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What do your Vol. FFs call your Chief?
(I'm assuming there's no doubt in a paid dept.)
I have always called ours "Chief". In the station, on the phone or if we meet at the grocery store. As in "Chief, can I do this?", or "Sure, Chief, I'll take care of it." And I say to other firefighters, "Hey, the Chief wants us to clean that." I call our two assistant chiefs "Chief" unless it's third person and I say "Car 2 wants that bay cleaned."
Anyway, the other day, one of our new 19-yr olds said to me, "Dave told us to do this", and I hear them go to him and say, "Hey, Dave, can I do this?" And it drives me crazy even though he never seems to care. Now I know a lot of the older guys knew the Chief when he was just young Davy and I give that some leeway. But it just seems to me that in an organization like a fire department, the Chief should ALWAYS be "Chief", and not Dave, until he's not Chief any more. I about bit my tongue in half not jumping on that young FF the other day.
So here's the question - is it just me? Is it just the unreasonable side effect of 22 years in the Army, and something my sore tongue will have to get used to or, just maybe, could I be on the right track?
I have always called ours "Chief". In the station, on the phone or if we meet at the grocery store. As in "Chief, can I do this?", or "Sure, Chief, I'll take care of it." And I say to other firefighters, "Hey, the Chief wants us to clean that." I call our two assistant chiefs "Chief" unless it's third person and I say "Car 2 wants that bay cleaned."
Anyway, the other day, one of our new 19-yr olds said to me, "Dave told us to do this", and I hear them go to him and say, "Hey, Dave, can I do this?" And it drives me crazy even though he never seems to care. Now I know a lot of the older guys knew the Chief when he was just young Davy and I give that some leeway. But it just seems to me that in an organization like a fire department, the Chief should ALWAYS be "Chief", and not Dave, until he's not Chief any more. I about bit my tongue in half not jumping on that young FF the other day.
So here's the question - is it just me? Is it just the unreasonable side effect of 22 years in the Army, and something my sore tongue will have to get used to or, just maybe, could I be on the right track?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bruce Mack on
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In our department it is CHIEF, at everything except outside the department social events, although once people start calling you chief thats ussually your title until your time as chief is done. if someone in my department were not to address him as chief i would talk to a company officer and have him/her give the individual a little history and respect lesson one on one. that ussually solves the problem.
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Permalink Reply by phil on
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I am an EX-CHIEF, in my department when I was chief everyone called me chief. I really didn't mind being call by my first name when we were just hanging out at the station, but when there was a guest in the station or we were doing company business they would refer to me as chief. In fact I am still called chief as well as all past chiefs in my department today, I think that todays firefighters don't really know the traditions of the fire service, and there aren't many older firefighters willing to share that info with the new breed. I think that it's time they learnd though or the brother and sisterhood will vanish. This is not just a job, they need to know this, and when they figure it out then that respect for the chief or any officer for that matter will once again be there.
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Permalink Reply by Grant Bennett on
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I have known our chief all my life. His daughter and I have grown up being inseparable. I go back and forth between chief and his first name...I guess it is just what ever slips outta my mouth.
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Permalink Reply by Damon Dyer on
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Is he in the room or not??
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Permalink Reply by Justin Buck on
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everbody on our dept. calls our chief by his first name
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Permalink Reply by Jessica Travis on
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rusty
his name
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lol
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Permalink Reply by A.J. on
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i try to use chief as much as possible and sometimes i slip up and will call him by his first name if its out in public i usually will say his first name station 99% of the time unless i slip up chief and i also agree with kenny if your chief sees you in a bar or somewhere you shouldnt be you got bigger problems lol
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Permalink Reply by C.Reed 9-26 on
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I mostly call him "Dad" or "Old Man". Although "old man" gets alot of looks with my crew.
Large number of retirement age guys around the hall. BUT, it's always Chief on the radio
or anything else official looking.
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Permalink Reply by PAUL IVEY on
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Ive known my chief since I was about 4 years old him and my older brother use to be good friends and I always call him chief and I think that everybody should. Even are asst. chief calls him that. I think it shows respect and lets him know that you will do anything he tells you to do.
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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We had a "Controller", not a Chief.
Our Controller was also fat, so he was affectionately called the Fat Controller (Not to his face!)
But then this video came out and changed the whole thing!
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Permalink Reply by sweetfire203 on
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i am still somewhat new to my department a few months shy of a year but i have noticed that some people at our station call our chief, asst.chief , batt. chief. by those titles and some dont.Some call them by their last names and some by their first names.I grew up in a military home and was a military wife for many years. I dont feel that the respect you should show those in a position over you is only done because of what you call them.You grow up with yes maam and yes sir to your parents and as children that shows respect but how many of us still respond that way to our parents? Does that mean we have less respect for them? No it doesnt it just means that we show it in different ways.
If you are on a scene or incident with other people and other agencies yes you should use their titles even if its just to help distinguish who is in charge. At your own staion, house, hall........... I think that you should call them whatever you and them and those around you are comfortable with. Some of them will say hey i am the "CHIEF", others will say call me "JIM". I think that if your chief had a problem with what he was called by the firemen under him both new or old he would say something ... after all he didnt become chief because he was a pushover. And if you are still finding yourself having a problem with it. Take your chief aside and let him know how you feel it might make you feel better about what is happening.
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