President George W. Bush named Michael Chertoff, a federal appeals court judge, to succeed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in early January.

Chertoff, a leading figure in the nation's legal response to the Sept. 11 attacks, headed the U.S. Justice Department's criminal division and played a central role in the creation of the Patriot Act, which provided U.S. intelligence sweeping powers to investigate potential terrorists and the legal authority to detain them without a court hearing.

Fire service leaders wondered if Chertoff's aggressive positions against terrorism would carry over to policy supporting state and local first responders. Already smarting from deep budget cuts to the U.S. Fire Administration and National Fire Academy under DHS, some wondered if a judge at the helm would further erode federal fire programs.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs, which immediately voiced strong support when Bush nominated former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik for the post in December, was noticeably quiet. Two days after Bush's announcement Garry Briese, executive director of the IAFC, said the organization had no formal position.

“Clearly, [Chertoff] is in line with where the president wants DHS to go, and traditionally we have supported the nominee of the president because we believe it's his right to appoint people he wants,” Briese said.

But Briese made it clear the IAFC was looking for more than words of support for local first responders from the next DHS secretary. The IAFC wants to see the new secretary appoint fire chiefs to high levels at DHS and to see a stronger fire service role in DHS policies, doctrines and operations.

Briese noted that the current DHS organization has only one fire chief in a high-ranking position: U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. “Given the organization of 180,000-plus people, there are surely other positions where fire chiefs would qualify to serve…. We have expressed that to the White House; we have expressed that to the nominee; and we'll continue to advocate for that,” said Briese.

Philip C. Stittleburg, chairman of the National Volunteer Fire Council, said he didn't know enough about Chertoff to have formed an opinion: “We don't know what he may know or what his attitude will be toward the fire service's problems, but we obviously need to give him a chance to get up to speed and show him what our challenges are, and hopefully he'll appreciate them.”

Chertoff has a major task in Homeland Security. Ridge guided the merger of 22 agencies charged with protecting America's security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Its umbrella includes the Department of Justice, Secret Service, Coast Guard, and Customs and Immigration, as well as the Emergency Response and Preparedness Directorate, which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the USFA, NFA and the Emergency Management Institute.

Bush described Chertoff as a “practical organizer, skilled manager and a brilliant thinker.” These are invaluable traits for a nation dealing with the threat of terrorism, said Chief Ed Plaugher (Ret.) of Arlington County (Va.) Fire and Rescue, the department that managed the response to the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon. Plaugher was Fire Chief magazine's 2004 Career Fire Chief of the Year.

“Would I have preferred a first responder? Was I excited about the police commissioner?” said Plaugher. “Absolutely, because those are also critical elements, but to get a good thinker there is really critical.”

Plaugher considered it a plus that this nominee was expected to pass confirmation by the Senate, as DHS needs its leadership rudder restored as soon as possible. “The critical leadership function that goes on [at DHS] is important to all of us. We can't not have a secretary in place,” Plaugher said.