How many different titles or labels do you have? Each role a person plays has a different label. The first label given is as somebody's son or daughter. Being somebody's brother or sister often depends on their notoriety. Labels like neighbor, coach, volunteer or soldier accumulate, but career choice often is the one that most closely describes a person, particularly if he or she has passion for that career.

It doesn't matter whether you're a fire chief, assistant chief or battalion chief, you will be referred to as “chief.” Interestingly, some of the most prominent fire chiefs in North America have labeled themselves as “firemen.” Over the years, I've heard respected chiefs referred to as a “chief's chief” or “fireman's fireman.”

In my June editorial, I offered the term “naked chiefs” to describe those fire chiefs who are out of touch with the challenges facing today's fire service and who put their firefighters at risk. Readers' responses subsequently revealed many vulnerable fire departments across the United States. Many wrote of their own incompetent or outdated chiefs and how they have learned to work around them. Others related stories of fire chiefs who are riding out the days until retirement. A few readers shared how their neighboring naked chiefs inspired their fire departments to increase standards of services by comparison. And one former fire chief told me he refers to these lax chiefs as “convenient leaders.”

Unfortunately, incompetent leadership never will be eradicated. In 1968, Laurence J. Peter wrote The Peter Principle, which humorously suggested that in business, every employee will rise to their level of incompetence. The same concept applies to organizations and agencies, including the fire and emergency services. There always will be fire chiefs, battalion chiefs and captains who have reached their level of incompetence. Then what? You have the same three choices the business world has with incompetence: you can fight them, wait it out or be true to yourself, whatever path that might take.

Today's emergency chiefs are more vulnerable to scrutiny than ever before because of increased hazards and liabilities. But at the same time, emergency industry decision-makers have access to developing technology and intelligence on which to base their decisions. Is it foolproof? No, but informed decisions offer additional support.

To aid in those decisions is a new book on leading and managing today's fire service organization, Fire Administration I. Author and Fresno (Calif.) Fire Chief Randy Bruegman is a chief's chief, a leader's leader. Bruegman has a knack for asking questions that provoke dialogue. He thinks in 360° and three dimensions.

In 1975, Bruegman was a volunteer firefighter in western Nebraska. Hired full-time in Fort Collins, Colo., he eventually became fire chief in Campbell, Calif.; Hoffman Estates, Ill.; Clackamas County, Ore.; and now Fresno, where he has served for the last five years. Bruegman also was active on the IAFC's Accreditation Task Force for eight years and was chair of the Commission of Fire Accreditation International. He is committed to the continuing education and development of officers and chiefs.

Bruegman's has a couple interesting aspects. First, there are 14 experts who weigh in after every chapter. These voices bring additional depth to the content; some you'll agree with and some you may not. Second, there are two appendices that measure two critical areas of a department: Appendix A is “Measuring Customer Satisfaction” and Appendix C is “Assessing Your Local Capability to Respond to a Disaster.”

Bruegman's book is a textbook for aspiring chiefs and a good desk reference for current chiefs, but it's also a good starting point for any chief who realizes the need to come into the current century. Bruegman reminds his readers, “Your professional development is a journey, not a destination.”

Titles and labels come and go, but some titles like father or mother, husband or wife are lifelong labels. The gold badge that bears the title “Chief” is heavy. How well do you wear that label?