A six-year-old boy in a typical town in the United States watched his next-door neighbor run out of the house each time the fire whistle went off. As the boy grew up he realized that his neighbor was a volunteer firefighter. He watched his neighbor go to parades wearing a Class A uniform and black hat. Eventually the black uniform hat became white, the silver band became gold, and a big, red, shiny chief's car appeared in the neighbor's driveway. By that time, the boy was 20 years old and finished with college. He had a job and wanted to be just like his neighbor, so he joined the local volunteer fire department.

From the first moment he joined the department, he had a vision of that uniform hat with the gold on it and that beautiful chief's car. Little did he know what it took to achieve that vision. Little did he know how much had changed from the time when his neighbor joined the department and later became chief and the even greater difference years later, when he himself would become eligible for the job.

Was that boy's dream realistic? Should anyone who joins a fire department today eventually become a chief because he or she wants the job? Better yet, should anyone in a fire department become a chief simply because of the number of years served in the department or because it's his or her turn? Should the chief be the one who socializes the best? Should the chief have any qualifications for the job other than the ones mentioned above?

Before we can answer any of these questions, we should have a clear definition and basic job description of a fire chief. Do we define fire chief as the “head dude?” Maybe we can refine that definition a bit by saying that the fire chief is the head firefighter. I always liked the term the Elks Club uses: grand exalted ruler. Seriously, a fire chief is a person who is ultimately responsible for the efficient, safe and professional operation of a fire department. In some communities this includes not only fireground operations but all administrative responsibilities as well.

If we apply a basic job description to a fire chief, one could say that the fire chief has the final say over such matters as policies and procedures; budget proposals, whether exclusively for operations or a combination of operations and administration; and major equipment purchases. The fire chief is ultimately responsible to the authority having jurisdiction and also is responsible for maintaining or exceeding the community's acceptable level of risk. The fire chief must continually promote positive public relations. It's the job of the fire chief to manage all the various divisions and personnel of the department.

That definition and job description, although true, is rather clinical. There's a lot more to the position of fire chief. The ability to lead can make or break any fire chief, which in turn will have the same effect on the department. More importantly it's the creation of willing followers, for leaders can do nothing without the cooperation of the people around them. We must always remember that a successful organization has one major characteristic that separates it from an unsuccessful one: dynamic and effective leadership.

We can conclude that the role of today's fire chief is much more complex than in the past, and the not-too-distant past at that. Today's fire chief is certainly not just the head firefighter. Today's fire chief is constantly being bombarded with new standards and technology, and continually dealing with the horrible C word: change. Not that these things are bad — as a matter of fact most of the time they are good — but as we all know, it takes a bit of time getting comfortable with them.

Today's fire chiefs must be very knowledgeable in their craft as well as serve as a psychiatrist, philosopher, business manager and a people person. It's essential that they have a vision of where they want their departments to be in five years. That vision should not be an easy thing to achieve; it must be a bit of a stretch. Think of a vision as a set of keys that fell over a tall fence with a 2-inch space at the bottom. When reaching under the fence for those keys they are just beyond our reach, but somehow with effort we manage to stretch our arm more then we thought we could. and just reach those keys with our fingertips, working them into our hand and out from the other side of the fence.

Despite the overwhelming amount of paperwork, doing everyday tasks like opening the voluminous amount of mail that is received on a daily basis and answering and returning phone calls, today's fire chief must stay close to the action and not establish a hermitage in the office. The practice of management by roving is a very effective one. A good leader makes a point of being among the troops. It's amazing how many small moments with department personnel can manifest themselves into large benefits for all concerned. An example of this would be giving an “I message” to a firefighter who is doing a good job with a simple task like sweeping the floor of the fire station without being told. That message needs to be delivered while the firefighter is sweeping the floor. It would sound like this: “When you sweep the station floor without being asked, it really makes the place look sharp and professional and it allows me to spend more time on other issues like safety. Thanks.” Something as simple as this will make that firefighter feel good and encourage him or her to do other constructive things around the station and in the department.

Flexibility is another necessary characteristic of a fire chief. We must all realize that the biggest enemy in the volunteer fire service is time. You can't manage as you did in the past. To say things like, “Monday night is drill night, be there,” may not be possible for some very good members. Those members may be going to school to better themselves. They may work on Monday nights. Their significant others may have a commitment on Monday night. We all know that drills are highly important, but they must be arranged in such a way that they are offered at different times and announced ahead of time. They also should be well planned and not a waste of time. The concept of flexibility goes well beyond drills. Without flexibility a department will have a large retention problem. One must remember that flexibility starts at the top. It takes a great deal more effort to be a fire chief now than in the past.

We can now go back and think about the boy discussed earlier and the questions that were asked. Was that boy's dream realistic? Yes, we should never join a fire department without ambition. Should people who join a fire department eventually become chiefs because they want the job? The answer to this question is an absolute no. Simply wanting to be chief will not cut it, it takes a special devotion to service and a dedication to learning and the perfection of one's craft. It takes a person who is willing to work with people. It takes a person who can fall down, get up and go forward. Should people become chiefs simply because of the number of years they have in the department or because it's their turn or merely because they're the best at socializing? Positively not. Today's fire chief needs qualifications. A department should not elect or appoint a fire chief unless it has established a list of qualifications that will enable that chief to be successful in the job, given the parameters of today's fire service. If this isn't done, the chief and the department will be rapidly heading downhill without brakes.

Let us hope that there are more of those six-year-old boys and girls out there watching firefighters and fire chiefs responding to their community's needs. Better yet, let's dedicate ourselves to being good examples to these young people because as we all know, some of them are going to become America's fire chiefs.

Chief Mike Chiaramonte is a 35-year member of the Lynbrook (N.Y.) Fire Department and a past chief of the department. He's currently the chief fire inspector, where he is responsible for code enforcement and prevention education. Chiaramonte was a past-chairman and board member of the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section Board and New York State Director to the IAFC Eastern Division. He's also a National Fire Academy Instructor and an advisor to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Chiaramonte is a state EMT-CC and an instructor at the Nassau County EMS Academy. He has as a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and a master's degree from Hofstra University, both in communications education.