Boyceville fire board decides on the qualifications needed for new fire chief
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville Community Fire District board has decided on the qualifications needed to advertise the position for a new fire chief.
Why is the fire board “in a rush” to hire a new fire chief when there are assistant chiefs in the Boyceville fire department who could take over so “we don’t have to rush?” asked Lynn Smith, representative for the Town of Sherman, at the October 29 meeting of the Boyceville fire board.
Karl Hackbarth, chair of the fire board and representative for the Town of Stanton, said he was glad Smith had asked that question.
According to the bylaws of the fire district, the first assistant chief should take over as fire chief in the absence of the fire chief, Hackbarth said
Danny Knops is listed as the first assistant chief. The fire department does not need to find’ an interim if Knops is willing to serve as the fire chief during the interim, he said.
Smith asked why the fire department does not have a second and third assistant chief as the bylaws indicate that there should be a second and third assistant chief.
One of the firefighters in the audience said he did not know why a second and third assistant fire chief had not been appointed.
The Boyceville fire department has an assistant chief, a captain and two lieutenants, and the second lieutenant is the safety officer, he said.
The first step will be to reach out to Dan Knops to see if he is willing to serve as the fire chief during the interim until a new a fire chief can be appointed, Hackbarth said.
SPS 330.08(3)
The fire chief must have the qualifications outlined by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (SPS), Hackbarth said.
Conversations with other fire departments have emphasized the importance of the qualifications listed under SPS 330, he said.
According to SPS 330.08(3): Effective October 1, 2019, a fire officer appointed after October 1, 2018, may not act as a fire officer during an emergency operation until that individual completes NIMS training in accordance with SPS 330.14 and obtains the minimum training and education requirements as specified by any of the following: (a) A fire officer course approved by the technical college system board; (b) An approved state apprenticeship program; (c) An in-house training program approved by the technical college system board; (d) NFPA 1021: Standard for Fire Officer Qualifications.
SPS 330.14 covers emergency operations.
NIMS refers to National Incident Management System — Federal Emergency Management Agency training.
According to various internet sources, a fire officer is defined as a senior firefighter who leads a fire company and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of firefighting operations.
A fire officer’s duties include leadership of the fire department as well as responsibility for managing incidents and handling emergencies.
Fire officers also make decisions about fighting fires and rescuing people from fires, and they are responsible for the training of fire department members, risk assessment and mitigation of risks while fighting fires and use of conflict resolution within the fire department.
In addition, fire officers have administrative functions, which means they take care of correspondence, office records, reports and order supplies as well as managing the fire department’s budget.
The National Fire Academy offers an Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program that provides leadership skills to strengthen organizations and make communities more resilient.
Management
A fire chief would need a certain amount of management experience, Smith said.
A fire chief would need to be knowledgeable, able to work with everyone, dependable, professional, organized, and have the ability to communicate effectively, said Lee Kegan, representative for the Town of Tiffany.
The resume for a prospective fire chief should have the certifications and qualifications listed, he said.
Members of the Boyceville fire board agreed that candidates for the position of fire chief should have five years of experience as a fire chief and would prefer two years of experience as an officer.
Kegan wondered if the fire board could require the fire chief to live within the fire district.
A fire chief would need to be close enough to the fire station to be able to respond to a fire within a reasonable amount of time, Smith said.
Would requiring the fire chief to live in the fire district disqualify some good people who would otherwise have the right experience and qualifications, asked Lillie Milune, representative for the Village of Wheeler.
The fire district’s by-laws do not say anything about the fire chief being required to live in the fire district, noted Brad Stevens, representative for the Village of Boyceville.
Timeline
The Boyceville Community Fire District board approved advertising the notice for a fire chief November 6 and November 13.
Applications for the fire chief’s position will be sent to Hackbarth and are due by November 22.
In the meantime, Hackbarth said he will ask Knops if he is interested in serving as the fire chief in the interim.
The interim fire chief can apply for the fire chief’s position, Hackbarth noted.
If Knops is not interested in the interim fire chief’s position, Hackbarth said he would find out from the current chief, Matt Lunderville, whether there is a second and third assistant fire chief or if Lunderville had someone in mind to serve as the interim fire chief.
The applications for the fire chief’s position will remain sealed until the Boyceville fire board meets to open the applications.
The Boyceville fire board meets next on November 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Boyceville fire station.
