Chief - My Firefighter Nation2024-03-29T15:23:29Zhttps://my.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/889755:Topic:2754441?commentId=889755%3AComment%3A2995517&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noNo, I do not think an 18 or 1…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-27:889755:Comment:29955172008-10-27T15:26:21.733ZShareef Abdu Nurhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/ShareefAbduNur
No, I do not think an 18 or 19 year old should be a chief. One needs Fire experience, leadership experience, management experience( and yes, there is a difference between leadership and management), but most importantly LIFE experience. I am sure that the 18 or 19 year old in question is a phenomonal young man/woman who would be a dynamic chief in the future, but for right now, he/she should learn from older officers and blue shirts who can mentor him/her into a good chief.
No, I do not think an 18 or 19 year old should be a chief. One needs Fire experience, leadership experience, management experience( and yes, there is a difference between leadership and management), but most importantly LIFE experience. I am sure that the 18 or 19 year old in question is a phenomonal young man/woman who would be a dynamic chief in the future, but for right now, he/she should learn from older officers and blue shirts who can mentor him/her into a good chief. If your department is serious…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-23:889755:Comment:29661312008-10-23T05:34:35.390ZFETChttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/Bill72
If your department is seriously looking at an 18 or 19 year old firefighter as the best candidate for the position of fire chief, then the town, the organization and the forefathers of the fire department have failed to prepare for the future.<br />
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Fire departments whether paid, paid-call or volunteer need to be run administratively as a business. Whether you have a 15,000 dollar budget or a 3 million dollar annual budget, an 18 year old has absolutely no experience running a 15K or million dollar…
If your department is seriously looking at an 18 or 19 year old firefighter as the best candidate for the position of fire chief, then the town, the organization and the forefathers of the fire department have failed to prepare for the future.<br />
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Fire departments whether paid, paid-call or volunteer need to be run administratively as a business. Whether you have a 15,000 dollar budget or a 3 million dollar annual budget, an 18 year old has absolutely no experience running a 15K or million dollar business at the age of 18? Many do not even own a checking account yet... So before every 18 year old firefighter that feels I am totally wrong, jumps on my back... hold on a minute, We are talking about a business, now add in internal and external politics, personalities, budgets, inspections, liability, law suits, etc.<br />
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Now if your are in a small fire department that is really considering you as the chief, what amount of experience can you possibly have with 1 year of experience as a full member, because before 18 your experience was in the form of an Explorer, very little experience and no real responsiblity. Just because you took FF1 or FF2, even an NIMS ICS-700 class does absolutely nothing to prepare you to lead an organization. All of the classes that an 18 or 19 year old can possibly have is BASIC FIREFIGHTER CLASSES. Developing an IAP, Acting as a SO - Safety Officer, Command and Control Mutliple Units or Alarms not to mention RUN a fire, technical rescue, hazmat or even a MCI.<br />
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In most fulltime fire departments, that even run alot of calls, like 3000-4000 emergencies per year (guys who run 400 or 500 calls individually per year) they are forced to wait 5 full years before they are even considered to apply for a line officers position as a LIEUTENANT. Not even close to the responsibilities of a Fire Chief. Around my way, we see neighboring VFD Chief's who are voted in annually who would NOT be qualified to be a probie on my shift.<br />
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18 or 19 please.... train as much as you can, take classes, get all the certifications, run on every call possible, get a degree, gain life experiences outside the FD, and test your way up the ladder and get experience throughout the promotional steps and then step up if you feel you are still the MAN.<br />
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Along the way you might figure out the grass isn't greener at the top... Ray said NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-23:889755:Comment:29654632008-10-23T03:23:18.708ZFyrftr602https://my.firefighternation.com/profile/Fyrftr602
Ray said NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!<br />
Along with me ...No way....I love some of the replies though made my stomach hurt.
Ray said NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!<br />
Along with me ...No way....I love some of the replies though made my stomach hurt. Nope not enough expirence, th…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-20:889755:Comment:29479522008-10-20T13:03:25.510ZJohnhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/wtfdfire507
Nope not enough expirence, that doesn't mean they cannot be excellent firefighters though.
Nope not enough expirence, that doesn't mean they cannot be excellent firefighters though. Im 21 years old and a I just…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-20:889755:Comment:29476022008-10-20T10:23:41.616ZPAUL IVEYhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/PAUL38
Im 21 years old and a I just got promoted to our 3rd Lt. spot and sometimes i wonder if the stuff goes south and im the one in charge if i have enough of experience after 4 years to make the right calls. But if the Chiefs appionted me to that position then i think I must be showing them something. But as a 18-19 year old as a chief im sorry but i have to laugh at that. I have a 50 year old on my department and it is like pulling teeth to get him to listen to me on the fire scene. But all I can…
Im 21 years old and a I just got promoted to our 3rd Lt. spot and sometimes i wonder if the stuff goes south and im the one in charge if i have enough of experience after 4 years to make the right calls. But if the Chiefs appionted me to that position then i think I must be showing them something. But as a 18-19 year old as a chief im sorry but i have to laugh at that. I have a 50 year old on my department and it is like pulling teeth to get him to listen to me on the fire scene. But all I can say is good luck and I hope all turns out safely. damon u know the dept. im tal…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-09:889755:Comment:29003982008-10-09T22:13:42.003ZJustin Buckhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/JustinBuck
damon u know the dept. im talking about
damon u know the dept. im talking about Just starting .tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-09:889755:Comment:29000582008-10-09T20:52:34.364ZDamon Dyerhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/DamonDyer
Just starting .
Just starting . What are you saying Ray ?tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-09:889755:Comment:29000392008-10-09T20:50:05.789ZDamon Dyerhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/DamonDyer
What are you saying Ray ?
What are you saying Ray ? He shouldn't be at a local wa…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-08:889755:Comment:28943412008-10-08T15:48:49.371ZBillySFCVFDhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/BillySFCVFD
He shouldn't be at a local watering hole he should be at home with his wife and kids. Oops, I mean babysitting his little bro and sis.
He shouldn't be at a local watering hole he should be at home with his wife and kids. Oops, I mean babysitting his little bro and sis. Joe:
I had almost forgotten t…tag:my.firefighternation.com,2008-10-08:889755:Comment:28939522008-10-08T13:40:02.670ZArt "ChiefReason" Goodrichhttps://my.firefighternation.com/profile/xchief22
Joe:<br />
I had almost forgotten that thread.<br />
So, with your help, I have lifted something from THAT discussion that applies HERE.<br />
Bold italics for emphasis:<br />
<i><b>The point that is going to be made over and over again is NOT that you have alot of certified training, but how much EXPERIENCE that an officer has. In my mind, I only need two questions answered when I have appointed an officer: 1) Can he/she keep their team from getting into trouble and 2) if they can't, can they get them OUT of trouble?…</b></i>
Joe:<br />
I had almost forgotten that thread.<br />
So, with your help, I have lifted something from THAT discussion that applies HERE.<br />
Bold italics for emphasis:<br />
<i><b>The point that is going to be made over and over again is NOT that you have alot of certified training, but how much EXPERIENCE that an officer has. In my mind, I only need two questions answered when I have appointed an officer: 1) Can he/she keep their team from getting into trouble and 2) if they can't, can they get them OUT of trouble? Do you think it goes much deeper than that, then consider this: when you reach that level where someone can look at you and know without hesitation that you can lead them, protect them and will risk everything to get them out of trouble, then you have arrived in the fire service.<br />
There is a "father/son" culture that exists in the volunteer fire service, which says that older men (dads) don't do well taking orders from younger ones (sons), regardless of certifications. The career path isn't structured in such a way. Following chain of command isn't an option. If you haven't figured it out by the time you come out of academy, then you won't be a firefighter.<br />
Part of being a good leader is being a good listener and respecting who is saying it. You can dismiss an idea as good or bad without breaking a person's morale.<br />
I will close with this: do you know everything in the book or which book to look it up in?<br />
An old smoke eater told me: FIRE is measured in degrees; FIREFIGHTERS are not! They are measured in WEIGHT; pulling their's AND your's.<br />
Look Listen Learn.</b></i><br />
And I will leave it at that.<br />
TCSS.<br />
Art