Master Storytellers
One of the things I love about the fire service is its tradition of storytelling. All firefighters have a stash of stories, and the more years they are on the job, the more colorful their stories are. I’ve been told firefighting, rescue and EMS stories for well over 50 years, and I’ve learned the best stories have unforgettable lessons learned.
Santa Rosa (Calif.) Chief Bruce Varner told me that when he applied for his former position of chief in Carrollton, Texas, he did his homework on the city manager. Shortly after starting the job, the city manager left for another job and the number two assumed the role.
“The new city manager knew nothing about me and I knew nothing about him and that was my fault for not knowing the number two in the organization.” Varner said, suggesting that when you look at an organization, you look at the whole organization.
For an aspiring chief or a newly named one, stories about the right and wrong ways to be a chief can be an enriching experience. That’s why I was blown away when I heard about a new program, “Executive Edge,” that will debut next month at Fire-Rescue International.
Chief Alan Brunacini will hold a two-day seminar, the Executive Edge: Bruno’s Boot Camp for Fire Service Leaders, as part of a joint venture between Arizona State University and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Attendance will be limited to 25 participants.
Brunacini will focus on the experiences of three seasoned fire chiefs: Varner, a former Phoenix firefighter who became chief of other departments; Cliff Jones, who has been with the Tempe, (Ariz.) Fire Department for his 30-plus-year career; and Dennis Rubin, head of fire and EMS in Washington, D.C.
“There will be case studies and part of it will be chiefs telling their life stories,” Brunacini said. “It’s not all positive, but lessons learned and then we’ll give the students time to interrogate and engage them.”
While teaching leadership courses at conferences, Brunacini would ask his students what lessons they wished someone had taught them before becoming fire chiefs. Their answers provided the basis of this program.
“It is not designed to replace any traditional program like the [Executive Fire Officer Program],” he said. “It’s a share some of the behaviors that people have been through. I think it will be useful experience for youthful chiefs.”
A recruiter or headhunter also will be on hand to talk to the group about what they look for in résumés.
“One of the things we want to do is to share all the things not to do,” Varner said. There’s a whole bunch of stuff you should do and a whole bunch of should not and we hope to balance that.”
While the cost for this program is steep — $995 for the two days — it could be a unique educational experience for new or aspiring chiefs. For more information, contact the IAFC’s Jennifer Cooke at 703-896-4822 or jcooke@iafc.org.
“The process ought to be enjoyable, certainly for the teachers, but also for the students,” Brunacini said. “Some of it might be abrasive with new approaches, but I think people are pretty open to that and will receive it with a happy heart.”
