for an effective organization. The responsibility for discipline and morale falls directly on the chief. When a firefighter does not meet the standards of the organization, it’s the chief who will have to impose the proper discipline. The local labor organization will have to be part of the process, and if the offense is severe enough, local law enforcement will become involved. The chief must confirm that the offense has been committed and the response is proportionate to the offense. Inevitably, the fire chief will be viewed unfavorably by some whenever discipline is enforced.

Whenever a chief tries to develop and institute any progressive programs or correct existing departmental problems, there will be challenges. In most fire departments across the country, anything beyond thestatus quowill be opposed. The chief must engage the labor organization when developing any progressive programs or problem-solving measures and guard against any labor organization member or firefighter efforts to thwart them.

对于每个参与的人来说，合同谈判和申诉总是困难的。是否直接参与了市政当局的论点，他都必须直接或间接地提供专家证词。这些事件通常是高风险事件，劳工组织将采取任何措施来促进其事业所必需的措施。劳工组织负责代表其成员，但通常使用极端策略。酋长可以单独或作为市政当局的一部分。无论哪种方式，酋长都会面临一些不舒服的时期。

各个方向的政治影响可能是首席必须处理的最阴险的事情。市长，市议会，消防监狱长委员会，劳工组织和社区利益相关者可能会试图影响任何事情，包括promotions, appointments, or variances in fire codes and regulations. A fire chief must always remain vigilant and remember that everyone associated with a fire department has a role to play but also boundaries to keep.

DAILY CHALLENGES

These are some of the more critical issues that a chief must face, but there are also many daily challenges to be met. Why would anyone want to cap off a fire-service career this way? Remember, you wanted this job because you have vision and passion for themissionof the fire service. A chief can still succeed despite the minefield that lies before him.

亨利·福特（Henry Ford）归功于第一届集会线，他的管理风格使他的公司取得了许多成功和漫长的生活。他总是会花一些时间在组装线上的工人之间行走，并让他们进行对话。他将讨论他们的个人生活，并邀请建议改善生产。酋长可以通过抽出时间来做同样的事情访问the firefighters in the stations and have a cup of coffee with them. The fire chief should remain visible, accessible, and professional to the firefighters, go to a few emergency calls, witness their struggles firsthand, and ask their opinions.

A modernfire chiefshould always be seeking input, and often the best input can be found outside the fire department. Fire chief’s associations can provide a vast source of information for the chief. In most cases, someone else has faced the problem you are facing before you and the lessons learned can be invaluable. Other often-overlooked sources of information are industrial organizations and private sector management teams. It is not a bad idea to look for financial and budgetary assistance from the banking community. These management teams are often very eager to help a chief looking for solutions.

Keep your relationships within the fire department organization and on the outside professional. Your personalmanagement风格必须专业和专注，并且必须表现出您对消防服务的热情，远见和承诺。私营部门的专业人士和公共部门的官员可以立即认识到这些特征，为您打开成功之门。请记住，您作为专业人士的尊重与您向他人的尊重直接相关，并将始终持续一天。

永远不要忽视你health;take timeto do the things you enjoy, such as playing golf, fishing, bicycling, etc. Exercise and free time are just as important as the mission of the fire department. Embrace your personal and family relationships. Your support network is vital to your well-being and will support you during good times and bad. You have to achieve a balance that cannot be found in any textbook. It may take some time to figure out how to achieve this balance, but it is imperative that you do so and continue to maintain it.

最后，请记住要保持所有视角。灼热的方法将永远不会成功，并且它将造成的损害可能永远无法修复。实现自己所能的一切，也不要击败自己无法做到的事情change.

Thomas N. WarrenTHOMAS N. WARREN在职业和志愿者部门都拥有40多年的消防经验。在服务33年后，他最近退休担任普罗维登斯（RI）消防局助理局长。他拥有普罗维登斯学院（Providence College）的消防科学学士学位，罗德岛社区学院的工商管理副学士学位，以及罗杰·威廉姆斯大学（Roger Williams University）的职业安全与健康证书。

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