What Fire Chiefs Think and Organizational Directors Know

The fire chiefs of today realize the importance of higher education. This is evident in the seminal works of the 1966 Wing Spread I conference and the United States Fire Administration’s Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Project (FESHE). Organizational directors charged with the responsibilities of recruiting and employing a fire chief must understand the educational qualifications needed to find the best candidate using available resources. This mixed methods study explored organizational directors’ and fire chiefs’ perceptions on the evolving educational, professional credentialing, and experience requirements for the fire chief position. The study provides a foundation for aspiring fire chiefs to base future educational attainment goals. This study also highlights organizational directors’ perspectives on what current fire chiefs should attain regarding educational requirements for the position. The mixed methods approach demonstrated that the quantitative study results were more than adequate to provide a snap shot of Florida’s Fire Service in regards to their perception of necessity for higher education in the development of future officers. The qualitative results provided additional valuable information regarding the five themes deemed necessary to further enhance the qualitative experience. These themes included Perseverance, Experience, Position Relevant Roles and Responsibilities, Mentorship and Information Management. The rich personal experiences provided by the interviewees expounded in way that provided a real world perspective of the rewards and challenges of attaining higher education.