New "Fire Chief" starts on 10/16

Back in Feb 2006, our "Fire Chief" of 30 years retired and since then our city has been interviewing and testing for a new replacement. It was assumed that it was just a formality (testing and interview) and that our current "Asst. Chief" would just get promoted. Well after approx. 15 interviews and 6 months of testing, my city has hired someone from the outside - a current Capt. for another city close to ours. He has been a fulltime firefighter and promoted through the ranks to Capt. for the past 30 years.

How should I feel as a senior firefighter that my city decided to hire from the outside. ?

I guess the only answer to that will come on Friday 10/13/06 when I meet him for the first time. He is supposed to take the grand tour of all the stations and department with the city manager. He will then start his first day on Monday. This makes me feel very -blank- about my career right now. After 13 years on the job it (my career) could change so much. Today is my day off and I'll report in on Friday not knowing what the rest of my career could be.....what a weird feeling. The fire service - well my city's fire service was always very stable and I never thought that I would need to worry much, well now WHAT.........

This could be the best, first day of the rest of my career - or - the worst first day for the rest of my career.

Now to calm me down a little - we have talked to some of the firefighters from his old department and they have all said that we are taking the one Capt. that they like............so I guess that is a huge positive at this point.

When I report in tomorrow, I'll be in charge of station #2 (we have 4 stations total, the senior most guy at each station is in charge that day), I'll have three other very nervous guys who will be looking up to me for some answers - what could I possibly tell them........???????????

Copes