According to the NFPA, in 2020, there were 29,452 fire departments in the United States. Eighty-two percent of those departments were either all volunteer (64 percent) or mostly volunteer (18 percent). In most departments, operations fall under the leadership of the fire chief. Whether one is elected or appointed to the position, it’s an incredible honor that comes with enormous responsibility. How each agency selects its fire chief varies from department to department; some have strict prerequisites, and some require no certification or experience. Regardless of a volunteer fire chief’s level of education, certification or experience, volunteer fire chiefs are held to the same standard as a career fire chief.
The initial phase of the volunteer fire chief usually takes place in January, the typical start of the new year, although start dates vary. A new volunteer fire chief usually takes over with energy and innovative ideas on how to improve the department. Often, a buzz within the organization accompanies this. Unfortunately, departments often lack succession planning, and volunteer fire chiefs have few, if any, guidelines when it’s time for them to step down.
Constraints
The volunteer fire service is under unprecedented pressure, and it seems that it became worse coming out of the COVID pandemic. This strain has caused dwindling numbers and a shrinking pool of eligible and willing volunteers to assume leadership roles, including the fire chief. This shift might push younger volunteers who lack experience or the education or certification of previous chiefs to assume leadership roles. Some departments are fortunate to have a strong base of volunteer members who are willing to get the education and certifications that are required for the responsibilities of fire chief.
All fire chiefs (whether volunteer or career) constantly must evaluate their effectiveness against the department’s performance. Evaluation requires self-reflection and honest conversations with trusted individuals, both within the department and outside of it. Once a member is named fire chief, an immense amount of work is required. Often, each goal that’s accomplished opens the door for two or three more opportunities. These important objectives and tasks seem to never end. Human nature often pushes these individuals into working harder and trying to fill as many gaps as possible in a system that’s chronically shorthanded.
Volunteer fire chiefs, as opposed to their career counterparts, often have a full-time career that requires 40 or more hours per week of their time. This is the job that “pays the bills.” Sometimes, these full-time careers require extensive travel requirements, prolonged commutes, and the constant need to be connected virtually or by phone. These career jobs not only keep volunteer members away during the hours that they are at work but affect their ability to answer overnight and weekend calls, which is when the need is greater.
These professional constraints place an even higher degree of difficulty on the individual member who’s willing to assume the chief’s role.
Self-evaluation
It’s important to acknowledge that volunteer fire chiefs must work two full-time jobs and continue to accomplish training standards and lead their department operationally. This acknowledgement leads to the most crucial point: Most volunteer fire chiefs have a family or someone at home who loves them. The people who are at home are the most important, and their needs supersede the needs of the fire department and the community.
Often, family will see signs of burnout and stress before anyone else. It’s imperative to have open and honest communication with family. They often know when it’s time for the volunteer fire chief to step down.
So, when should a fire chief step down? Answering the following questions and considering the associated factors might help fire chiefs to self-evaluate and to take an introspective look at the progress that they have produced within the department.
- Am I still effective for this department? You constantly are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, burned out or short-tempered. You overreact instead of leading proactively.
- Do the department’s needs match my strengths? The department is advancing with current trends that require skills or time that you can’t realistically provide.
- Am I holding the department back? Common phrase: “This is how we always have done it.” Officer development is lacking.
- How is my personal life/health? The family dynamic is suffering because you bring the chief responsibilities home. Stress is affecting your mental and physical health.
- Have I accomplished the goals that I set when I accepted this position? You stabilized finances, rebuilt membership, modernized operations and/or restored trust. The department is healthier than when you took over. There is a capable successor (or several) who is ready to lead.
Realization
There’s no perfect set of guidelines that dictates to the volunteer fire chief when it’s time to step down. The answer to that question will be different for the tens of thousands of fire chiefs in this country. However, answering the questions that are noted above honestly might help an individual to realize that it’s time to step down. Each fire chief must remain vigilant and self-aware and listen to the people who they care about and trust. The answer to the question might be easier than you anticipated.
