Billy Hayes

Firefighter Safety: Use Your Initiative

Billy D. Hayes retired as fire chief for the City of Onalaska, Wisconsin, in 2020. He previously served as the fire marshal for the University of South Alabama, vice president of university relations for Columbia Southern University, the director of community affairs for the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department, and as the fire chief and emergency management coordinator for the City of Riverdale, Georgia. He is a graduate of Georgia Military College and Columbia Southern University, the NFA’s Executive Fire Officer Program, and has a certificate in local government management from the University of Georgia. Hayes is a past president of the Metro Atlanta Fire Chiefs Association and past chairman of the board for the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation. He authored the Public Fire and Life Safety Education chapter of “The Fire Chief’s Handbook” (7th Edition). Hayes is a member of the Fire Chief/FireRescue1 Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with Hayes on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Full list of Billy Hayes results

8 fire service careers that don’t involve running into burning buildings
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There are several opportunities to engage the skills of non-firefighting personnel or members who are past their front-line days
The ‘outside chief’: 4 more factors to consider before taking the top job in a new area
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Part 2 – Ask key questions about training and certifications, mutual aid, relationship-building and your own family
The ‘outside chief’: 5 factors to consider before taking the top job in a new area
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It’s essential to do your homework, understand the politics and find the right fit for you
Training firefighters to prioritize life safety and ‘own’ the CRR vision
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New firefighters receive little training on fire prevention messages before being asked to deliver presentations and take action in the field
How a fire chief’s happiness is contagious
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A fire service leader's positivity or negativity will be passed on to the entire department; it's up to each leader to choose which it will be
4 fire service data points you need to know
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Knowing your fire department’s stats can improve operations and firefighter safety, making you an all-star in protecting life and property
Love the journey: 8 steps to career planning in the fire service
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Begin with the end in mind to lay the foundation for a successful, rewarding firefighter career and retirement
Beyond sports: Coaching in the firehouse
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Fire/EMS leaders and employees share the responsibility in clearly communicating expectations and performance
Making fireground decisions in an instant-replay world
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There's no time out or replay booth to review our on-scene decisions; training and flawless execution are a must
Why fire prevention is a core fire service function
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The fire service can reduce civilian fire deaths by shifting its attitude, data collection practice and funding priorities
How the fire service assassinates its leaders
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The lessons from a literal assassination in November 1963 hold wisdom for overcoming the fire service's figurative leadership assassinations
Part 2: Paradox of prevention and fire porn
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A focus on prevention is not a substitute for suppression, but the next step in the fire services' evolution
How 'fire porn' hurts the fire service
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Until prevention becomes as much of a turn on as fire porn, we will not fulfill our mission to protect lives and property
How fire officers can out-communicate technology
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Reliance on the convenience of digital communication mediums hamstring fire officers' ability to be good communicators
The post 9/11 PIO
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Sept. 11 and advancing communication technology forever changed the job of the fire department public information officer
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