PRESIDENT'S LETTER
From the September issue of FireRescue magazine

By Chief Jack Parow, MA, EFO, CFO, MIFireE

As the Baby Boomer Generation continues to retire and the economy drives downsizing and early retirements, we face unprecedented gaps in leadership. We addressed this topic in last month’s President’s Letter, “Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Leaders” (August issue, p. 84), focusing specifically on succession planning and identifying future leaders.

As I step into the role of IAFC president, I’m eager to continue the discussion. Why? Because many are still not prepared to replace key personnel, and the consequences will have a major impact on the ability of an organization—and the fire and emergency service as a whole—to achieve its goals and move forward into the future.

I’ve talked with many fire chiefs across the country, and I’m hearing the same story: “Over the next 5 years, one-third of my command staff will retire.” My department, Chelmsford (Mass.) Fire & Rescue, is no different. About 2 ½ years ago, we entered into a succession and mentoring program to replace what, in 5 years, will be all of my senior staff. We are living proof that there is a problem—but also a solution.

Embrace the Plan
As fire service leaders, we must understand that a succession plan is neither a check box nor a short-term strategy to simply “get through” the current economic environment. Rather, a succession plan must be part of the department’s long-term strategic plan that eventually becomes ingrained in the organization’s culture.

Integrating succession planning into a department’s strategic planning process helps identify future changes by anticipating vacancies and determining a course of action; it supports funding of activities, such as training and leadership development programs; and it embeds in the organization the importance of leadership issues. As part of the strategic plan, the importance of succession planning is conveyed to upper management and is understood by department members; it becomes part of the organization’s culture. Additionally, it is critical to gain the support of the men and women of the department.

Mentoring
There is no more effective tool than mentoring. Mentoring develops a new recruit’s knowledge of values, beliefs and practices, thereby instilling in them, early on, the organization’s culture. Mentoring leads to well-rounded firefighters who can be more productive within the organization. Mentoring has also been shown to lead to better job satisfaction, better decision-making and greater perceived competence, all of which are paramount in the fire service.

Mentoring can come in two forms. Informal mentoring is usually spontaneous and often based on the “chemistry” between the officer and the recruit. Conversely, formal mentoring is a deliberate pairing of a more experienced officer with a recruit to help the recruit grow and develop certain competencies. Although some departments devote time to mentoring new recruits, they rarely take the time to establish a formal program at the leadership level.

An effective mentoring program can and should be considered a part of any training program for leadership. When implementing a mentoring program, consider the following:
• How will the program be designed to meet the desired goals?
• How will mentors and protégés be matched?
• What is expected of mentors and protégés?
• What learning experiences can be expected to be gained?
• How will the benefits of the program be evaluated and refined?

In Sum
To be successful, fire departments need to revolutionize how they develop their employees. We must approach succession planning in the context of our leadership culture, providing long-term vision and opportunities where learning happens continuously through a variety of developmental training and experiences.

Chief Jack Parow began his career as a firefighter in 1975, and he has served as chief of department since 1991, the last 16 at Chelmsford (Mass.) Fire & Rescue. He is a past president of both the New England Division and the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Massachusetts and has been active in many IAFC sections, committees and task forces. Chief Parow is a National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer graduate and has received his Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation. In addition, he has been a professor at Anna Maria College in the Fire Science and Management program since 1996.

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