Fire Chief Dan Munsey “Service through Relationships”
Fire Chief Dan Munsey “Service through Relationships”
The IAFC 2nd vice president serves our association and ensures that members come first. The position, which advances yearly to IAFC president, is never one that is meant to be held in a silo. The 2nd vice president is a working chief position. It is meant for the leader who works hard to collaborate, communicate, and engage with stakeholders. Simon Sinek states that “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge”.
The desire to be this “working chief” and serve comes from deep within. Famously, Rotary International service motto states it best: “Service above Oneself”. What Rotary doesn’t say, but lives deeply, is that we are also “better together”.
Chief officers learn how important “together” is during large incident responses. Mutual aid is designed on the premise that “no one agency can provide for all of its own community needs”. We recognize that mutual aid exemplifies the principle of solidarity and collaboration among emergency responders to ensure public safety, and protect life and property.
I recently read that “Relationships aren’t everything; Relationships are the ONLY thing’. I learned long ago that effective leadership centers on fostering strong relationships; they establish trust, foster collaboration, and create a supportive environment. The most important leadership trait we can possess in the modern world is fostering relationships within our association and with other stakeholders.
If elected, I'll prioritize ongoing communication to foster strong relationships with sections, divisions, and state associations. We need to utilize all of our collective strengths to effectively take care of those we represent. To do so, I'll advocate for member engagement, cooperation, fairness, and innovation, creating avenues for involvement in IAFC activities and committees. I'll expand educational opportunities regionally and collaboratively, while ensuring financial resilience for future challenges. Partnering with other organizations, I'll ensure members always feel heard,valued and represented in shaping the future of IAFC.
I’ll work with other associations and allied stakeholders to solve complex emerging issues such as increased and larger wildfires, the recently attempted degradation of building code standards, the effects of lithium-ion batteries on our responder’s health and safety, and harmful legislation to public safety. There is no doubt that opinions will vary, but I am confident that we can work together to address, advocate for and solve the issues that matter most to our communities.
I believe the IAFC executive leadership must be represented by those that believe in the principles discussed above. We must use all of our collective strengths, recognize the importance of consulting with our committees, sections and divisions, and strive to work with others to foster deeper relationships to solve our complex needs together.