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Electing Officer Positions in the Fire Service. Is this a good idea?
Do you feel having elections for officer positions within the fire service is an effective means to fill these positions? How do you ensure that the positions are filled with the most qualified individuals and not just the most popular individual? Who determines and how is an individual deemed qualified to run for these positions, what qualifications are considered? Training, experience , management skills leadership skills etc
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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As the sole means of qualification for the position? NO! Elections are normally campaigned for, often with promises of other line psoitions, and usually create division, or in-house cliques. It's popular to say "the most qualified" but what exactly does that entail? For example, for the top spot, the Chief, you may feel that by holding the most "paper" with certifications being the best way to evaluate a person, however lacking business and management skills, training and/or experience in supervision is just as important. It's also too often over-looked.
There should most certainly be some way to validate candidates abilities and skills for an Officer's position. Setting a minimum criteria for knowledge, education, experience, and skills evaluation is the ONLY way to ensure the best possible person is charged with the responsibility as Company Officer, or Chief. We all know there are Chief, and Company Officers who were elected to the position who have less than the equivelent to a Firefighter 2 certification, and some are not required to hold any proof of education.
This business takes both experience, and training...which equals EDUCATION, FORMAL education of tactics, strategy, management, command...etc. For department's that elect their Officers, a good starting point would be requiring the absolute minimum as FF1, FF2, and certification in whatever ancillary services your department provides, such as extrication, haz-mat, etc. Each candidate for a position must possess the minimum standards, and then some form of localized, community, and department-specific knowledge and skills testing. That would include evaluation of the knowledge of department equipment, community target-hazards, and geographical make-up, department procedures, SOG-SOP's, etc. And if you can evaluate, and certify a couple candidates out of this criteria to be eligible for a particular officer positon...THEN cast the vote!
There are just way too many lives at stake, and too much potential for error to just elect anyone just from popularity.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Brierton on
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Unfortunely with the vfd's I have been with a majority of the officers have been elected a majority of the officers who are elected are based on popularity not necessarily their abilties or qualifications. But what can you do? If you try to impliment change, you're branded a trouble maker. I for one don't want the stress of being an officer. I'm just happy riding the back.
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Permalink Reply by 55 TRUCK on
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I would suggest that you reach out to some paid dept. and find out how there promotion processes are done. Most have certain requirments for each Officers rank. Ie. to take the test for Lt. a Firefighter must have X amount of yrs on the dept. Have such & such certs. Then there's the Written test, Oral interviews, etc.
What ever you do get away from the Election of Officers.
Another thing you can do is have people who are trained to ride the seat. Put on what we call a Second officer course. This is usualy taken by your senior guys. Basicly it gives you some more core FF who when the Lt or Capt isn't there are able to ride the seat.
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Hebert on
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There should be a clear policy describing the minimum qualifications for someone to be an officer. Even if the final decision is made via an election, there should be qualifications for someone to even be considered or nominated. Just because someone is liked, popular or just wants the position doesn't mean they can do the job. It's more than having a white helmet, radios, lights and sirens.
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Permalink Reply by Todd on
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Elections only are the worst way to select an officer.
A punchlist for certifications is the second worst.
The worst officer I ever served under was elected to the position because nobody could stand the better qualified person for the position.
The second worst officer I ever served under was the only candidate who met all the qualifications for the position, thus was selected because he was the only candidate.
Quite honestly....you are going to find out that no matter what the selection criteria is, there are going to be duds. However, it's been my experience that there are far more duds in the election process than elsewhere.
As someone who has been selected to be an officer in a popular election before, I hate election of officers.
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Permalink Reply by eddie cox on
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I believe elections in the fire service is wrong. My department (volunteer side) elects the chief and Directors (they handle business affairs). The Chiefs position is a position that should be filled by the most qualified individual. This is determined by assessment done by outside sources. I say this knowing that if I don't perform the job, I should be replaced. We have got to get to a place in the fire service that we realize we are not there for ourselves; we are there to provide a service to the community (paid or volunteer). When your actions make it all about you, your focus has been totally changed.... Elections of operations personnel place the organization in a position of liability. Just what is the Fire Chief's job, I ask? Simply this; to reduce ALL liabilities in an organization by reviewing operations, making changes where needed, and implementing TRAINING that is relevent to the times....
Let no mans ghost return to say his training let him down-author unknown
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Regardless of what you call it or how it is done, it should always be looked upon as a PROMOTION process.
There should be SOGs for officer requirements and promotions.
It doesn't matter what you call it as long as qualifications for the rank is the primary consideration.
Nepotism, favoritism, popularity and good looks should be strictly forbidden.
Yeah; I'm talkin' about bustin' up the "good ole boys" clubs.
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Permalink Reply by Triple J on
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Sadly, electing officers has turned some VFDs into nothing better than tax supported Country Clubs where good officers were voted out because they would not tolerate unsafe or innapropriate behavior.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Everhart on
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I am kind of on the fence here while i feel the position should always go to the most qualified candidate most vol depts to an extent use the good ole boy systemwhere the officers are appointed by the chief or elected by the members. With that being said ours are appointed and with exception to just a couple of them i would follow them to hell and back if need be.
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Permalink Reply by James Mclennan on
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unfortunatly this is how i attained my position. however i wasnt able to be there to nominate or elect, i was called at 11pm that night and told i was made the new dept chief if i wanted and could prove my worthy. that has been 4 years now. as for popularity........good question. at that time i wasnt 'running' for the position, and as of now, im popular alright, lol. myself and a few others want to redo our standards and make the dept into what it should and is required to be. this causes issues, power for the course i suppose.
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