The City of Fairfax Fire Department is a combination department comprised of career employees, members of the City of Fairfax Professional Firefighters and Paramedics IAFF Local 2702 and our partners with the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Promotional opportunities are basically impossible unless you promote to ALS Lieutenant first (ride a medic for years).
Not much support staff, so operational staff are stuck with the burden of serving on committees and managing budgets (sold as a way to promote) and promotes a culture of yes men and kissing ass.
Pay is not competitive with the surrounding area, we work the same hours for the same or less pay. Police Officers work 16 hours less per week for the same pay.
Growing trend of reduced hours in this area & we will be the last to adopt a 4 platoon schedule.
Experienced firefighters are mostly hired… however no lateral pay is offered.
Prepare to have no down time and be completing irrelevant tasks all day, or spending hours on irrelevant or ground ball training that is full of “gotcha” moments, so people looking to promote can look good on paper.
Only department to have a 30 year state retirement in Virginia.
Only two leave slots per day, means taking leave is painful unless it’s trade time.
Upper management is severely disconnected from operations, especially for a 2 station department. I would guess the Fire Chief knows 50% of staff by name.
Grudges are held on to by management, meaning if they don’t like you… you will not promote.
The City of Fairfax Fire Department is a textbook case of what happens when disconnected leadership, small town ‘good old boys’ networks and broken benefits collide with misplaced priorities.
Leadership Failures
• Fire Chief: Out of touch and disengaged from his people. More focused on image than substance. Immature. Holds grudges to those who aren’t willing to blindly tow the company line and kiss his butt. He has no spine when it comes to standing up against bureaucracy at City Hall. He couldn’t even go to bat for the administrative assistant he was infatuated with and let her leave for Loudoun County so she could make the salary she deserved.
• Assistant Chief of Operations: Delusional, making decisions based on fantasy rather than operational reality. His priority is, always has been and most likely will always be ensuring he looks good for his next promotion.
• EMS Battalion Chief & Training Captain: Frustrated, negative, and uninspiring, they’ve allowed training and mentorship to deteriorate into inconsistency and low morale with more focus on checking boxes in Target Solutions and Evaluations Plus than realistic training
• EMS Lieutenants: Inexperienced and arrogant, they carry inflated egos without the field knowledge or maturity to lead effectively.
• Suppression Captains & Lieutenants:
Self serving, incompetent, micromanaging, lazy and without integrity. To be fair, this doesn’t apply to all of the suppression officers but sadly the shoe fits for several on each shift.
Compensation & Retirement – Among the Worst in Virginia
The City of Fairfax offers its firefighters the weakest retirement package in the region:
• Lowest multiplier in the Virginia State Retirement System.
• Firefighters are not classified under hazardous duty, unlike most other Virginia departments, despite the risks of the job.
• No DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program) to retain experienced personnel.
• No buyback of military time, a benefit standard in surrounding jurisdictions.
• The ALS incentive pay hasn’t been increased since its inception 20 years ago.
• While they solely hire experienced and certified firefighters and paramedics they’ve never given lateral pay like most other jurisdictions in the region do on a regular basis.
This isn’t just uncompetitive — it’s insulting. The city’s refusal to invest in its people guarantees continued turnover and loss of talent.
Misplaced Priorities – ISO 1 Obsession
Chief O’Neal’s relentless pursuit of an ISO 1 rating has turned into a burden for the operational shifts. Crews are buried under endless busy work to maintain the metric, while the Chief naively touts the designation as proof that CFFD is a “top-notch organization.” The reality on the street tells a different story:
• The once tip-of-the-spear EMS program has eroded, leaving gaps in reliability and quality.
• The department’s reputation for competent, dependable firefighters has slipped away, replaced by frustration and burnout.
Culture & Morale
Instead of cultivating professionalism, Fairfax City has created an environment defined by micromanagement, arrogance, and dwindling pride in the badge. The workforce still cares deeply about serving the community, but they are stifled by poor leadership and a city government that treats them as expendable. Some people even say the CFFD really stands for ‘Cluster F**k Fire Department’ since there’s clearly such an identity crisis that they can’t even run simple engine companies like a small two station department should staff. Stop trying to be more than you are and focus on excelling with the basics. A Foam Engine isn’t the best protection for the tank farm on Pickett Rd and the Rescue Engine is an outdated concept that’s not a very good engine company. If you want to be in rescue operations then own it and staff Engine 433 and buy a heavy Rescue Squad 433, especially with the spec ops reorganization with FCFRD. Furthermore, why in the world do you own so many boats? There’s no way to justify owning so much swift water equipment for a FD without any bodies of water in their local district. Let it go!
Bottom Line
The City of Fairfax Fire Department has traded true excellence for smoke and mirrors. Behind the shiny ISO 1 certificate lies a hollow organization — crippled by bad leadership, the worst retirement benefits in the region, and the steady decline of what was once a premier fire and EMS department in Virginia.
It would be best for Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department to reabsorb the two fire stations like it was prior to 1978.
The City of Fairfax Fire Department is a textbook example of what happens when strong leadership, supportive teamwork, and outstanding benefits align with clear priorities.
Leadership is one of the department’s greatest strengths. The Fire Chief is deeply connected and engaged with his people, leading with vision and substance while always putting firefighters first. The Assistant Chief of Operations is grounded and forward-thinking, making decisions based on operational reality with integrity at the core. The EMS Battalion Chief and Training Captain are inspiring leaders who have built training and mentorship into a true strength of the department. EMS Lieutenants are skilled and confident, earning respect through knowledge and maturity, while the Suppression Captains and Lieutenants are dependable, professional, and team-oriented. Across the board, this is leadership you can trust.
Compensation and retirement are among the best in Virginia. The retirement system is competitive, firefighters are properly recognized under hazardous duty, and benefits like DROP, military buyback, and steadily increasing ALS incentive pay show the city’s commitment to its people. Lateral pay also ensures that experienced firefighters and medics are compensated fairly from day one. This isn’t just competitive—it’s a clear investment in retaining top-tier talent.
The department’s priorities are clear and focused. The ISO 1 designation is not just a certificate but proof that Fairfax is among the nation’s elite. It has elevated the department to new heights, inspiring pride across shifts. The EMS program remains a model of excellence, and the department’s reputation as a highly trained, dependable force has only grown stronger.
The culture and morale here are exceptional. The City of Fairfax has cultivated an environment of professionalism, pride, and camaraderie. Firefighters are empowered, energized, and proud to serve their community. The Foam Engine, Rescue Engine, and swift water rescue resources show vision and preparedness, ensuring the city is ready for any emergency. Instead of being excessive, these resources highlight the department’s innovation and commitment to safety.
Bottom line: The City of Fairfax Fire Department exemplifies true excellence. Behind the ISO 1 rating lies a strong, well-led organization with some of the best benefits in the region and a thriving culture of service. This department proves that a two-station fire department can set the standard for professionalism, readiness, and heart. Truly one of Virginia’s premier fire and EMS departments.
The City of Fairfax Fire Department has become skilled at projecting an image of success while struggling with real performance. It’s a sad joke really! Recruitment relies on outdated word-of-mouth practices, retention is steadily declining, yet leadership maintains that everything is fine. Some chiefs from the fourth floor have literally said there is not a recruitment or retention problem. Unbelievable! Perhaps they believe firefighters are motivated solely by unequal public safety pay scale compared to city police [FACT—they work 16 hours a week less and get the same pay], the fire equipment that seems to have identity crises and continues down the same path of delusion [why can’t the CFFD just buy a regular fire engine?!], and a complete lack of forward vision.
Paramedic incentive pay remains decades behind the times, and experienced firefighters and paramedics receive no competitive compensation—unlike most other departments that recognize the value of lateral hires. Check out the sign-on bonuses from Arlington County ($15,000!!!) and that’s in addition to the nine years of experience credit for pay steps, yes NINE! Morale and welfare are at a breaking point. The shift work firefighters continue to carry the workload while management focuses on optics.
Adding to the concerns, the department has the lowest VRS multiplier in the region and does not classify its firefighters as hazardous duty employees. One must ask—what could possibly be more hazardous than performing lifesaving work in burning buildings and on some of this busiest highways in America?!?! To top it all off their was finally someone serving on the retirement committee as a FD representative that had some great ideas to make improvements and after failing to get the support from the Fire Chief and union he resigned from the committee for his own mental health and well-being. The Fire Chief even questioned if that person was acting rogue and if the employees would even want to work a 25 year retirement versus the current 30 years. Seriously, I don’t think you have to be an accredited Chief fire Officer to figure out that answer! Duh!
Leadership failures are widespread. The Fire Chief is never held accountable for pushing his own personal agenda, if the Ops Ass. Chief is talking chances are high he’s probably lying, while the Training Captain demonstrates a particularly selfish and disgruntled approach, prioritizing personal agendas. But let’s keep things real, how can the Training Captain provide adequate, let alone high quality training for the CFFD with a budget of $500 for the entire fiscal year?!?! The EMS Battalion Chief has been beaten down by the Fire Chief to where he is so disgruntled and disillusioned with the department it’s no wonder he lets the new LTs with less than five years experience as career firefighter medics run the EMS program. Arrogant and inexperienced EMS lieutenants further undermine operations, with the three newest promotions apparently bypassing a more qualified, tenured employee—an outcome widely seen as influenced by personal vendettas of the Fire Chief. Oh, here’s something else for these EMS lieutenants to realize, the fire trucks aren’t the same as ambulances and don’t need so much EMS equipment the compartments that hold the bags are being damaged—just take a look at the drug bag door and Life Pack shelf on the rescue engine! Ridiculous! Change with EMS leadership, to include the medical director is well overdue! The EMS officers are nowhere near the high performing medics and leaders I hear from the older guys they once were.
Rather than supporting IAFF Local 2702 in securing a collective bargaining agreement, the Fire Chief and Assostant Chef prefers games, denial, and preserving personal control. If the Fire Chief really cared about the employees he would be advocating for a CBA to prove it, like several of the surrounding NOVA NCR department chiefs have done.
Reviews from User214 are, without doubt, 100% accurate and reflect the department’s current reality. They should not be discounted as the one person out of line with the majority of FTE’s in the FD.
User875 is obviously generated by AI, most likely from some “company man” trying to suck up and make things seem all sunshine and rainbows. While some of their comments, or should I say comments from ChatGPT/Google are opinions that anyone’s allowed to have—there are FACTUAL BOLD FACED LIES! For example User875 said “Compensation and retirement are among the best in Virginia. The retirement system is competitive, firefighters are properly recognized under hazardous duty, and benefits like DROP, military buyback, and steadily increasing ALS incentive pay show the city’s commitment to its people. Lateral pay also ensures that experienced firefighters and medics are compensated fairly from day one.” Here are the facts—We ARE NOT categorized as hazardous duty—There is no DROP—There’s no military buy back option with the City retirement—The ALS incentive pay is $5k/annually and hasn’t increased in 20 years and isn’t even included in the medics salaries towards their retirement—And while the City PD gives four steps for experienced employees from day one of their employment the last three or four experienced/lateral firefighters have only been given one step, and some were brow beaten to promise they aren’t going to leave because the Assistant Chief told them the steps he fought for will lower the FD’s budget “forever”. Thankfully ChatGPT/Google AI can identify who User875 so we know who you are!
Hey city manager, if the budget is so bleak maybe you could save some money by cutting back on the number of take home vehicles for people that aren’t on-call and expected to respond in from their homes [EMS battalion chief, EMS captain, training captain, EMS lieutenant, not on call fire marshals, maybe even the fire chief and assistance cheif} [or maybe we could do what so many other FDs do and have a residency requirement for the fire chief and a reasonably closer proximity for the others like fire marshals so we don’t have to wait so long for them to respond in from their homes that are really far away}. Or maybe you could save ten’s of thousands of dollars by stop paying a third party for promotional processes that the results are completely ignored! Maybe the decision on promotions shouldn’t fall solely on the shoulders of one person, especially when it’s a Fire Chief who holds grudges like a spoiled child. Let’s follow the lead of the U.S. military who has a panel of people deciding on who is promoted. The panels include people above the rank, as the same rank and below the rank of the people being selected for promotion. I know, it’s a wild concept to have people who will actually be working along side of those being promoted helping make those decisions instead of one person who just wants to feel good about themselves and has no idea what it’s like to actually be on shift with the people he’s promoting. Can we stop acting like a volunteer FD and more like professionals we should be?! Speaking of volunteer FDs the Fairfax VFD has a chief that’s more engaged with the career members and actually knows about us much more than Chef O’Neal does!
The bottom line: the City of Fairfax Fire Department doesn’t have a firefighter problem—it has a leadership problem. If only the City of Fairfax would conduct a fact-gathering inquiry with the protections of the federal Whistleblower Act, the systemic issues would be undeniable. Instead of doing their jobs to make things better there’s a hunt to figure out who User214 is by the Assistant Chief and others. Apparently there’s a long list of possible people it could be—which should be a giant sign itself that there’s some major problems and it’s not just one disgruntled current or former employee. Until the mayor, city council, and city manager recognize this brutal truth and take decisive action, the community will continue receiving less than it deserves. The wellbeing of the CFFD, its employees and the public safety of the citizens and visitors of Fairfax City cannot thrive under smoke, mirrors, and denial.
Rating Breakdown
2/5
2.3/5
2.8/5
3.8/5
6 Reviews on “City of Fairfax Fire Department”
Poor leadership and extended hours but it depends on your crew to make it or break it.
Promotional opportunities are basically impossible unless you promote to ALS Lieutenant first (ride a medic for years).
Not much support staff, so operational staff are stuck with the burden of serving on committees and managing budgets (sold as a way to promote) and promotes a culture of yes men and kissing ass.
Pay is not competitive with the surrounding area, we work the same hours for the same or less pay. Police Officers work 16 hours less per week for the same pay.
Growing trend of reduced hours in this area & we will be the last to adopt a 4 platoon schedule.
Experienced firefighters are mostly hired… however no lateral pay is offered.
Prepare to have no down time and be completing irrelevant tasks all day, or spending hours on irrelevant or ground ball training that is full of “gotcha” moments, so people looking to promote can look good on paper.
Only department to have a 30 year state retirement in Virginia.
Only two leave slots per day, means taking leave is painful unless it’s trade time.
Upper management is severely disconnected from operations, especially for a 2 station department. I would guess the Fire Chief knows 50% of staff by name.
Grudges are held on to by management, meaning if they don’t like you… you will not promote.
The City of Fairfax Fire Department is a textbook case of what happens when disconnected leadership, small town ‘good old boys’ networks and broken benefits collide with misplaced priorities.
Leadership Failures
• Fire Chief: Out of touch and disengaged from his people. More focused on image than substance. Immature. Holds grudges to those who aren’t willing to blindly tow the company line and kiss his butt. He has no spine when it comes to standing up against bureaucracy at City Hall. He couldn’t even go to bat for the administrative assistant he was infatuated with and let her leave for Loudoun County so she could make the salary she deserved.
• Assistant Chief of Operations: Delusional, making decisions based on fantasy rather than operational reality. His priority is, always has been and most likely will always be ensuring he looks good for his next promotion.
• EMS Battalion Chief & Training Captain: Frustrated, negative, and uninspiring, they’ve allowed training and mentorship to deteriorate into inconsistency and low morale with more focus on checking boxes in Target Solutions and Evaluations Plus than realistic training
• EMS Lieutenants: Inexperienced and arrogant, they carry inflated egos without the field knowledge or maturity to lead effectively.
• Suppression Captains & Lieutenants:
Self serving, incompetent, micromanaging, lazy and without integrity. To be fair, this doesn’t apply to all of the suppression officers but sadly the shoe fits for several on each shift.
Compensation & Retirement – Among the Worst in Virginia
The City of Fairfax offers its firefighters the weakest retirement package in the region:
• Lowest multiplier in the Virginia State Retirement System.
• Firefighters are not classified under hazardous duty, unlike most other Virginia departments, despite the risks of the job.
• No DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Program) to retain experienced personnel.
• No buyback of military time, a benefit standard in surrounding jurisdictions.
• The ALS incentive pay hasn’t been increased since its inception 20 years ago.
• While they solely hire experienced and certified firefighters and paramedics they’ve never given lateral pay like most other jurisdictions in the region do on a regular basis.
This isn’t just uncompetitive — it’s insulting. The city’s refusal to invest in its people guarantees continued turnover and loss of talent.
Misplaced Priorities – ISO 1 Obsession
Chief O’Neal’s relentless pursuit of an ISO 1 rating has turned into a burden for the operational shifts. Crews are buried under endless busy work to maintain the metric, while the Chief naively touts the designation as proof that CFFD is a “top-notch organization.” The reality on the street tells a different story:
• The once tip-of-the-spear EMS program has eroded, leaving gaps in reliability and quality.
• The department’s reputation for competent, dependable firefighters has slipped away, replaced by frustration and burnout.
Culture & Morale
Instead of cultivating professionalism, Fairfax City has created an environment defined by micromanagement, arrogance, and dwindling pride in the badge. The workforce still cares deeply about serving the community, but they are stifled by poor leadership and a city government that treats them as expendable. Some people even say the CFFD really stands for ‘Cluster F**k Fire Department’ since there’s clearly such an identity crisis that they can’t even run simple engine companies like a small two station department should staff. Stop trying to be more than you are and focus on excelling with the basics. A Foam Engine isn’t the best protection for the tank farm on Pickett Rd and the Rescue Engine is an outdated concept that’s not a very good engine company. If you want to be in rescue operations then own it and staff Engine 433 and buy a heavy Rescue Squad 433, especially with the spec ops reorganization with FCFRD. Furthermore, why in the world do you own so many boats? There’s no way to justify owning so much swift water equipment for a FD without any bodies of water in their local district. Let it go!
Bottom Line
The City of Fairfax Fire Department has traded true excellence for smoke and mirrors. Behind the shiny ISO 1 certificate lies a hollow organization — crippled by bad leadership, the worst retirement benefits in the region, and the steady decline of what was once a premier fire and EMS department in Virginia.
It would be best for Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department to reabsorb the two fire stations like it was prior to 1978.
The City of Fairfax Fire Department is a textbook example of what happens when strong leadership, supportive teamwork, and outstanding benefits align with clear priorities.
Leadership is one of the department’s greatest strengths. The Fire Chief is deeply connected and engaged with his people, leading with vision and substance while always putting firefighters first. The Assistant Chief of Operations is grounded and forward-thinking, making decisions based on operational reality with integrity at the core. The EMS Battalion Chief and Training Captain are inspiring leaders who have built training and mentorship into a true strength of the department. EMS Lieutenants are skilled and confident, earning respect through knowledge and maturity, while the Suppression Captains and Lieutenants are dependable, professional, and team-oriented. Across the board, this is leadership you can trust.
Compensation and retirement are among the best in Virginia. The retirement system is competitive, firefighters are properly recognized under hazardous duty, and benefits like DROP, military buyback, and steadily increasing ALS incentive pay show the city’s commitment to its people. Lateral pay also ensures that experienced firefighters and medics are compensated fairly from day one. This isn’t just competitive—it’s a clear investment in retaining top-tier talent.
The department’s priorities are clear and focused. The ISO 1 designation is not just a certificate but proof that Fairfax is among the nation’s elite. It has elevated the department to new heights, inspiring pride across shifts. The EMS program remains a model of excellence, and the department’s reputation as a highly trained, dependable force has only grown stronger.
The culture and morale here are exceptional. The City of Fairfax has cultivated an environment of professionalism, pride, and camaraderie. Firefighters are empowered, energized, and proud to serve their community. The Foam Engine, Rescue Engine, and swift water rescue resources show vision and preparedness, ensuring the city is ready for any emergency. Instead of being excessive, these resources highlight the department’s innovation and commitment to safety.
Bottom line: The City of Fairfax Fire Department exemplifies true excellence. Behind the ISO 1 rating lies a strong, well-led organization with some of the best benefits in the region and a thriving culture of service. This department proves that a two-station fire department can set the standard for professionalism, readiness, and heart. Truly one of Virginia’s premier fire and EMS departments.
The City of Fairfax Fire Department has become skilled at projecting an image of success while struggling with real performance. It’s a sad joke really! Recruitment relies on outdated word-of-mouth practices, retention is steadily declining, yet leadership maintains that everything is fine. Some chiefs from the fourth floor have literally said there is not a recruitment or retention problem. Unbelievable! Perhaps they believe firefighters are motivated solely by unequal public safety pay scale compared to city police [FACT—they work 16 hours a week less and get the same pay], the fire equipment that seems to have identity crises and continues down the same path of delusion [why can’t the CFFD just buy a regular fire engine?!], and a complete lack of forward vision.
Paramedic incentive pay remains decades behind the times, and experienced firefighters and paramedics receive no competitive compensation—unlike most other departments that recognize the value of lateral hires. Check out the sign-on bonuses from Arlington County ($15,000!!!) and that’s in addition to the nine years of experience credit for pay steps, yes NINE! Morale and welfare are at a breaking point. The shift work firefighters continue to carry the workload while management focuses on optics.
Adding to the concerns, the department has the lowest VRS multiplier in the region and does not classify its firefighters as hazardous duty employees. One must ask—what could possibly be more hazardous than performing lifesaving work in burning buildings and on some of this busiest highways in America?!?! To top it all off their was finally someone serving on the retirement committee as a FD representative that had some great ideas to make improvements and after failing to get the support from the Fire Chief and union he resigned from the committee for his own mental health and well-being. The Fire Chief even questioned if that person was acting rogue and if the employees would even want to work a 25 year retirement versus the current 30 years. Seriously, I don’t think you have to be an accredited Chief fire Officer to figure out that answer! Duh!
Leadership failures are widespread. The Fire Chief is never held accountable for pushing his own personal agenda, if the Ops Ass. Chief is talking chances are high he’s probably lying, while the Training Captain demonstrates a particularly selfish and disgruntled approach, prioritizing personal agendas. But let’s keep things real, how can the Training Captain provide adequate, let alone high quality training for the CFFD with a budget of $500 for the entire fiscal year?!?! The EMS Battalion Chief has been beaten down by the Fire Chief to where he is so disgruntled and disillusioned with the department it’s no wonder he lets the new LTs with less than five years experience as career firefighter medics run the EMS program. Arrogant and inexperienced EMS lieutenants further undermine operations, with the three newest promotions apparently bypassing a more qualified, tenured employee—an outcome widely seen as influenced by personal vendettas of the Fire Chief. Oh, here’s something else for these EMS lieutenants to realize, the fire trucks aren’t the same as ambulances and don’t need so much EMS equipment the compartments that hold the bags are being damaged—just take a look at the drug bag door and Life Pack shelf on the rescue engine! Ridiculous! Change with EMS leadership, to include the medical director is well overdue! The EMS officers are nowhere near the high performing medics and leaders I hear from the older guys they once were.
Rather than supporting IAFF Local 2702 in securing a collective bargaining agreement, the Fire Chief and Assostant Chef prefers games, denial, and preserving personal control. If the Fire Chief really cared about the employees he would be advocating for a CBA to prove it, like several of the surrounding NOVA NCR department chiefs have done.
Reviews from User214 are, without doubt, 100% accurate and reflect the department’s current reality. They should not be discounted as the one person out of line with the majority of FTE’s in the FD.
User875 is obviously generated by AI, most likely from some “company man” trying to suck up and make things seem all sunshine and rainbows. While some of their comments, or should I say comments from ChatGPT/Google are opinions that anyone’s allowed to have—there are FACTUAL BOLD FACED LIES! For example User875 said “Compensation and retirement are among the best in Virginia. The retirement system is competitive, firefighters are properly recognized under hazardous duty, and benefits like DROP, military buyback, and steadily increasing ALS incentive pay show the city’s commitment to its people. Lateral pay also ensures that experienced firefighters and medics are compensated fairly from day one.” Here are the facts—We ARE NOT categorized as hazardous duty—There is no DROP—There’s no military buy back option with the City retirement—The ALS incentive pay is $5k/annually and hasn’t increased in 20 years and isn’t even included in the medics salaries towards their retirement—And while the City PD gives four steps for experienced employees from day one of their employment the last three or four experienced/lateral firefighters have only been given one step, and some were brow beaten to promise they aren’t going to leave because the Assistant Chief told them the steps he fought for will lower the FD’s budget “forever”. Thankfully ChatGPT/Google AI can identify who User875 so we know who you are!
Hey city manager, if the budget is so bleak maybe you could save some money by cutting back on the number of take home vehicles for people that aren’t on-call and expected to respond in from their homes [EMS battalion chief, EMS captain, training captain, EMS lieutenant, not on call fire marshals, maybe even the fire chief and assistance cheif} [or maybe we could do what so many other FDs do and have a residency requirement for the fire chief and a reasonably closer proximity for the others like fire marshals so we don’t have to wait so long for them to respond in from their homes that are really far away}. Or maybe you could save ten’s of thousands of dollars by stop paying a third party for promotional processes that the results are completely ignored! Maybe the decision on promotions shouldn’t fall solely on the shoulders of one person, especially when it’s a Fire Chief who holds grudges like a spoiled child. Let’s follow the lead of the U.S. military who has a panel of people deciding on who is promoted. The panels include people above the rank, as the same rank and below the rank of the people being selected for promotion. I know, it’s a wild concept to have people who will actually be working along side of those being promoted helping make those decisions instead of one person who just wants to feel good about themselves and has no idea what it’s like to actually be on shift with the people he’s promoting. Can we stop acting like a volunteer FD and more like professionals we should be?! Speaking of volunteer FDs the Fairfax VFD has a chief that’s more engaged with the career members and actually knows about us much more than Chef O’Neal does!
The bottom line: the City of Fairfax Fire Department doesn’t have a firefighter problem—it has a leadership problem. If only the City of Fairfax would conduct a fact-gathering inquiry with the protections of the federal Whistleblower Act, the systemic issues would be undeniable. Instead of doing their jobs to make things better there’s a hunt to figure out who User214 is by the Assistant Chief and others. Apparently there’s a long list of possible people it could be—which should be a giant sign itself that there’s some major problems and it’s not just one disgruntled current or former employee. Until the mayor, city council, and city manager recognize this brutal truth and take decisive action, the community will continue receiving less than it deserves. The wellbeing of the CFFD, its employees and the public safety of the citizens and visitors of Fairfax City cannot thrive under smoke, mirrors, and denial.
I wonder what 214 thinks about the union?