Leading in the U.S. Fire Service - Unwavering Integrity

“If me advocating for firefighters or the general public on a fire and an emergency services related issue costs me my beloved appointment as fire chief, then so be it.” - Oakland Chief Reginald D. Freeman, PhD.

As someone who has been a fire chief for 15 years, I can tell you that one thing that I have never compromised and will never compromise is my Integrity. Some fire chiefs struggle with some aspects of decision making outside of emergency scenarios because of the conflicting interests. There is self-actualization and job security that may compete with advocating for your membership. Simply put, what do you do when doing the right thing may cost you your job?

I have never struggled with this question because Integrity is non-negotiable. If me advocating for firefighters or the general public on a fire and an emergency services related issue costs me my beloved appointment as fire chief, then so be it.

I recall one particular scenario where my Integrity was directly challenged. It involved a discussion that I had with my boss going back to when I was being interviewed for the fire chief position. The individual asked me a lot of questions and at the very end of the interview asked me did I have any questions for them?

I responded, “Yes. I only have one. Are you looking to lay off firefighters or close any companies because I don’t do that.” The person responded back with, “No, no, no. I’m just looking for someone to lead the fire department and restore its reputation.”

I was delighted and relieved to hear this and humbly accepted the position. Literally after being on t