Being a True #2

You have worked your way up through your department and found yourself being second in line. This is a great accomplishment and one that signifies years of hard work and preparation.

Your position may be called Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, or another title that designates the second-line rank in your department. You may be the only #2, or your department may have several at your position. The key is understanding your role and the importance of the job you hold.

You may be a “Jack of All Trades” because you are the Ops Chief, EMS Chief, Admin Chief and Chief Bottle Washer all rolled into one. You may be more specialized due to the size of your department. Either way, the underlying expectation is providing support for your fire chief and being a good team member.

When I was appointed assistant chief in Irving, our department was in turmoil and very divided. The previous chief had left under immense scrutiny and discontent among our firefighters and elected officials. A then-assistant chief was appointed interim chief, and the department was divided down the middle on who the next fire chief should be. Hire from the inside for the first time in our history or look outside yet again?

Eventually, our interim chief was named to the position full-time. A process was opened to all battalion chiefs and captains interested in becoming assistant chief, and there was a competitive process for the position.

Our department has two appointed assistant chief positions and one civil service tested position. As a captain at the time, I was one of 23 applicants and eventually blessed to be appointed assistant chief.

I thought I had a good perception of what the job entailed and, boy, was I wrong! It is like having a child for the first time. Before you have a baby you think you have all the answers and have it all planned out, but then the Stork arrives and “adulting” happens—and quick!  You do your best to overcome, adapt, and be the best parent you can be.

Our department needed healing and cohesion. We needed a strong chief to lead and an even stronger team around him. Fortunately, our chief has proven to be a strong leader and he understood that he would only be as successful as the team he built around him just like any great head football coach. The sign of a great head coach is to look back over time and evaluate how many of their assistants eventually moved on to become head coaches themselves.

The same is true for fire chiefs. The real leader wants his support team to grow and move up to be a future fire chief. In contrast, the ineffective chief, one who usually has low self-confidence in their abilities, denies this progression because they may feel threatened by the success and talent of those on their team. 

Our chief built his team with the success of our department in mind. He made sure his three assistant chiefs had differing talents that lent to the building of a strong command staff. The road ahead was going to be tough, and he needed dedicated, talented individuals to get the ship headed in the right direction.

Fast forward a few short years and the ship has turned. The department is in as good a place as it has been in its history, and this is a direct reflection of the dedication and buy-in of every member of our department.

So how does a #2 have a direct impact on change? It could be cultural, procedural, or a combination of both. Every department has their nuances, and understanding these nuances, or traditions, is key in making positive changes at the right time.

A successful chief has a direction and strategic plan in mind. They should be good at communicating departmental and individual goals and expectations. They should also hold everyone in the chain of command accountable, first of all themselves.

To assist your chief in being successful, the following list of points can help make you a "True #2."

1. Don’t forget where you came from. Don’t be that newly promoted chief officer that loses touch with the troops in the field. You were just one of them. Don’t lose that relationship. As an administration chief, it's easy to become so engrossed with the desk job that you forget who you're serving. I found myself in this spiral until a seasoned battalion chief made me aware of this and led me to consciously improve. I began to follow a concept I deeply believe in known as "leading by walking around." Get out among the great men and women of your department and build that positive relationship. You will learn something every time you do!

2. Be an advocate for you department. The troops in the field do the work and their professionalism is why the citizens love your department and the fire service. Use every available opportunity to shout the successes of your people and department to the masses. Whether it be at civic, city council, or other public events, actively look for every opportunity to share the successes of your men and women. Social media has a lot of negative points nowadays, but when used correctly it can be an extremely positive tool for your department. You are their cheerleader.

3. Be a trusted confidant. Your chief needs to know that you are a trusted and valued member of their command staff. This does not mean you should be a "Yes" man or woman. A successful #2 takes in suggestions from the chief, discusses them and thoughtfully shares alternate views. Ultimately, the Chief has the final word, but your job is to give them differing sides of the equation to consider. If we were all the same, our departments would never advance in a positive direction.  Diversity of thought leads to true growth.

4. Own the decision. Once the command staff has considered and discussed an issue, a final decision will be made and direction given by the chief. It is then our job to own that decision as if it were ours. You may “fight like cats and dogs” behind closed doors until a decision is made. However, once the decision is made, it belongs to all of you on the command staff. When communicating an idea or program to the troops, it is imperative that you own the decision. Throwing your chief under the bus with comments such as “the Chief wants this done” or “I disagreed, however, the Chief chose to go in this direction" are very detrimental to the organization. These types of comments are divisive and can quickly tear down any positive momentum. People who make these comments often believe it is to their own benefit, when it actually lessens their respect level overall.

5. Get Better. As a long-time college football referee, I came across many aspiring college officials who wanted to be in a Power 5 conference. The problem was they weren’t willing to do the work required or be honest when assessing their own performance. At some point you just need to “get better."  You get better by putting in the time, planning a direction for success, and checking your ego at the door. Whether it be firefighting or football officiating, the path for success is the same. Educate yourself, attend conferences and training, prepare yourself for the next level, and never be afraid to admit when you have blundered. Otherwise, you will never get better and reach the goals you have set for yourself. “Getting better” not only will make you a more effective leader, it will also benefit your department as a whole. The end result will have you prepared to assume the roles on the rungs above you. 

Being a True #2

Helping your chief be a success will in turn lead to the success of your department. In time, it will also lead to your own professional success. Never lose sight of the fact that you are here to serve your community and the men and women of your department ahead of yourself.

If you keep them as your #1, then you will be a True #2.