Being a firefighter is a tough job. But there are some people who are built for it, who care about it and want to do even more. If you’re in the middle of a firefighting career and you’re wondering where to go next, you might want to look at becoming a fire chief. Here are some of the duties involved.
Recruiting for the front line
Any firefighter knows that a fire chief is a constant presence in tackling fires themselves. But they’re also put in charge of finding the people who will make the next generation. Effective fire chiefs know how to pick those with the most potential. Recruitment isn’t just important for getting new members, either. It’s also a way of publicly broadcasting the brand of the department. It gives it the visibility that it needs to keep getting more support from others.
Developing your team
A fire chief needs to be more than a supervisor. They need to be a leader. Working beside your colleagues is important but so is being able to take a bird’s eye view of the team. From helping people learn from their mistakes to picking out the best amongst them. You may be in charge of things like picking your captains. You’ll then have to go on with teaching them about responsibility and leading a team in their own right. Not just in terms of organization, but in managing vital aspects like cohesion and morale. Just as important in administrative duties as out there dealing with fires.
Managing your resources
It’s not just the people that make the fire service. It’s all the equipment and resources that make your team even more effective, too. As a fire chief, using the best resources at your disposal is your duty. From sourcing top quality fire fighting equipment to allocating the budget. Your resources also include the research you have to do into safety and regulations, which you need to keep abreast of. Just one of the reasons it’s important to keep in education during your career if you aim on becoming fire chief.
Image sourced by Olawaseun Duncan
Outreach
As the top representative of your department, you will also be the face of the department. Liaising with others is a big part of your job. From teaching fire safety in the workplace to giving talks at schools. There are still many people who are woefully unaware of the risks of fire and how to deal with them. You will be in charge of directing your resources and team members to provide effective education in outreach programs. To a lot of fire chiefs, this is as important as the firefighting itself.
Every individual member of the team makes a difference. But a fire chief is vital to organizing, motivating and supporting the team. From supply to outreach, there’s a lot of good you can do as a fire chief. There are plenty of other duties, like disaster preparedness, involved. But this is just a glimpse at the kind of career that could await you.