My Desire To Pursue An EMT Classification At The Burlington Fire Department

My desire to seek the position of fire marshal at the Burlington Fire Department can be contributed to a strong personal desire. This desire comes from internal factors from wanting to excel in my career and show my wife and children the opportunities that are available in life if they continue to strive. I also desire this position to be able to lead others to achieve the rank of fire marshal if they so desire. I desire to assist people in solving problems, building effective relationships with the fire department and making this fire inspection division the best in the state. There are many motivational factors that contribute to my desire to pursue the position of assistant chief fire marshal. The first motivational factor is contributed

to the support of my peers at the Burlington Fire Department. I have had many firefighters extended their support for this opportunity. While in the interim position the fire prevention staff has supported the idea of me remaining in this role permanently as well. When I hear comments like “we hope you get the chief spot” it continues to fuel the fire inside of me to do more and to do better. Another motivational factor revolves around personal gratification. Doing well in life is rewarding and pushes me to continue to grow, study, and learn. Money is also a motivational factor. Acquiring this position will provide an increase of income that will allow me to continue to contribute to my kids’ college savings and afford me the opportunity to do things for my family that is possible now but are planned over a long duration of time.
I have prepared myself in a variety of ways.

I started this process by pursuing an EMT certification at GTCC. I continued my post-secondary education by attaining an associate degree from Durham Tech and a bachelor’s degree from Fayetteville State. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke for public administration. Along with the formal degree’s I have attained multiple certifications. Certifications and awards such as certified fire/arson investigator, fire inspector 3, fire and life safety 3, NC advance firefighter certification, and a written statement from Chief Code Consultant Dan Austin stating his impressiveness with my understanding of the fire code and the leadership displayed within my division are only a few. In preparation for this position, I began taking fire inspector courses while serving in the suppression division as this was not a whim decision. I was then interviewed and brought in the fire prevention bureau where I earned my level 2 and 3 fire inspector certification. After a year in the division, I was offered the opportunity to assume the role of fire marshal. As this was a goal of mine, I had already begun preparing as I described before and increased my reading of NFPA documents and other material pertaining to fire prevention. In the year leading up to this opportunity I was mentored by Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Mike Willets, Captain Stuart Cozort and Captain Bud Catoe who exposed me to fire inspections, public education and the role of fire marshal and its many facets. Each of the men that I mentioned previously instilled a quality within me or refined one that I possessed to make me a better person and employee. Chief Willets taught me to slow-down and question things that one would easily assume. Captain Cozort taught me to analyze issues in the field and how to apply the code in a practical manner. Captain Catoe taught me the skill of networking. In an attempt to highlight what I meant

by slowing-down I would like to provide an example. When I began reviewing TRC plans and I noticed that the occupancy was storage I assumed that doors would be required every 100 linear feet and all the other requirements of the high-piled combustible storage would be required. As I learned, this was not the case and that asking questions can save the fire marshal and the building owner in several ways. Analyzing issues and applying the fire code in a practical manner came about at an event titled Smoking in The Carolina’s. Smoking in tents is prohibited; however, a national event that draws thousands of people to JR Tobacco each year allows this very action. The reason for this is that all hazards to the best of our abilities have been eliminated. Networking is a great tool for fire inspectors and fire marshals. Captain Catoe had a knack for remembering the names of individuals which gave them a wow-factor. Because of this people would go out of their way to assist him. I make it a priority of mine to remember the names of most people I work with to build this networking relationship. I possess many qualities of which a few I am extremely proud to speak to. My communication skills, work ethic, and relationship building I believe sets me apart from others. I possess the natural ability to talk with people from all walks of life and all ages. The ability to communicate is one quality that I would assume that allowed me to be selected as a participant in the John Maxwell Program. I understand that I have work that must be done and it is a priority. I want things to be done correctly and on time if it means staying after work. I manage my time well enough that this is a rarity but it does occur. I also enjoy building relationships. I realize that relationships can open doors of support. This has been the case as I have built relationships with individuals from the ATF, SBI, OSFM, and neighboring municipalities. My qualities, experiences, and training can and has been implemented to the team for success. They have been taught, displayed, or given the same opportunity for success and development to meet or exceed my depth of knowledge to allow this division to continue to be successful.
During my tenure at Burlington Fire, I have been able to rise through the ranks and gain insightful experience some of which I learned what not to do. I say this to explain that my experience exposure is not just from one perspective. I have served the past 16 months as the interim fire marshal. During this time I have been flexible, open to change, and have shared my vision with the staff. The question posed asks how might one need to change, adjust or adapt to be successful. It is my opinion that at some point in the next 20 years of my career at Burlington Fire I will need to accommodate all three. As it stands now, I have adjusted to allow a new on-call investigator schedule in which I still serve my weekly rotation. I have adapted to an entirely new division with no experience and took the lead to guide and develop this team to the best of my ability. I have had to change the mindset from considering what I need to excel to what we need to excel. As a result of this, I have turned down opportunities that may have been once in a lifetime believing that the best interest of the division was to remain with it. I believe the key is recognizing and listening to understand when change, adaptation, and adjustments are needed if anyone wants to be successful in the role of fire marshal.
My leadership style is eclectic. I believe that a leader must be flexible in regards to leadership. Leadership styles should be autocratic, bureaucratic, paternalistic, and laissez-faire. There are times when a decision must be made in which the opportunity for discussion or a hands-off approach is not appropriate. An example of this is displayed when I select individuals for a particular district. I evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the employees and weigh the culture of the city in a particular area to the individual to see if they are a good fit. If I presume that this is a good fit for the employee, city, and the fire department then I will make the decision to place that employee in the inspection district. A bureaucratic approach is also reasonable at the right time. I have been working towards purchasing fire investigation gear in which the team and I looked at a few different kinds and selected a final option. I have also utilized the laissez-faire approach. We the team wanted to change the on-call investigator schedule I allowed them to discuss the approach and provide me with a final solution that would be implemented. A paternalistic leadership approach is also appropriate. This approach is similar to that of a parent. Employees can develop a relationship with supervisors/managers/leaders to the point that they are comfortable sharing information or will seek personal guidance as if they are in a parent/child relationship. I have been in this particular situation with 2 divorces that have occurred in the fire prevention division. I know that the leader of this division will need to utilize all four of these leadership styles to be effective. It is this leadership that has allowed this division to continue to strive forward as a new division and team. The forward progression and influence that I have on the division are what I see that validates the effectiveness of this approach. It is also what the members of the fire prevention division expect. Understanding the leadership styles mentioned and employing them can only produce forward growth as long as a vision is present.
My desires, motivation, education, training, experience, and qualities described above is what will separate me from other candidates and explains why I am the best candidate for the position of assistant chief fire marshal.