Ask any Fire Chief or Police Chief if it can be lonely at the top. Most all would say yes. In 2021 I wrote an article published in Fire Rescue1 titled “A Week in the Life of a Fire Chief – It’s Lonely at the Top” binged.it/48FsHdp Once the article was shared, I never imagined the response I’d receive from both Fire and Police Chiefs from across the country and surprisingly a few from other countries.
It became evident the stress and isolation associated with being a Chief is prevalent. Sadly, as political environments, belief systems, societies and expectations change, the stress increases. If not addressed it can have damaging effects to oneself, the organization, community and personal life.
Over the past several years, I have developed a deep passion for wellness and those in public safety. I love taking classes, seminars and training for mental health and wellness.
I received a credential in Executive Coaching from Cal State Long Beach as well as the Wainwright Institute several years ago. I have had the opportunity to take Lexipol’s Peer Support Training as well as other course work in this related field. I find it both fascinating, and it has provided tremendous insight into my management style.
In September of this year, I attended a Fire Chiefs Resilience and Leadership Retreat in Idyllwild Ca. along with six other Fire Chiefs provided by First Responder Wellness (FRW). It was the wisest decision I’ve made in a long time.
As I sported my usual OCD behavior on the day of the retreat, I left the house early not wanting to be late. The perfectionist in me! I also wanted to figure out the lay of the land. I arrived at the retreat. A beautiful setting with cabins, rustic classrooms kitchen/dining area all amongst tall pine trees. It felt good to get out of Los Angeles away from work, computer and cell phone. It’s been some time since I’ve had that break!
Slowly other Chiefs were arriving. As we checked in and rooms assigned, the first item on the agenda was dinner. Like a large firehouse kitchen table, we all sat together along with First Responder Wellness Staff and broke bread. It wasn’t long before laughs, comfort and camaraderie set in. I knew, this is where I was supposed to be and do. The food was as good if not better than some of our best firehouse cooks. After introductions and ground rules, we got down to business with instructions on how to get the most out of the program by Dr. Stephen Odom.
We shared experiences of the highs and lows of being a fire chief. In no time led by Dr. Odom and FRW Staff we were focusing on building resilience, avoiding burnout and compassion fatigue, connection and understanding, post traumatic growth practices, balancing home and family life, mental performance and retire well strategies. One of my first biggest takeaways at dinner – As lonely as it is at the top, I wasn’t alone!
During the 3 day – 2-night workshop together we strengthened our skills through self-assessments on self-care, the eight dimensions of wellness, mindfulness, meditation, burnout, growth & residence to name a few. One of the great parts of this retreat was the brilliantly planned outdoor activities that I was amazed at how they played a role in identifying, understanding and dealing with the stressors as a Chief in both the personal and professional sides of life.
We all quickly learned how and why we act and react to/in our position. Amazing the amount of time and education is required to become a Chief, but there is nothing out there that helps educate one to maintain the work/life balance and survival tools to maintain a healthy life as a Chief. This retreat did that. One of the greatest things about this retreat is unlike other training or conferences where the content fades away within a few days, the knowledge acquired and the tools provided have remained with me.
Though this workshop was exclusively for Fire Chiefs, they offer a Command Staff only Resilience Retreat as well. I highly recommend them as I wish I had this available early in my career as a Battalion Chief, and certainly when first promoted to Fire Chief. It is definitely well worth the time.
Thank you to the team of First Responder Wellness Team and all that you do!
Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna