Rank structure

[fedguy]

I was wondering if anyone out there has seen a rank structure like this one, it is one we have just gone to recently.

1 Chief
2 Deputy Chiefs- 1 special operations, 1 operations
4 Assistant chiefs- 2 operations, 1 fire prevention, 1 training
4 station chiefs (formerly called station captains)
14 captains (formerly called crew chiefs or lieutenants)
16 lieutenants who are drivers and were formerly called firefighters but had no title
18 firefighters

Captains and station chiefs are also refered to as company officers but lieutenants are not considered as such.

[eastcoastFF]

Thats is an awful lot of officers. I count 41 officers to 18 FF's. 11 Chiefs?
Seems a little top heavy but if it works for you go with it. My Dept is

1 Chief
1 Deputy Chief
2 Assistant Chiefs
4 Shift Chiefs
4 Captains
28 Lieutenants
100 FF's

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

Our rank structure:
Chief of Department
4 Deputy Chiefs (one each group)
4 Captains (one each group)
8 Lieutenants (2 each group)
15 Firefighters per group.

[CooterRob]

My new FD...
1 Chief
4 Lieutenant Colonels
1 Field Ops. Major
7 Battalion Chiefs
40+ Vol. Chiefs
Captains Career and Vol.
Lieutenants Career and Vol.
Vol. Sergeants
Career Firefighter/Paramedics
Firefighters Career and Vol.
Probies

My current FD
1 Chief
1 D/C
1 Captain
4 Lieutenants
A/O Firefighter/EMT
Firefighter/Paramedic
Firefighter/EMT
Firefighter
Probie

[hefightsfire99]

I agree, seems like a lot of officers. However, also as was said whatever works.

Ours is:

Chief
Battalion Chiefs (half operational, half support)
Lieutenants (one over each crew at each station), also one over PR and public ed, and another in charge of EMS.
Driver Engineers on each rig that can work "out of class" as a lieutenant but aren't considered an officer unless filling that role
Firefighters

[LaFireEducator]

Combo Department ...

Chief - Volunteer
Deputy Chief - Volunteer
Assistant Chief - Paid, Monday-Friday 8-5
Station Captains - 1 Paid/4 Volunteer
Rescue Captain - Volunteer
Maintainence Captain - Volunteer
Senior Firefighters - 8 Volunteer/ 2 Paid Fulltime
One assigned to each truck as an "engineer"
responsible for truck checks and acts as company-level
supervisors on the fireground.
Firefighters
Probationary Firefighters
Support Personnel
Junior Firefighters
Dispatchers

Rank of captain and senior firefighter is assigned on volunteer side. All 4 fulltime members are required to volunteer in off-hours. Captains positions are posted when they become open and volunteers and paid personnel can apply. There is no requirement to have a capatain on each shift ..in the case of one is just happened to work out that way.

[cozmosis]

All 4 fulltime members are required to volunteer in off-hours.

When you say "volunteer," do you mean that the career guys have to -- as a condition of their employment -- work for free when off duty? Because everything I've ever read says that's illegal. Just saying.

As for my department, we have...
1 - Fire Chief
1 - Division Chief / Fire Marshal
6 - Captains (Two companies, three platoons)
6 - Engineers
9 - Firefighters

[mcl312]

Combo Dept.

Chief-Career
2 Deputy's-Volunteer
3 Battalion Chiefs-Volunteer
3 Captains-Volunteer
3 Captains-Career (1 per shift)
3 Lieutenants-Volunteer
9 Firefighters-Career (3 per shift)
40 Firefighters-Volunteer

[hefightsfire99]

All 4 fulltime members are required to volunteer in off-hours.

cozmosis you are right. Can't make a paid employee volunteer for free. Overtime yes but FLSA forbids forcing an employee to volunteer. They can actually sue for back time if that is the case and we didn't misunderstand.

[ATFDFF]

I can see this getting into a two-hatter debate quickly, with that last comment, so I'll try to get it back on topic.

Combo department

1 Chief
2 Dep. Chiefs
2 Asst. Chiefs
4 Captains
8 Lieutenants
45 (approx) firefighters

[nameless]

sounds like someone just has a hard on for handing out bugles. I don't see the need to start calling all of these people officer titles.


The way we work:

Chief
Deputy Chief
Battalion Chief
Captain (one assigned to each company and ultimately responsible for it)
Lieutenants (assigned to the other shifts, oversees their rig on their shift)
Firefighters

do not have any special position for the apparatus operator. sometimes one guy at a company will do all or most of the driving, others the members will rotate. I could definitely see the advantages. It would make it practical to provide a higher level of training (please don't try to twist this all of you that will howl about training) if you are training just dedicated operators, vs trying to get all the firefighters through advanced driver training.

[malana1]

cozmosis you are right. Can't make a paid employee volunteer for free. Overtime yes but FLSA forbids forcing an employee to volunteer. They can actually sue for back time if that is the case and we didn't misunderstand.

This is true but there may be ways to get around it if they want to volunteer.

example:

I know of some combo depts where the full time people are paid city employees. However, the volunteer side of things is a complete and seperate entity such as fire district or association. Now, when the voulunteers are volunreering they are not actually working for the city. They are working (volunteering) for a different organization than the one that signs their paychecks and employs them. I have checked on legality of this and is legal and is done. These people are not being forced to volunteer extra hours. In most case they were volunteers on the dept before it went combo and they still want to volunteer their time.

[GTRider245]

In the structure in the OP's dept, the only real officers are at station cheif and above. Everyone else is just a shift supervisor or below. When you look at it that way the ratio isnt so bad.

[Station2Capt]

Here is our Rank Structure:

8 to 5:

1- Chief of Dept.
1- Asst. Chief of Admin
1- Asst. Chief of Operations
1- Batt. Chief over Training
1- Batt. Chief over EMS

24/48 Shift personal (These are per shift so the total numbers are x3)

2- Batt Chief's (1 per district)
10- Captains (1 per Eng/Truck)
1- EMS Captain
14- Driver Engineers (no Capt. on Medic units)
14- Firefighters (1 per Eng/Truck/Medic)

[bpfd124]

Yes, that is correct.

We only hire from within. Everyone who applies knows the way the system runs.

The chiefs are to the best of my knowledge, aware of the law.

[RFD1067]

The RFD.
Chief
Deputy Chief
Division Chiefs
Battalion Chiefs
Captains
Engineers
Firefighters/medics

[hwoods]

My new FD...
1 Chief
4 Lieutenant Colonels
1 Field Ops. Major
7 Battalion Chiefs
40+ Vol. Chiefs
Captains Career and Vol.
Lieutenants Career and Vol.
Vol. Sergeants
Career Firefighter/Paramedics
Firefighters Career and Vol.
Probies

My current FD
1 Chief
1 D/C
1 Captain
4 Lieutenants
A/O Firefighter/EMT
Firefighter/Paramedic
Firefighter/EMT
Firefighter
Probie

By saying your "New FD" I presume you are getting hired by them??......

The Structure looks glaringly familiar to me...

If I'm right, Welcome Aboard. Your numbers are close, BUT.... Battalions 1,2,3,4, and 5 are Shift jobs, so that totals 20 Chiefs, Battalions 6 & 7 are Daywork jobs, so that's 2 more, and there is a Battalion Chief each for Training, EMS, Professional Standards, Prevention, and Investigations. As to the Majors, There is one per Shift (4) in Suppression Ops, and one each for Training, EMS, Safety, Prevention & Investigations, Special Ops, and Support Services. Field Ops also has a Major and 10 Division Chiefs who are Volunteers, along with Volunteer Battalion Chiefs in the 6th & 7th Battalions.

[Rescue101]

Ours: Chief
1 ***'t Chief(Deputy)
4 District Chief's(one for each station)
10 Captains (one for each piece)
80 Rank and file FF'S

[Dickey]

Everyone is paid on call except the Chief who is career...

1 Chief (Director of Public Safety, police chief and fire chief)
1 Assistant Chief
1 Captain
5 Lieutenants
35 Firefighters
7 Explorers

[carterlakecapt]

All volunteer (for now)

1 Chief
1 Deputy Chief
1 Asst. Chief (training chief)
2 fire captains
1 EMS captain
2 fire lieutenants
2 EMS lieutenants
1 Water rescue lieutenant
33 firefighters