Practical lessons in leadership, judgment, accountability, and trust
By Fire Chief Jack Parow, Retired
Fire chiefs rarely get into serious trouble because they lack technical knowledge. Most understand
emergency operations, staffing, apparatus, training, and community risk. Trouble more often begins
when leadership judgment fails—when a chief stops communicating, ignores policy, mishandles
people, blurs ethical boundaries, or assumes that good intentions will excuse poor decisions. The
position carries broad authority, but it also carries constant scrutiny. Elected officials, labor
organizations, employees, the media, and the public may judge the same decision from very different
perspectives.
A fire chief therefore needs more than operational competence. The chief must exercise disciplined
judgment, build reliable systems, document important decisions, and maintain trust before a crisis
occurs. Staying out of trouble does not mean avoiding every disagreement. It means leading in a way
that can withstand fair questions, public review, and organizational pressure (International
Association of Fire Chiefs [IAFC], n.d.; International City/County Management Association [ICMA],
2025).
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