Overcoming the Challenges of Filling Fire Department Administrative Positions

Do you find it challenging to attract talented individuals who are willing to transition into administrative roles? Across many fire departments nationwide, convincing quality candidates to move away from the excitement of shift life into a 40-hour position can be difficult. Top performers often have little desire to sit behind a desk: Shift life is rewarding, and fighting fires is why all of us chose this career. However, someone must take on the administrative duties, right? So, how can we make the administrative role more appealing to those who would rather respond to a fire than manage paperwork?

Better than anticipated

When I transitioned from a battalion chief working a 24-hour shift to a 40-hour deputy chief, I had my reservations. I moved from overseeing 10 captains, engaging daily with some of my favorite colleagues and making critical, split-second decisions to writing contracts, ordering equipment and meeting with contractors. From lights and sirens to purchase orders and invoices, it was a radical change. Yet, after nearly 24 years of shift work, I was ready for a new routine, complete with evenings at home and weekends off.

To my surprise, the change was more enjoyable than I anticipated. The job comes with perks, such as a flexible schedule and a take-home vehicle. If I want to leave during the day for a school event, I don’t need to find a replacement. Take a few hours off in the morning to hang out with the children? Not a problem.

Most importantly, I discovered that I have a greater effect on the department than I ever did. If you truly love your job and the people you work with, you want to improve their life and help them to excel professionally. An administrative role provides the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Do the shifts need a new piece of equipment to enhance efficiency? I can make it happen. Need an advocate in City Hall for better trucks and gear? That’s part of my job. When I pushed for hiring a third party to conduct hose testing instead of doing it ourselves—saving our team a month of labor—it had a positive effect. Your decisions in an administrative role have far-reaching effects and influence not just one crew or shift but everyone.

Organization: A valuable asset

What you must understand before you take the leap is this: Every day, you’re tasked with managing the conveyer belt of administration. When you arrive, the belt already is in motion and is filled with tasks that are waiting to be addressed. The challenge lies not in completing everything that day but in walking the line and prioritizing the most pressing tasks. Items remain on a circular loop until you pick them up and send them out. For example, if one of your front-line apparatus has a major issue, that requires immediate attention. Address it swiftly and keep the workflow moving. Sometimes, you might need to shift tasks from your belt to someone else’s (the deadlined truck goes to the mechanics belt, for example). If creating a spec sheet for bids on fitness equipment for a new station is due in eight months, keep it on the belt but label it clearly to revisit later. A quick request by a colleague for a document that you sent last year? Take two minutes to fulfill it; clearing that task keeps your conveyor belt uncluttered.

Although it can be frustrating to handle a task only to see it return shortly afterward, accepting that some things are beyond your control can ease this experience. People might add new tasks to your belt without notice, necessitating clear rules.

In the beginning, I often received calls while busy with other tasks, which caused me to forget the requests. Now, the rule is if someone calls, they also must send an email.

For tasks that are introduced in meetings, taking accurate notes and having a system for adding them to your workflow is essential.

You don’t need to be a genius to succeed in administration, thank goodness, but organization is a valuable asset.

Unexpected disruptions

Sometimes, unexpected items can disrupt the entire operation and bring everything to a halt—for example, an injury to one of your personnel. If you receive news that a colleague was hurt on duty and is en route to the hospital, everything else stops while you attend to that person’s needs. Although these emergencies are infrequent, they occur often enough that you must be prepared to redirect your focus to address these critical tasks.

Personality traits

What are the characteristics that we need in the people who fill administrative slots? This can vary based on your organizational needs, but in general, look for someone who has emotional intelligence, good time-management skills and the patience to see long-term projects through.

This person will be tasked with handling a variety of issues and personalities on a daily basis, with potential negative system-wide consequences if the individual fails to maintain emotions when the pressure is on. Look for the battalion chief who remains calm, cool and collected at complex incidents. Find the officer who takes the time to develop people and inspires confidence. Yes, such natural leaders who everyone looks up to are obvious choices to mentor, but don’t forget the team players who are steady and humble. They might be the silent all-star who you didn’t see coming, just waiting for the opportunity to show you what they’re capable of.

Actively recruit

This brings us to the primary question: How do we attract the right individuals to fill these essential administrative roles when shift life is so appealing?

Recognize that the right candidates are out there, potentially waiting for you to reach out. Simply posting job openings isn’t sufficient. You must recruit actively for the best candidates. Developing your upper-level leadership is crucial, because it ensures that the next generation is ready to fill your position when the time comes.

If an administrative position is on the horizon and you haven’t begun to mentor potential candidates, you might find yourself too late. Start early to engage interested individuals and keep them motivated.

If you’re in administration, avoid speaking negatively about the job to those who are rising through the ranks. Maintain a positive outlook, and when you need to complain, direct that upward rather than downward.

Most importantly, strive to keep your conveyor belt efficient, purposeful and fun. People are watching how you run your line, and if it looks as though you enjoy what you’re doing, they might think they might enjoy it as well.