Fire Chief Jason Caughey, senior fire advisor for FireRescue1, addresses the challenge fire chiefs face in balancing staying connected with their team while also empowering them to grow. The struggle for many new chiefs and senior fire officers is finding the right balance between micromanaging and letting go. Caughey emphasizes the importance of moving from being a “chief firefighter” to a “fire chief,” highlighting key leadership qualities such as empowerment, ownership and effective delegation. He advises fire chiefs to enable their teams, avoid isolation, and foster a rewarding and collaborative organizational culture.
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To expand our perspective, we must look outside our insular ideas and accept that we may not have all the answers
Chief Caughey urges fire service leaders to focus on developing new firefighters’ critical thinking skills
Grant funds are the lifeline of the volunteer fire service so we must set ourselves up for success in the application process
Chiefs, are you seeking out new ideas and approaches from different departments?
It’s hard to achieve trust and buy-in from our members when they can’t see what’s ahead for them personally and professionally
