If you were to create an archetype firefighter, he or she would probably come from a firefighting family, decide at an early to be a firefighter, spend the last two years of high school apprenticing at the fire station — trading hard labor for knowledge, be mentored by a progressive chief, rise through the ranks by assuming leadership roles on special projects, be largely self-taught in new technology that improves the department, become a nationally recognized authority on an important technology, and be promoted to chief of his or her department.

Storybook as it may seem, that has been Charles Werner's career trajectory to chief of the Charlottesville (Va.) Fire Department, and it is part of the reason he is this year's career Chief of the Year. His resume is 17-pages long; the first three detail his career, but the next nine carry a bullet list of his other accomplishments running from 1974 to the present. Besides that he is a meticulous record-keeper, Werner's résumé gives you another clear picture: this guy is an achiever.

Those nine pages include proposing and coordinating the implementation of a fire apparatus intercom system in 1986, being appointed as communications/technical coordinator for the National Fire Academy Alumni Association and the technical advisor to the Virginia Fire Service Council in 1999, consulting for the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center on fire service vulnerability in 2002, presenting information to both Bush administration's and Senate majority leader's staffs on rebranding public safety radio spectrum in 2003, serving as chair of the Virginia Interoperability Executive Committee in 2004, working on a pilot public safety project with ESRI mapping company in 2004, testifying for the International Association of Fire Chiefs before the Senate Commerce Committee in 2006, being a panelist and presenter at the Federal Communication Commission's public safety communication roundtable in 2007, and currently chairing the Department of Homeland Security's SAFECOM executive committee. And the list goes on.

From these examples a pattern of technology and communication emerges that runs throughout Werner's career. In fact, he says being selected to SAFECOM's executive committee is the most rewarding of those additional accomplishments. SAFECOM is a program within DHS's Office of Interoperability and Compatibility that was established to do testing, evaluation, research and development relating to communication issues. Essentially, it works to solve communication interoperability issues that were revealed during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

“It has been the easiest group I've been in to work toward a goal that crossed disciplines and looked at public safety,” Werner says. He first got on the SAFECOM committee in 2003 as an IAFC appointee representing local government. At the time, Virginia was considering its first strategic interoperability plan and Werner offered up the state as a test case. “They accepted and we went forward,” he says. “It is now the basis for what is called the State Communications Interoperability Plan, which every state is required to do.”

Julian Taliaferro was fire chief of Charlottesville from 1971 until 2005, and now serves on the city council as vice mayor. He hired Werner and promoted him through the ranks. Werner, Taliaferro says, has left an indelible mark on the department.

“One of Charles' greatest assets has been his ability with the technology issues,” Taliaferro says. “He latched on to that and was really instrumental in bringing a lot of change into our organization. We embraced a lot of new technology; there were all kinds of new devices we put into operation while he was there. I suspect not all of it would have happened [had Werner not gotten that involved]. Charles was always pushing me to try this or do that.”

Werner's litany of accomplishments includes being on the team working to bring computer-aided dispatch to the region, securing the money to put thermal-imaging cameras on every first-due company, developing the department's web site, leading the city's GIS development team, designing the department's first local-area network and its e-mail network, and setting up the department's first database for training and fire inspections. One of the capstones to his latching on to technology came after he finished the NFA's Executive Fire Officers Program.

“The four years of research papers happened to tie right into the grant application for a FEMA interoperability grant,” Werner says. And bringing home that $6 million interoperability grant, he says, is something he is most proud of accomplishing.

But the path to that $6 million grant and his technological savvy began in the late 1970s when Werner's parents bought one of the first Radio Shack personal computers. He's since taken some classes and joined user groups, but much of his technology skills were self-taught.

“I just kind of took to it,” Werner says of the computer. “I'm pretty good at learning things, but the computer seemed to come natural to me. The technology stuff just seemed to make sense.”

Long before that first computer showed up, Werner already was hooked into the fire service. Both his father and grandfather were volunteer firefighters, as was his older cousin; his uncle was fire chief in their hometown of Harrisonburg, Va. At 12, he was riding to emergency scenes with his father and watching from the car. At 14, he joined the volunteer department and at 15 became the state's youngest EMT. He spent every day of his last two years of high school serving half-day apprenticeship at the fire station.

“I would do whatever jobs they had, whether it was mopping floors or cleaning fire apparatus,” he says of those early years. “In return, the career firefighters taught me all the intricacies of firefighting.”

When he interviewed to be a firefighter, at age 18, Taliaferro asked him what were his aspirations. Werner says he joked that he wanted Taliaferro's job, one he would get 27 years later.

“Now, I really hadn't thought that through,” Werner says of the remark. “But what I'd seen is that every move up the ladder created new opportunities … and sharing your responsibilities, gives you the chance to learn and grow in other areas.”

“Charles was an intelligent young man,” Taliaferro says of when he hired Werner.” Besides his father, uncle and cousin, Taliaferro had the greatest influence on Werner's career and on the type of chief he's become.

“I think he saw the potential that I had and let me run with opportunities,” Werner says. “His thought was to allow those who have the talent to do bigger and better things. I firmly believe that rank should not be necessary for you to do good things.”

Another thing he learned from Taliaferro is to let people make mistakes. His requirement for those who take on a project or new responsibility: “sit down and think through what is necessary and be able to justify your decisions,” he says. If that's done and things still go wrong, Werner says it is up to the chief to accept full responsibility. “Once you throw someone under the proverbial bus the first time, that's the end of [trust].”

It is sometimes hard to remember that Werner has only been chief for three years. And with his résumé so heavily weighted in technology, it is easy to forget that he is no one-trick pony. In fact, safety and training are cornerstones to his values as a chief. When asked what he would change in the fire service if granted magical powers, he said safety. “If we could instill fire safety in a way that would encourage firefighters to train to be proficient, to follow the guidelines and procedures … we could reduce unnecessary line-of-duty deaths.”

Like many departments, CFD is facing fewer structure fires, meaning firefighters have less experience when there is one. Werner says he's increased fire and hazmat training to keep firefighters proficient.

He also worked to make Charlottesville residents safer. Charlottesville has 40,000 permanent residents and about another 25,000 when the University of Virginia is in session. The fire department has a crew of 120; 90 are sworn uniform personnel and 30 are active volunteers to cover 10 square miles. The department provides contractual fire protection for Albemarie County and the university; all of the emergency agencies are interoperable. The department has an ISO 2 rating — Werner was on the ISO committee when it dropped from a 3 to a 2 — and is working to bring it to a 1 rating. The department also is internationally accredited.

“We use those tools to look at our risk assessment,” Werner says. “We've had one fire death in the last 11 years.”

Werner attributes part of that amazing statistic to a sharp drop in structure fires. He also attributes it to a program to give out smoke detectors that started 11 years ago, a program he ran while battalion chief, public information officer and head of public education. So far, they've installed 11,000 smoke detectors, or about 100 per year. “Before, we had an average of one fire death per year for the past 30 years.” Improvements in things like building codes also contributed to the decline in deaths, he says.

Werner will tell you that dealing with external politics are the worst part of the chief's job for him. Yet, he'll tell you that building relationships is a critical function for a chief or chief officer.

“No matter what you do, it is different when you talk to a stranger than when you talk to a friend,” Werner says. “The relationships you build over time will give you leverage and opportunities that you otherwise wouldn't have had. Give of yourself first to others. When others need help, help them and you will establish a relationship of support. I've gotten 10 times back anything I've ever given.”

That, he says, has been a key to his success on the variety of different committees and projects he's been involved with, whether on the local, county, state or federal level. For example, his ability to communicate and build relationships has helped him usher in new technology.

“I think I'm able to introduce technology in a way that is not threatening,” he says. “It is important to have a migration path that eases people into the use of technology, otherwise you have resistance.”

“He's really good at motivating people,” Taliaferro says. “He's good at embracing and making necessary changes.” He also compliments Werner on his ability to build relationship bridges with those in the community and other department heads in the city. And, it was Werner, Taliaferro says, who showed him the importance of building relationships with those outside their own fire department.

Despite what Werner may have accomplished to this point, he still harbors some lofty goals. Not surprisingly, interoperable communication tops the list.

“I'd like to be part of helping develop a national broadband public safety network that would allow a lot more capabilities of technologies [for emergency workers] beyond and similar to what is happening on the commercial side,” Werner says. “There's so much more we'll be able to do in terms of firefighter accountability, operational oversight and coordination.”

But before those things can happen, there are the issues of legislation and the successful auctioning off of the spectrum that the FCC will over see, he says. “Once that happens, I believe that the network gets built. There will be so many things that will change the ability of how well we will be able to do our job, and hopefully reduce line-of-duty deaths.”

Werner anticipates that the fire service will see worsening economic conditions in the coming years. That, he says, will put pressure on leaders to find the most effective ways to use technology and personnel to improve firefighter safety.

“While these are challenging times,” he says, “some of the most exciting times lie ahead for the fire service. If we truly use and develop our relationships, we can overcome almost anything.”