Leadership, Research & Transitioning Departments - Craig Haigh

Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Peter Matthews talks with Craig Haigh, retired Hanover Park, IL, fire chief who continues to teach and consult on various fire service topics.

From coordinating regional response policies with small- and mid-size departments, to having the honest conversations about when departments need to transition to staffing and operational models that fit their communities current and future needs, Haigh shares his experience with moving agencies forward and how to lay that foundation. His experiences also come from a period when he was interim village manager.

He was involved in various research projects, including firefighter health with Dr. Denise Smith and fireground operations with the Illinois Fire Service Institute. Haigh explains why departments need to get involved what research has been done for the first service in the last two decades.

Haigh also offers highlights from his book, The Dynamic Fire Chief: Principles for Organizational Management and suggests his favorite book for our listeners.

Wrapping up the show, Haigh shares three takeaways on retiring from the fire service.

Resources:  

• Craig Haigh on LinkedIn  
• The Dynamic Fire Chief: Principles for Organizational Management 
• It's the Manager: Moving From Boss to Coach Hardcover 
• National Firefighter Registry