How To Become A Fire Chief

article by Public Service Degrees | December 07, 2011

The world of firefighting has changed dramatically within the past decade or so. The job of a firefighter does not just include fighting fires anymore. In fact, the profession now requires firefighters to also be EMTs, paramedics, hazmat specialists, public safety advocates and much, much more. With that being said, the requirements for moving up the ranks in a fire department have also expanded, especially the requirements for becoming a fire chief.

Becoming a fire chief is not an easy task by any means. It takes a tremendous amount of experience within the profession, as well as strong leadership skills in order to even be considered for the position. A fire chief, much like any other firefighter, has many roles within the position. Not only is the fire chief in charge of managing all the divisions and personnel of the department on a day-to-day basis, but the fire chief is also responsible for supervising his crew at an emergency scene as well as recruiting and training new firefighters in order to get them ready for their specific duties. Other duties a fire chief may have include having the final say over things such as guidelines and procedures, financial and human resources duties and upholding the level of risk that the community deems tolerable. Fire chiefs are constantly communicating with the community and are expected to encourage positive public relations at all times. Depending on the community and the organization the fire chief works for, he or she are most likely to be required to be involved with local schools and institutes with areas such as fire prevention, fire inspection and disaster preparedness. It may seem like a lot of tasks for one person, but that is only half of what a fire chief really does.

So how can a person become a fire chief? Well most of the time fire organizations only hire a person who has already been a firefighter for several years. The most important factor that determines whether or not a firefighter gets promoted to fire chief is the experience he or she has either with their department or other departments close by. The longer and more loyal a firefighter is to the profession and their specific department, the better their chances are of getting a promotion. Leadership skills are also extremely important. Fire departments look for people who are respected and loved by their colleagues. They want the new leader to be one that will get along with the crew and to be able to manage a group in stressful situations. Many times, the firefighters' lives are in the chiefs hands, so they are looking for someone who will accept that responsibility and work well under that pressure.

Getting a higher education also helps firefighters to move up the ranks faster. Two decades ago, the only requirement a person needed to get a firefighting position was a high school diploma, even to hold a higher ranking within the fire department; however, now more and more organizations are looking for their employees to get some form of a high education. Many departments prefer, but do not require that firefighters earn an associates degree in a related field either before or while they are working for their department. Many people argue that this is a waste of time because you cannot learn the tools and earn the experience through an academic degree, but rather through the vigorous training and certifications that firefighters must go through frequently, but what they do not realize, is the position is just not what it used to be. Yes, firefighters learn and utilize most of their skills through training; however, a degree helps them learn the business side of the fire organization including administration skills, public relation skills and financial skills. Anyone could learn those skills on their own, but by having a degree, the community will have solid proof that those skills were mastered.

"The upper echelon in most of the fire companies around the country sees the value and they promote it," said Charlie Crowther, a veteran firefighter with a master's in public safety administration and a current associate professor of fire science and emergency management at St. Petersburg College. Fire organizations are also beginning to require that higher positions, such as commanders and chiefs earn at least a bachelor's degree in a related fire science field. A master's degree is highly preferred and those who have a master's degree and are in the running for a promotion will almost always have the upper hand, if they have experience as well. Many fire departments are so supportive of their employees earning a degree that they offer tuition reimbursement for classes taken at colleges in fire science or other related fields. Popular graduate degrees among firefighters include MBAs and public administration master's degrees; however, many schools are beginning to offer more specific fire science degrees. For instance, there are now bachelor's and master's degrees in fire science, fire safety and fire leadership. So although some departments may not specifically require a college education at this time, many people believe that in a few years, this will be a requirement for almost every department across the country. Even the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) suggests that prospective firefighters and graduates take at least some college courses, even if it is to improve the level of professional skills on has.

Battalion chief, Brian Cudaback, of Arlington Texas Fire-Rescue recently told fireengineering.com that going back to school to earn a college education was worth it.

"I achieved my education late in my career. I have recently come to realize how higher education contributed to shaping my leadership style…The middle for me is an undergraduate degree or, in some cases, even a graduate degree combined with a solid working knowledge of the fire service and a familiarization with city and federal government. Our fire service is in sore need of an identity in the field of graduate-level education. The NFA EFOP and other high education institutions offering fire science degrees are fine examples of where we as fire service leaders need to be headed," he said.

And colleges have now made it even easier for firefighters to go back to school. Everyone knows that a firefighter's schedule is never the same, so it would be extremely hard for them to attend regular class times on a campus. Colleges kept this in mind and have now begun offering fire science programs that are completely online. Students are able to do the coursework on their own time at their own home; even if it is 3am. Students can take as much time as the need to finish the degrees they are earning as well. They can earn any level of degree through these new online programs, yet never have to step onto a campus once. The best part is that there is no difference between an online degree and a traditional degree. They both have the same material, same amount of work and students earn the same exact degree; however, online programs are usually cheaper and take less time compared to the traditional degree.

So if you are interested in becoming a fire chief, or if you are just interested in earning a college degree in a fire science program check out our website at http://www.publicservicedegrees.com. We are currently partnered with several schools that offer both bachelor's degrees in various fire science programs and a master's degree disaster preparedness and executive fire leadership. With a college education becoming more important for firefighters, why not be proactive and start your journey to a degree is the fire sciences today.