Political Realities of Being a Fire Chief

The task of leading a fire department and providing service to the community has probably never been harder than it is today. The current mood in many communities is volatile, and emotions can easily get in the way of facts and reason. If a fire chief is going to be able to live up to the mandate of protecting their community, their firefighters and their organization, then they are going to need a very specific sets of skills and understanding.

Times Have Changed
The most important point to understand is that there are new boundaries that fire chiefs must face. Too many fire chiefs live in a world that has passed them by. The fire department is no longer sacred in the eyes of some citizens–if not many citizens. The public does not necessarily see the fire service as any different from other governmental services. In fact, many citizens see the fire department as simply an unnecessary drain on their wallets.

While the fire chief does not have to agree with this line of thinking, they must understand that the easiest way to get run over is to dig their heels into the sand. Some fire chiefs get indignant about these issues, thinking, “How dare people question our department’s needs!” But fire service leaders have been saying this for a good 20 years now–and the mindset continues.

Separate from the Politicians
With the current attitudes seen in some segments of our communities, it is very important for a fire chief to make a clear distinction between themselves and the local politicians. I’m not giving a green light to engage in “us vs. them” trench warfare, but we need to address the fact that some citizens see government as all-inclusive, not separating the fire department from other services or the politicians.

Fire chiefs are upper-level executives who execute the vision of the community’s political leaders. Chiefs do not make the final decisions; they provide the information so that the leaders of a community, and in many cases the individual citizens, can make informed decisions. Put another way, the general doesn’t decide to go to war; the general executes the mission that they are given by the political leaders.

So in a time when there is a general distaste for politics and politicians, it’s important that fire chiefs don’t allow themselves to be lumped in with the politicians. With that in mind, fire chiefs should consider their appearance. In the past, there was a popular movement among fire chiefs to look more like executives. The problem is that politicians tend to look like executives. While it is a very good idea to think like an executive, in times of general discontent with the political system, it is wise for a fire chief to wear a uniform, thereby distancing themselves from the political part of the system and concentrating on their role as a leader and manager.

An Informed Public
When the environment changes substantially, it is time for paradigms to change as well. Many fire chiefs have lobbied to gain advantage for their organizations. All fire chiefs want more staffing, more funding, better technology, etc. But if the fire service continues to blindly follow this track, without giving thought to how that message is being communicated, then it’s just a matter of time before a chief will be seen as a greedy self-serving autocrat who is just interested in empire-building.

As such, conversations are probably best framed as a means to allow for “informed decision-making.” For example, risk will always be present. If the community funds the fire district to level X, then a certain level of service can be provided. If the public provides funding to level Y, then a higher level of service can be provided. As hard as it might be at times, chiefs should maintain the posture that an educated public will, for the most part, make pretty good decisions. It is critical to respect the fact that funding decisions are for the community to make.

Picking Battles
Hand in glove with the idea of informed decision-making is the concept of picking one’s battles. No matter how well a chief provides information to the public, some people are not going to agree, especially if the plans that are presented call for an increase in taxes. Some people might not be supportive of the fire department. They might even have personal issues with the fire department. They might have an agenda based on code enforcement. No matter what the reason, there are just some people in the community whom a fire chief will not be able to bring into the camp. This is where a fire chief must earn their pay. These people are members of the community just like those who do support the fire department. And they deserve the same information so that they too can make informed decisions.

What is critical here is to avoid the temptation to engage with these folks in a negative manner. There is no way to win this battle, and the more a chief fights, the worse they will look. It is very hard to sit at a community meeting with a hostile audience and not lose one’s patience, but the successful fire chief finds a way to do so. When a chief isolates themself from the dissenting voices, they only help create a polarized community. All one needs to do is to look to Washington, D.C., to see how effective that is. By not arguing with the people who do not agree, a chief stands a better chance of maintaining their image as a professional and, therefore, a better chance of winning in the court of public opinion.

From Outputs to Outcomes
Many paradigm shifts need to occur for a fire chief to be successful. The biggest one is probably a shift in how to define success. Most chiefs have looked at outputs as a measure of success–for example, how many stations the department maintains or plans to open, the age of an organization’s fleet or the numbers of staff. The problem is that none of these items individually guarantee success. In his book Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations, Theodore Poister makes a very strong argument: “In terms of program logic, outputs have little inherent value because they do not constitute direct benefits.”1

There is a growing trend in public administration to shift management’s focus from outputs, such as stations and apparatus, to outcomes. In the simplest form, a shift of focus to outcomes allows a chief to address the pivotal question of what they are doing with the fire stations and apparatus, and how that impacts the quality of life in their community. People really want to know what is in it for them, and by addressing outcomes, a fire chief is in a better position to provide that information.

A recent story about Charlottesville, Va.’s, efforts toward performance measurement, titled “City of Charlottesville Unveils New Performance Measurement System,” clearly shows the benefits of a focus on outcomes. Chief Charles Werner said, “This is taking the resources that we are provided by the city’s taxpayers and ensuring we give you the best bang for their buck, to be the most efficient and most effective.”2

Building Support
Another way fire chiefs can position their organizations in a favorable light is to emphasize that fire tax money will have a direct return to the citizens. Fire chiefs must communicate to the public that fire tax money comes right back to the citizen’s house when they are having the worst day of their life. Schools traditionally take a lion’s share of tax money, but some citizens do not have children in school. Public education certainly has a direct tie to the quality of life, but the quality of life is zero if your house burns down.

Further, a good fire chief needs to be a good salesperson. Well run organizations spend a considerable amount of time looking at everything they do and trying to relate that back to benefits for their community. For example, going “green” is one of many ways to gain favor with the public. If a fire department reduces its electric consumption, they also reduce costs.

Simple steps like reducing the amount of bulbs in fluorescent light fixtures can offer an opportunity to be both green and cost-conscious. It might not be a huge cost savings, but at least the fire chief can say with all honesty that their organization is looking at everything they do to ensure that they are getting the most out of the money that they are entrusted with. It is worth noting that the more a chief talks about this, the more likely everyone will start to look at where an organization can save money and be more efficient. The force-multiplier of getting the rank-and-file on board with cost containment is huge.

Fire chiefs must reach out and build alliances. The principal at the local elementary school might be able to get the fire chief on the agenda for the home, school and teachers’ association meetings. When there are pressing financial issues, this alliance can provide access to a very engaged and motivated segment of the community. In any type of ballot issue, a well spoken fire chief will be able to harvest votes out of this segment of the general population. But building alliances goes well beyond just showing up at a meeting every once in a while. Leaders must be proactive in seeking opportunities. Inter-governmental agreements can save money and provide greater service to a community. The only thing that limits a fire chief in this regard is their own creativity.

In Sum
The challenges of operating a fire department in 2014 are many. Luck and good fortune will no longer carry the day. A modern-day fire chief needs to be educated, creative and in touch with the climate of their community. Many fire chiefs have been sounding the warning bell for many years that the days of “sacred cow” status for our departments have long passed. By using some of tools described in this article, a fire chief can weather the current storm and fulfill the mandate to which many of us have sworn an oath. missing image file

References
1. Poister YH. Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, 38, 2003.
2. Wheeler B. (Jan. 23, 2013). City of Charlottesville unveils new performance measurement system. Retrieved from Charlottesville Tomorrow: http://www.cvilletomorrow.org.