Fire chief candidates stress wise spending, leadership
By Eric Fleischauer, The Decatur Daily, Ala. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The council and mayor interviewed four candidates, beginning this morning and ending early this afternoon.
Interviewed were
Only four of the five councilmen took part in the interviews. The fifth, District I Councilman
Jackson was the third candidate to interview. Several off-duty firefighters attended the interviews of all the candidates, but many residents also showed up for the interview of. Jackson, a 33-year veteran of
Jackson took more time before responding to questions than the first two candidates and asked that several questions be repeated.
Jackson said working with tight budgets is part of the chief's job.
"We have to make some ugly cuts we don't like," Jackson said. "While making those cuts, we should be as efficient as we can."
He promoted cost recovery from insurance and industry as a way to alleviate budget shortfalls.
Eliminating services does not always increase efficiency, Jackson said, because staffing levels are dictated by preparedness for fires.
Providing emergency medical services provides a benefit to taxpayers without significantly increasing labor costs.
"I was raised here," Jackson said. "This is my home. The people I love live here. These are the people I want to protect."
Walker, chief of the Yarmouth (Mass.)
Ninth-grader
"Authoritarian leadership -- leadership by bullying -- never works," Walker said. "If you have good people, use them."
He frequently referred to the firefighters behind him in the audience.
"We've got a bunch of folks back here who know what the hell they are doing," Walker said, and their knowledge should be tapped in creating effective procedures.
After the interview, Walker shook hands with each of the firefighters in attendance and spoke with them.
Grande, an assistant chief with the
Private ambulances, he said, necessarily focus on finances.
He said the safety of firefighters is his most important concern.
"I will not compromise the safety of our personnel," Grande said. "I never again want to ride to the hospital with an injured firefighter and call his wife."
Harrison, director of public safety programs at Chattahoochee a
"If you let firefighters be part if the strategic plan, you get buy-in," Harrison said. "You're getting input from the people on the ground."
Harrison said morale is an issue in all fire departments.
"You need a chief who can be vibrant and motivational," Harrison said.
"If you have firefighters doing productive things... there's not a lot of time to complain and argue."
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