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How Do You Run Elections of Fire Officers in Your Dept.?
I AM LOOKING TO SEE HOW OTHER DEPARTMENTS RUN THEIR ELECTIONS FOR COMPANY OFFICERS. ALSO WHAT QUALIFICATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO BE ELEIGIBLE TO RUN FOR OFFICER. I AM NOT PARTICULARLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THAT OURS WENT AND WAS LOOKING FOR ANY INFO OR FEEDBACK THAT YOU ALL HAVE. IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by DOWNS290 on
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I understand completely where you are coming from and I personally do have the training. I have compliled over 600 Hours of training in the last six years in the fire service, this is also while obtaining a B.S. in Business Administration, for the first four years, and a full time job the last two. I also understand that someon is going to say that training doesnt mean everything which is where the percentage of calls comes into play as experience.
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Permalink Reply by John C. Querin Sr on
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We are an all volunteer rural department and unfortunetly we still seem to base a lot of the nomination for company officers on the good ole boy network instead of training.
We have added a lot of responsibility to the positions now and we are about to hold another election the first of the year, it is going to be interesting to see how it turns out.
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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We have the same issue here. We have a Lt. who many think just wants a title. Barely makes calls, doesn't go to trainings or meetings, jus the bare minimum that is required. But he's had the position for a few years and nobody wants to elect someone else who is WAY more dedicated and trained and who can give what is needed. What good is a Lt. if he's not around? I don't get it either.
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Permalink Reply by Russ on
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outstanding. that shows you are committed to your department but you should also remember the sign in the kitchen of engine 17, 200 years of tradition unintrupted by progress. i know thats a joke but "ya hafta wonder"...
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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We appoint a nominating committee who solicits names of qualified individuals starting with the current years' officers. This includes chief, 3 assistant chiefs, 2 each captains and lieutenants, and corporate positions of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and director at large.
The chief and assistant chiefs cannot also hold the position of president or vice president.
All officers are elected by majority of the votes of active members. "Active" means that a member has attended at least 30 percent of the year's calls, drills, truck checks, etc.
All officer candidates must be active for the year to be eligible to run.
For lieutenant or captain one needs to be a member for two years, be able to operate all apparatus and have Essentials of Firemanship, Initial Fire Attack and Pump Operator state certifications.
For assistant chief, the above must be met along with Introduction to Fire Officer and 24 documented hours of hazardous material training including First Responder Operations.
For chief, all of the above plus Fire Behavior and Arson Awareness course, and 2 years as assistant chief.
Obviously we have to amend these to reflect the standardization on FF 1 and 2, etc.
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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This may not be popular but it is my opinion.
When I was a vollie we had no elections. The positions were appointed. We were a town owned volunteer fire department (not private entity) Fire Chief reported to the Town Manager.
Promotions were filled the same way a fulltime department would do it. Post minimum qualifications, had an application period, took a written examination, performed for an interview or assessment board, had an area chief's interview. Scores were calculated each section worth 33.3%.
Each rank had a minimum time for eligibility, 5 yrs as FF for LT with FF 1 and 2, EMT and Officer 1, another 3 yrs LT for Captain, 3 yrs at Captain for A/C, and 3 yrs A/C for eligibility for Chief of the Department.
High score won the process and position. We did this for every rank when needed. You were appointed by the Town Manager and held it until you retired or were promoted to higher rank. It clearly built stability within the department leadership, which the fire chief could build a solid staff that worked together, understood the mission statement, etc.
Once a year elections are mostly who's who of the FD, politics, and many who couldn't manage a lemonade stand never mind deal with the interpersonal dynamics of human behavior traits, critical decision making under life or death stressful conditions, etc.
All that adds up to a gigantic headache for the fire chief with restructuring or rebuilding annually or better yet... tolerating the "lack of" for the next 12 months until the next political election process.
Some around us, still vote annually.... seems counter productive like asking the NFL Championship Team to dismantle everything they worked for during the year because it is time for someone else to have a turn playing supervisor, coordinator, or officer...
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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It bugs me when I see people here with 3 years experience being a AC or for that matter a LT. I'm with FETC on this one. Elections are counter-productive. If your good enough 1 year to be an officer why not the next?
Promotions, and that's what they should be, should be based on ability. You shouldn't be an officer because you call a good bingo game. You become an officer because of your ability to manage a fire and train those in your command.
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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All our officers have to meet both the fire company by-laws and the county and state requirements to be a line officer and admin position.
The BOD start checking all the records and training of everyone two months before nominations and then post the list of those that meet all requiremnets to hold office or vote. A month before elections we have nomination of members for positions to be elected. We close nominations that meeting and reopen them election night before voting on each position.
Anyone can also asked to waver something about a position so they can be voted into that position then later do what they need to meet the requirement. Like Capt needs to drive pumper and doesn't meet the requirment and can later take the drivers test to be a driver.
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Permalink Reply by Rusty Mancini on
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In our department the Chief is elected by the membership. Requirements for the Chiefs position are, five years in with the department,must be a member in good standing, FFII, Incident command, Haz-Mat ops.,medical first responder. Chief holds a two year term and can be eligible to run again.
Assistant Chief and the officers are appointed by the Chief. The Chief bases is decisions on the officers by their qualifications, and not the good ole boy system!
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I agree with FETC's description of his former department's method, up to a point. I would have a few concerns, though.
What if an officer proves to be incompetent on the fire scene and needs to be removed from that position - is there any way to do so?
Is there a way to grow a Lieutenant into a Captain's position, then Assistant Chief, and so on with fixed appointments?
What happens if the chief promotes his good ol' boys into the line positions and the organization isn't as ideal as it should be?
It seems to me that a Lieutenant with little hope for advancement (unless the Captain quits, moves up the ladder or comes to grief) would get frustrated in time.
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Addition to what I said. All line officers must have Fire Officer I II or III to meet requirements to be Chief or lower rank. Sgt can have FF II or III and requested by AC or DC to take the position. LT and up are elected. Fire Marshal, Engineer and Property Officer are appointed.
BOD are elected.
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