Des Moines Fire Chief Under Attack
Chiefs under attack. Its an ongoing phenomenon in the fire service, usually rationalized by firefighters based upon on local specifics that go something like this: “Our chief is an imbecile (or insert your own term of endearment…. I’ll use imbecile). He did…..and….. and …. and ….. . Only a special kind of imbecile would do… and… and …. and …..”
It is a seductive attitude, one firefighters often learn early in their careers (I did), cynical, salty-sounding, and one that all too often is fueled by economic hard-times. Regardless of the specifics, there always seems to be plenty of grist for the chiefs under attack mill. As I travel across the country – it would appear that an awful lot of fire chiefs are – if not every-single fire chief is – an imbecile… at least in the minds of their firefighters.
How can that possibly be? Can every fire chief in the United States really be an imbecile??? How does someone go from being a trusted colleague, respected officer, sometimes even union president… to imbecile shortly after being promoted to chief?
I have no idea whether the Des Moines firefighters’ efforts to oust their chief are objectively warranted, or not. What I suspect is that the passions of the Des Moines firefighters are just as sincere as the beliefs of thousands of other firefighters I know who equally believe that their fire chief is just as big an imbecile. They all cannot be right. Nor can they all be wrong.
My department here in Maine has nothing but respect for our Chief. We are extremely lucky to have a man like him leading us. I suspect anyone badmouthing our Chief would find himself facing about 30 pissed-off firefighters.
Chief – so modest, aren’t we…. LOL!!!!
Good try. I am but a lowly FF/EMT.
Entirely plausible there are a great many incompettant chiefs out there for two reasons. Some are Car 1 because they have sold their souls to elected officials in exchange for the corner office. Others may mean well but have been over-promoted. According to the Peter Principle everyone is ultimately promoted one level beyond their peak competance.
Rightly or wrongly, I believe that during the interview process, the potential Chiefs are held down and have their backbone and gonads removed.
I think this is a case where we all think we know our bosses job and then when we take it we realize how little we really understood the whole job. There are no doubt people who never should have been made chief and then their are some who try and navigate the system under-prepared for the position. I know that I thought I knew every position I held, better when I was one below it. Becoming Chief is akin to running and being elected to high office, you make all sorts of promises thinking you know what you’re doing and suddenly upon appointment you learn the real inside track and have far more to consider than you thought. No excuses for turning your back on personnel, but fighting City Hall on every issue will likely result in a revolving door of Chief’s.