Over the course of my fire service career—and later as a small business owner of Virtual CRR Inc. serving fire departments—I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of chief officers, providing valuable fire service leadership lessons and insights.

I’ve seen leadership at its absolute best.
I’ve also seen leadership that was ineffective, harmful, and in some cases downright unethical.

There is something to be learned from all of it.

Before going further, it’s important to acknowledge this: no leader is experienced and perceived the same way by everyone. Others who worked with the chiefs mentioned here may have different perspectives than mine—and those perspectives are valid.

These leaders were not perfect. They didn’t always make the right decision. What matters is that they recognized mistakes, worked to correct them, and grew over time.

That willingness to learn and evolve is, in itself, leadership. An important note, I don’t think any of these chiefs even remember the interactions I will speak about.

The Chiefs Who Stand Out Didn’t Try to Be the Smartest Person in the Room

The fire chiefs who left the strongest impression on me all shared one defining trait:

They were more interested in learning than in posturing.

One of the best examples of this is Sean Demotropolis, former Fire Chief of the City of Orange, California.

I first worked with Chief Demotropolis early in my career when I was a brand-new captain. At the time, he was also still early in his leadership journey and served as my Strike Team Leader on a wildland fire.

He was not part of my agency.
He came from an entirely different fire department.

That detail matters.

A Moment That Defined Leadership for Me

Around that time, a new piece of technology had just been deployed. One of the firefighters on my crew—again, from a different agency than him—was exceptionally skilled with it.

Chief Demotropolis didn’t pretend to already know everything. He didn’t default to rank. He didn’t posture because he was the Strike Team Leader.

Instead, he did something simple—and rare.

He reached out to that firefighter and said, “Please teach me.”

No qualifiers.
No defensiveness.
No concern about optics or jurisdiction.

That moment stuck with me for decades.

Authority Doesn’t Require Omniscience

That interaction quietly communicated several leadership truths:

  • Rank does not equal expertise

  • Authority is not diminished by learning

  • Asking for help builds trust—it doesn’t weaken it

  • The mission matters more than ego

When a leader seeks input—especially across agency lines—it sends a powerful signal: the goal is success, not status.

That’s how learning organizations are built, even in complex, multi-agency environments.

Working For vs. Working With

Over time, I’ve come to believe this distinction matters more than we often acknowledge.

Some leaders believe people work for them.
The best leaders understand they work with their people.

Working for someone implies hierarchy, obligation, and compliance.
Working with someone implies partnership, trust, and shared purpose.

The fire service is hierarchical by necessity—but leadership effectiveness depends on collaboration, not control.

Leadership Flows Bottom-Up Too

Leadership does not move in only one direction.

For bottom-up leadership to function, firefighters must trust that when a chief officer asks for help, there are no ulterior motives—no tests, no traps, no political games.

That trust must be earned.

When leaders ask for input sincerely—and when firefighters feel safe offering it—the entire organization becomes stronger.

Bottom-up leadership isn’t a threat to command.
It’s a force multiplier.

Leadership Also Means Saying the Hard Thing

Humility and collaboration are essential—but leadership also requires clarity.

Sometimes that means calling a spade a spade.

I was reminded of this during a virtual CRR training hosted by the NFPA where I was vocal about my belief that Community Risk Reduction is ultimately the fire chief’s responsibility, and that chiefs need to be more directly engaged if CRR is going to succeed long-term.

During that session, Trisha Wolford, Fire Chief of Anne Arundel County Fire Department and current President of the IAFC, responded publicly to me.

She didn’t dismiss the point.
She didn’t argue defensively.

 

Instead, she reminded me—and everyone listening—that there are fire chiefs who understand this responsibility and are actively working to make CRR a core function of their organizations.

She also offered an important perspective I needed to hear: meaningful change at scale doesn’t happen instantly. It requires time, planning, influence, and trust—especially across hundreds of jurisdictions with different governance structures and realities.

She was direct.
She was respectful.
And she was right.

That moment didn’t negate accountability—it refined it. It reminded me that leadership is not just about urgency, but about bringing people with you.

Servant Leadership Takes Different Forms

One thing that stood out about Chief Demotropolis throughout his career was where his focus remained.

He never appeared interested in enlarging his influence for its own sake or pursuing national visibility. His attention stayed firmly on the people and the community he served. At his core, he was a servant of those he led and those he protected.

That does not make other leadership paths less valuable.

Organizations like the IAFC rely on strong, principled leaders willing to serve at a broader level. Jeremy Craft, Fire Chief of the Lehi Fire Department, exemplifies this balance.

Chief Craft currently serves as President of the IAFC Western Fire Chiefs, while remaining deeply committed to the firefighters and community in Lehi, UT.

One of the most important initiatives he has championed—particularly in Utah—is improving diagnosis, awareness, and long-term support for firefighters related to cancer. That work reflects servant leadership in its truest form: using influence to protect people, not to accumulate recognition.

Different paths.
Same foundation: service before self.

Context Matters: Speaking to City Council

As Chief Demotropolis transitioned out of his role, he delivered a presentation to the Orange City Council reflecting on leadership, service, and public safety.

In many California cities operating under a city manager form of government, department heads are expected to communicate with city council through formal public processes and appropriate channels. Direct advocacy outside those settings is often limited by governance norms.

What matters most isn’t when the message was delivered—but whether the values behind it were demonstrated consistently over time.

Not All Lessons Are Positive—and That Matters Too

I’ve also worked under and around leadership that taught me exactly what not to do.

Those lessons matter.

They teach you:

  • The cost of ego

  • The damage caused by fear-based leadership

  • How quickly trust can be destroyed

  • How long it takes to rebuild

Leadership leaves fingerprints long after someone leaves office.

What Real Leadership Looks Like

The chiefs who made the greatest impact didn’t need to remind people they were in charge.

They listened.
They learned.
They admitted mistakes.
They corrected course.
They worked with their people.

They weren’t perfect—but they were accountable.

That’s not weakness.

That’s leadership.

Brent Faulkner, MAM, FO, is the CEO and Founder of Virtual CRR Inc.
A retired Battalion Chief from Anaheim Fire & Rescue, Brent brings 28 years of fire service experience, including leadership in structure fires, wildland operations, hazardous materials response, EMS incidents, and specialized rescue operations. He also served 17 years on a Type 1 Hazardous Materials Response Team.

A defining moment in Brent’s career came while leading Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) efforts at a DHS-recognized Terrorism Fusion Center. There, he oversaw initiatives to safeguard critical infrastructure from terrorism, natural disasters, and emerging threats — an experience that shaped his passion for Community Risk Reduction and ultimately led to the creation of Virtual CRR.

Brent holds a Master’s Degree in Management, a Bachelor’s in Occupational Studies, and Associate Degrees in Hazardous Materials Response and Fire Science.