Think of the International Association of Fire Chiefs as a very strong rope that stretches to thousands of fire department chief officers across America and 36 other nations. Chiefs reach for the rope against the forces of flames and other hazards; diminishing budgets; and the swelling demands for training, preparedness, accreditations and certifications.

The great thing about the rope is that as more chiefs grab on, their collective strength grows. Every member has some pull, but a few really strong IAFC leaders pull the line harder than the average member. Chief Larry J. Grorud of the Janesville (Wis.) Fire Department has been putting his back into it for the greater good of the fire service for many years.

An IAFC member since 1987, Grorud has been director at large for the IAFC's executive committee for four years, chair of its Constitution, Bylaws and Resolutions Committee for 12 years, and a member of the Great Lakes Division Board of Directors since 1989. He's also served on the IAFC's Association Governance Task Force and Fire Code Task Force. Meanwhile, Grorud runs a career fire department with 90 personnel. His credentials include an associate degree in fire science and completion of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer program. In 2003, he received accreditation as a chief fire officer from the Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation.

You recently led an initiative to change the IAFC's constitution and bylaws. Why were changes needed?

Over the years, many changes have been made, but they have been patched in here and there. As a result, there were inconsistencies. One of the committee's big initiatives was to look at the IAFC's constitution and bylaws and make them more readable and consistent. So we formed a task force to study them and make a note of all the inconsistencies. We put together a priority list of things that needed to be cleaned up and other things that needed to go back to the membership to make the association better. These initiatives were completed over the last three years.

The membership categories was one area that was very confusing. “Active member,” for example, was often misunderstood to mean that you had to be currently working as a fire chief or chief officer to be an active member. We changed our membership categories to try to clear that up. Now the four categories of membership are regular, associate, honorary and life.

The dues structure of our organization has also changed. Our dues now can be adjusted by a two-thirds majority vote of the board of directors, but increases can be no greater than changes in the Consumer Price Index since the last association dues increase.

What are your current aspirations for the IAFC?

To help the organization be there for the fire service. One of the things I like about the IAFC is that membership is important to us, but it's not the driving principle of the organization. I consider the IAFC to be more of an altruistic society whose mission is really to help the fire service in general. It's true that we have a responsibility to our membership — we never overlook that — but the reality is we're trying to make the fire service better in America and in the world. That's what motivates me to do whatever I can to help.

What is your role as director at large on the IAFC's executive committee?

As director at large, I represent the interests of all eight divisions and three sections on the IAFC's board. When the IAFC's executive committee gets together to formulate policy, budget and directions for the IAFC, their decisions go back to the full board for approval. I participate and try to bring the interests of the various divisions and sections to the elected officers of the association.

Is that sometimes difficult?

If I had a personal agenda, it would probably be very difficult to do, but I have none. My issues are the issues that help the association grow and be better. It's really an honor to be elected director at large because that's a confidence the other directors put in me to carry their message forward, and they're a great group of people. I feel an obligation to make sure that I stand up for what they feel is right.

Has being so active in the IAFC helped you in your role as fire chief?

Absolutely. When I took over as fire chief in 1989, one of the first things the city manager told me was to get involved in associations, because you grow and learn through your involvement. Needless to say, I was already involved with the IAFC, but that helped motivate me to stay involved. You meet many people, your list of contacts grows and it establishes a network for you. What you learn, you bring back to your department. I think it broadens the horizon for everyone.