The good old days are fading faster than a floppy disk. A new breed of fire chief is emerging, armed with a laptop that includes GIS and Bluetooth technology. Buoyed by higher education, certifications and enhanced political savvy, a different type of chief is leading departments into new alliances with other public agencies. With more firepower but less fireground experience, is this new breed of chief pushing the fire service to a new level of professionalism or just a new layer of management?

Seriously, are you just a fire chief?

Think about how different you are from your predecessors. If you're nearing retirement, chances are the chief before you came up through the ranks and had lots of stories to tell about “the big ones.” You may even have some amazing fire tales of your own. But will your successor? Chances are, the memorable tales he or she will tell during retirement will involve a mass-casualty event, a biochemical incident or a large-scale natural disaster rather than a big fire.

Your predecessor may very well have taken fire science courses and firefighter certification courses, and maybe even been one of the first Executive Fire Officers. Compare your education to your predecessor's, then think five or 10 years down the road about the qualifications of your replacement.

At the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association's annual meeting in Peoria, Ill., I talked about “The New Breed of Fire Chief.” Who are they and how are they different? I say it because I believe a significant change is looming for the fire and emergency services. A few things set the new breed of chiefs apart from previous fire chiefs: education, experience, technology and scope of job.

Education

In addition to basic fire science and emergency medical courses and the National Fire Academy, other universities and colleges now see the potential of creating educational programs for the public safety sector at both the bachelor and master levels. Advanced programs like the EFOP and the Harvard Fire Executive Fellowship soon will see more university programs competing for senior fire executives. Educational opportunities continue to evolve as podcasts and Web-based seminars deliver better quality education at a time convenient for the learner.

Experience

Hands down, the new breed of chiefs won't have the hands-on fireground experience of previous generations. How will they compensate for this lack of experience without putting firefighters at risk?

Technology

If there is one telltale area that divides old from the young, it's technology. If GIS is one acronym you'd rather not think about, then consider yourself old. You have two choices: Embrace the latest technology and learn how to use it to make better decisions, or start preparing for retirement.

Scope of job

It's not just about fire anymore. Fire departments started adding the tag “& Rescue” for a reason. EMS calls are climbing, and rescue encompasses anything from extrication or water to above- or below-grade.

Another major change with these new fire chiefs is that they are more likely to run their departments like a business rather than a typical government agency. (Volunteer chiefs just might have an edge due to their full-time jobs in the private sector.) Balancing budgets, finding funds, and training and motivating personnel to satisfy their customers sound like the elements of a business plan.

The new breed can't forget safety, either. Next month, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters and several other organizations are calling for the third annual Firefighter and EMS Safety Stand Down. Last year it was estimated that only one-third of the fire departments across the country participated. Please take part in these efforts to reinforce the message of safety. Make the commitment to stand up for safety in every aspect of your department, on every shift, every day of the year.

Fire Chief is now looking for this year's Career and Volunteer Fire Chiefs of the Year. We've made some changes to the nomination process based on requests received last year. If you think your chief is a worthy nominee, go to http://industryclick.com/microsites/index.asp?srid=11826&magazineid=157&SiteID=26 or our Web site's Resource Center for the details.