Despite knowing for some time that she’d be the first woman to preside over the International Association of Fire Chiefs, there was no wiping the smile off her face after U.S. Fire Administrator Ernie Mitchell swore her in at last month’s FRI.

The fourth generation firefighter and New Jersey native began her career in 1983, rose to second in command in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., became chief in Little Rock, Ark. and has spent the past six years leading the Austin (Texas) Fire Department.

Prior to her swearing in, I talked to Chief Kerr about her career, the fire service and her aspirations.

Fire Chief: For those unfamiliar with IAFC, how does one become president?

Chief Kerr: It is pretty intensive, especially since there’s a decision-making process of ‘do I want to do this’ and ‘do I have the time to commit to it.’ And you have to be what the IAFC calls certified. You have to have a letter from your immediate supervisor that acknowledges that they are OK with you running.

Before I announced that I was going to run, I talked to my executive staff because they will be bearing a good part of the burden for the year that I’m president. I talked with my union president so they would understand what I was doing. It was a matter of making sure that people understood and were willing to support me.

Once I got all of those things in place it was following through with the formal process of the IAFC. There was gaining endorsements, campaigning and visiting with the different divisions. All of that took time.

Is there a benefit to the city to being IAFC president?

There is absolutely a benefit for the city. Any time that I’m going to be traveling on behalf of the IAFC, I’m representing the city of Austin. That brings the recognition back to the city. There are things that you learn and new relationships that you benefit from that in turn benefit the city.

What is the biggest challenge in the coming year?

The biggest challenge for all of us, volunteer or a career department, is making sure that we retain our credibility and recognition on the national front. That can even be for our international partners as well.

It is important that we are thought of as an important part of a city, county or state organization, that we remain at the top of that credibility. There’s a lot that goes into maintaining that credibility.

Does that extend to the federal level?

Absolutely. That [ability to get things like grant funding] is why it is so important we maintain our credibility. It is important that we are not thought of as ‘they’re not important; they don’t provide a good service; or as just a bunch of cowboys.’ We’ve got to protect our brand.

What’s the state of the brand?

It is fairly good. Even if I look at our organization and there are 1,200 firefighters and there are very few who bring discredit or would embarrass us. Generally speaking, everybody brings pride and a great deal of admiration to our organization.

That’s true on a more global scale. There are some exceptions and we all read about them, where some fire chief or firefighter has done something, and it does discredit us. Overall, our credibility is very high.

Do you have a signature accomplishment you hope to achieve as president?

I’d like every fire chief to be able to get to zero fire deaths. That’s a huge goal, but if we are working on zero fire deaths, we are working on a whole lot of things. That includes grants, money and funding. It includes involving the community in outreach and education, smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers.

Is that zero civilian or firefighter deaths?

Both. But if we got to zero fatalities on the civilian side, then we wouldn’t have firefighters going to fires and putting themselves in harm’s way.

I have always two things in my mind: taking care of the firefighters and providing the best service we can for the community. I can’t do number two without taking care of the firefighters first. Getting to zero firefighter deaths would be a huge accomplishment. We need to look at a more global market and say: ‘How do we get to zero fire deaths in the community that we serve?’

There’s a case where I had a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old die when the mother left them alone. They started the bedclothes on fire [with matches or a lighter] and were afraid they’d get in trouble so they crawled one behind the other between the bed and the wall.

By the time we got there it was too late. Had there been sprinklers in that building, we wouldn’t be talking about those two deaths. We have to support those types of efforts.

Is that something you will push for on the national level?

I know everybody in the sprinkler coalition is working really hard to find a way to get the building lobby to acknowledge and accept that it is not as big of an expense as they tend to make it out to be. I don’t want to lock horns and have a year of fighting. I want to build some coalitions and build some support that maybe I start this and somebody has to carry it on.

I want to build upon past accomplishments of reducing firefighter deaths. I want to find ways that we can be sustainable in areas of cost efficiency. We need to prepare for the future, and maybe part of that is how do we reduce the impact of fire to our communities. How we do that may be through things like sprinkler legislation.

It is a process and not something I can achieve by the end of my term. But, the accomplishment would be if I got the process more attention.

Who outside the fire service had the most influence on your career?

One was my dad. My father always encouraged me to go after whatever it is I wanted to do. He was in the forest service and fought wildland fires. His father was a volunteer fire chief. And his grandfather was on the New York City Fire Department in the horse-drawn era. Maybe the influence was my family.

And, she hasn’t been the most influential in my career, but my sister has been my biggest supporter. She’s been my biggest cheerleader, all of my life, not just in the fire service.

Who inside the fire service had the most influence on your career?

It was probably my first city manager, Bruce Moore. I had interviewed in major cities. I knew that I had the better qualifications, better experience and the better education, but they always gave the job to a man.

When I had the one-on-one interview with the city manager in Little Rock (Ark.), we had a number of different discussions. I said to him, ‘It takes a person of courage to name a woman their fire chief.’ And he gave me that opportunity and it had the most influence on my career.

Was there a defining point in your career where you knew nothing could stop you?

I can still remember the first morning I was going to go to work as the Little Rock fire chief. I was pinning the five bugles on my collar and went, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be me; I’m the fire chief.’ Then you think, ‘Wait, was I crazy?’

I said to my dad one day, ‘What would great-grandad think if he knew his great-granddaughter was a fire chief?’ And he said, ‘Oh honey, he’d be so proud of you.’

Is there gender and race discrimination in the fire service?

It is probably a lot like it is in the country. Women still have bigger challenges, are scrutinized more closely and are sometimes treated irrelevantly in some departments. Some part is overt and other times it’s not overt. It’s a lack of inclusion, a lack of sensitivity to acknowledging what you should say to women.

Look at what Donald Trump said [after the first debate]. Is that really OK? If it is OK for him to do that, then it is OK for some fire chief to make some stupid remark to a woman in his fire department.

We’re doing better than we were when I joined 32 years ago. We can always do better in regard to women and minorities.

How much is generational?

The younger generation are much more open to race and gender. There are so many more multi-cultural families today than there ever were before. There’s a saying that dinosaurs lay eggs — some of it is passed on. And some of it is the culture of the organization.

The IAFC talks about the five wicked problems, and one of those is culture. We have to make sure that we are leading in a way that our culture is more inclusive and doesn’t support bad behavior.

Sometimes that culture manifests itself in that bravado and ‘We’re an aggressive interior structural firefighting organization.’ Then at 2 a.m. at a McDonalds two firefighters are killed in the line of duty. Why?

Why were we inside a burning building like that? And at the end of the day, they bulldozed that building down. We didn’t save anything. Part of that is the culture. That type of culture sometimes generates inappropriate behavior.

We need to lead with recognition of tradition, but we need to lead with changing culture. We don’t want to lose what is valuable to us, but we don’t need to hold on to things that are no longer relevant.

What role does a paramilitary structure play into the culture?

We can’t use that as a crutch. The paramilitary structure is important because we are putting ourselves in situations where we have to be sure that people are following orders and are trained to do what they need to do.

And it gives us a sense of pride. I’m always proud to be a firefighter. My friends are envious that I go to work everyday and love what I do even on the hard days.

That’s part of who we are. It plays into the culture, but it doesn’t have to play into the negative culture. You can have a paramilitary culture and still be respectful and not talk to people in a denigrating way.

What role do you see women occupying in the fire service a generation out?

I hope women are occupying more roles in the fire service, that there are more of us and that I don’t have to say there are three women [Phoenix Chief Kara Kalkbrenner and San Francisco Chief Joanne Hayes-White] who are fire chiefs of departments of 1,000 or more firefighters.

I’m proud that I’ve made that accomplishment, but I want that to be the norm instead of the outlier. I’m honored to be the first president of the IAFC, but I don’t want to be the last. In 10 years, I hope that there are two women who are on the IAFC executive committee, or maybe all women for a change.

What advice do you have for firefighters, men or women, aspiring to be leaders?

Get as much experience in variation as you can. Don’t limit yourself to operations. Make sure you understand all aspects of the fire service. You may not want to be the lieutenant of prevention; you may want to stay on the truck in emergency operations. If you want to move up to be a leader, you have got to take different opportunities.

You need to get your education and be involved in your community. Be a leader in many different ways. It can be any number of things, but you need to be involved and establish those relationships.

The post Q&A with IAFC’s Chief Kerr on zero fire deaths and culture changes appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

The post It’s official, Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr is now the first female President of the IAFC in 142 Year History appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

By Tom Weber, National Director,
Community Hazard Mitigation, Verisk Insurance Solutions

Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr is a fourth-generation firefighter who recently became the first woman elected president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Chief Kerr has devoted herself to fire service for 32 years in departments throughout the country. After graduating from William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, she started her career as an educator and athletic coach for 13 years. She then made a career change by joining the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue in 1983, serving in various operational and administrative positions until being promoted to deputy chief.

Chief Kerr was appointed chief fire executive of the Little Rock (Arkansas) Fire Department in 2004, providing leadership to more than 400 personnel spanning five divisions. During her time in Little Rock, her team collaborated with both the public and private sectors, promoted cultural change and consistency in all aspects of the organization, and vigorously pursued firefighter safety and well-being and community risk reduction.

“As firefighters, we commit ourselves to serving others above self,” she says. “But we also recognize the challenges of doing so if we haven’t looked after our own needs properly.

In 2009, Chief Kerr was appointed chief fire executive of the Austin (Texas) Fire Department, overseeing almost 1,200 personnel across 45 fire stations and seven additional work sites. There she focused on providing outstanding customer service, more robust firefighter health and wellness, a culture of personal accountability and responsibility, and partnerships with community leaders, citizens, the media, and local businesses.

Chief Kerr says that firefighters “develop a sense of team and that we’re all in this together.” She explains that “service-minded traits are what set firefighters apart from many others.”

She established an Innovation Committee to support the development of a fitness center, reintegrate active military personnel, enhance fireground safety for responders with such nationally recognized training as Rules of Engagement, ensure every operations member receives S130/S190 wildland training (the only department in Texas to do so), and install more than 2,000 smoke alarms in the community.

Chief Kerr has a master’s degree in public administration and attended Harvard University for its National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. She is an active member in the community, participating on the board of the Austin Area Urban League, Operation Blue Santa, the 100 Club, and the Entrepreneurs Foundation. She has served on numerous boards, committees, and task forces, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Metropolitan Fire Chiefs, and National Society of Executive Fire Officers. Chief Kerr is the first women elected president of the IAFC in its 140-year history.

As IAFC president for 2015–2016, she plans to focus on risk reduction and fire prevention efforts such as fire sprinklers. But her top priority will be to continue to champion the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives (FLSI), a set of action points jointly developed by representatives of major fire service constituencies in 2004.

“There are few things more important than ensuring the successful implementation of those initiatives,” she says.

Indeed, she remains committed to taking care of all firefighters, in keeping with the NFFF slogan: “Everyone Goes Home.”

On the Job Newsletter: http://isomitigation.com/index.php/on-the-job

The post ISO Mitigation talks with Chief Kerr about Leadership in Firefighting appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

Fairfax, Va. – (April 15, 2015) The top elected leaders of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) are meeting this week with key congressional and senate offices to raise awareness on Capitol Hill about issues critical to the association’s 11,000 members and the U.S. fire service.

Fire Chief G. Keith Bryant, president and chairman of the board, Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, first vice president, and Fire Chief John Sinclair, second vice president, are meeting with several members of Congress, key congressional staff and administration officials on April 15–16 in Washington, D.C.

In particular, the IAFC leaders are seeking congressional support of federal programs that assist the nation’s firefighters and EMS personnel. The fire and emergency service responds to more than 29 million incidents each year, covering structural fires, hazmat incidents, wildland fires, EMS calls and many other emergency-response situations.

Many federal programs play a vital role in ensuring that the nation’s fire departments are properly trained, equipped and prepared to meet their daily challenges and address all natural and manufactured threats to the nation.

The IAFC’s legislative priority issues include: -FIRE/SAFER grant programs
- Funding for the U.S. Fire Administration
- Funding for the National Fire Academy -Preventing federal taxation of volunteer incentives -Extending the Medicare ambulance add-on payments -Addressing the requirement to give back public-safety communications spectrum in the T-band -Preventing post-wildland-fire flooding
- Improving hazmat-response training for first responders -Ensuring sensible Homeland Security grant reform

More information about the IAFC’s legislative priorities is available on the IAFC website.

The post Sneak peak of IAFC Leaders Advocating for U.S. Fire Service Priorities on Capitol Hill appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

The Austin Fire Department (AFD) is pleased to announced that Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr successfully achieved the professional designation of “Chief Fire Officer” (CFO) from the Center for Public Safety Excellence making her one of only 1,080 CFOs world-wide.

The Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designation Program was created to recognize fire officers who have demonstrated excellence and outstanding achievement throughout their career. The designation demonstrates that individuals have developed a strategy for continued career improvement and development. The highly competitive CFO designation assures departments that their leaders have the educational and technical competencies necessary to meet the demands of today’s society.

The National Professional Development Model, supported by the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Program, maps an efficient path for fire service professional development. It is supported by collaboration among fire-related training, higher education, and credentialing. The model shows CFO designation as a credential to consider in the career progression to fire service executive.

The Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC) awards the designation after an assessment of the applicant’s education, experience, professional development, technical competencies, contributions to the profession, and community involvement. To learn more about CPC, visit www.publicsafetyexcellence.org.

The Austin Fire Department was founded on September 25, 1857 and is now one of the 20 largest departments in the country, with 45 fire stations located throughout the city and more than 1,100 employees.  It also employs twice the national average in women firefighters.

# # #

The post Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr Achieves “Chief Fire Officer” Status appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

The Auxiliary to Austin Firefighters’ Association/Local 975, PETA, and Invisible Fence Instrumental in Raising funds through CrowdRise Campaign

The Austin Fire Department (AFD) announced on August 6, 2015 that it will be able to provide new pet oxygen mask kits for every unit in the city, thanks to a CrowdRise fundraising campaign started by the Auxiliary to the Austin Firefighters’ Association/Local 975, as well as donations from the community, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and Invisible Fence.

Last week, a story about the rescue and resuscitation of an 18-year-old cat at a house fire highlighted the masks that have been on every AFD unit since 2010. Originally donated by PetsAmerica, the masks have reached the end of their useful life and money was not available to replace them. Following a post about the issue on Facebook, the Auxiliary created a CrowdRise page to try and raise the $5,000 needed to replace the kits.

Although donations from the community started coming in almost immediately, the goal seemed pretty far off—that is, until PETA stepped in. They pledged to donate the last $1,000 to put the drive over the top.

Additionally, Invisible Fence came to the rescue as well—they have committed to donating one kit to every station in Austin! That means instead of AFD having to purchase 78 kits (in order to equip each unit), they will only have to buy 33. Whatever funds remain after that will be earmarked and set aside for future kit purchases due to necessary replacement or new units coming online.

“The community really stepped up to help us out with this effort,” said Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr. “We are so grateful to all those who donated—individuals, non-profits, and corporations— because no matter how big or small the gift, it all added up. And now, we’ll be able to continue serving all those who need our assistance, whether they have two legs or four!”

The Austin Fire Department was founded on September 25, 1857 and is now one of the 20 largest departments in the country, with 45 fire stations located throughout the city and more than 1,100 employees.

 # # #

NOTE: A media event/photo op will be coordinated with all of the parties as soon as the kits from Invisible Fence are received and all the money has been collected.

 Additional Contacts:

• Michelle Tanzola, Public Information & Marketing Mgr.,  (512) 974-0151; michelle.tanzola@austintexas.gov
• Auxiliary: Kristen Wade, 210-823-2521
• PETA: Jennifer Bates, 757-213-8740
•  Invisible Fence: Paul Szymonek, 817-676-4666

The post AFD Receives $5,000 to Buy New Pet Oxygen Mask Kits through Auxilary Efforts appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr has been elected as female president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ 142-year history.

Kerr’s position will involve being the voice for the nearly 11,000 members of the organization.

“Sometimes I say this is going to be my last first. My last glass ceiling and my last first. I say that and who knows what tomorrow may bring,” Kerr said.

Kerr was also Austin’s first female fire chief. She will take office later this summer.

View the full interview with KVUE’s Bryan Mays:

The post KVUE Interviews Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr about IAFC Presidency and what it means for Austin appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

Austin Fire Chief breaks another glass ceiling

Posted: Jul 10, 2015 6:10 PM CST Updated: Jul 10, 2015 6:13 PM CST
By Noelle Newton

Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr has broken through another glass ceiling.

She will soon be sworn into another prestigious firefighting position.

Chief Kerr will head up the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Men have held the position for 142 years.

“I think it was time a woman lead the organization,” she told FOX 7’s Noelle Newton.

Breaking barriers has been a trend in Kerr’s 30 plus year career.

She held every position except Chief at her first department in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She then took on the role of Chief in Little Rock, Arkansas before coming to Central Texas.

It’s in her blood. She’s a fourth generation firefighter.

Kerr’s grandfather’s badge hangs on her wall. He was a Chief of a volunteer fire department. Kerr’s father was in the forest service.

Kerr didn’t continue the legacy at first. She actually took a job teaching after college.

“Once I got into it, I found my nitche and I knew I wanted to be Chief of the department one day and here I am.”

Since becoming Chief of the Austin Fire Department, more women have been hired and promoted.

“You can debate whether that was a natural occurrence or was that have something to do with me being here. I like to think it does with the fact that I’m front and center. I’m always out in the community. And people see that there are women leading the organization and we do good things to take care of all of our employees, but we make sure that our policies, our procedures, our facilities as best that we can are accommodating for a mixed gender workforce,” she explains.

One project she continues to work on is converting station locker rooms to be more gender-friendly. The overhaul began in 1999. It is now in the 5th of 6 phases.

Kerr’s top focus as chief is having zero fire deaths. Unfortunately, woman was killed in a house fire in East Austin on Tuesday.

“There were not any working smoke alarms in the home.”

Smoke alarms work Kerr says, but she thinks the best solution is sprinkler systems.

“Sprinklers don’t require any action. So if the fire starts and you don’t hear a smoke alarm go off, then you’re still going to get out. You’re still going to be saved.”

She has sprinklers in her home and says we all should. It’s an issue she will advocate locally.

“The big thing we need to go to the city with is retrofitting high rise buildings, residential high rise building that aren’t sprinklered.”

So what is her next goal? The Superintendent of the National Fire Academy is one last position that has never been held by a woman.

“I don’t think, think I want to be that woman, but I’m hoping to see women start to rise and take those positions of leadership.”

Most of all, Kerr says she wants to be a role model and by the reactions of her staff. It appears she is.

“I had one of the women in the organization. She’s a captain. She said, ‘Chief told me I’m going to be the first female Battalion Chief in the department.” I’m like ‘yes.’ That’s the best thing to hear. People see and want to achieve goals and I want others to follow. It shouldn’t be an elite club.”

MyFoxAustin | KTBC | Fox 7 Austin | News Weather Sports

The post FOX-7 News Austin Interviews Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

Rare is the glass ceiling Rhoda Mae Kerr can’t shatter — and next month, another one will go.

That’s when Kerr, Austin’s fire chief since 2009, is installed as the first woman to be president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs in the organization’s 142-year history.

The post Austin’s Kerr to be first woman to lead international fire chiefs group appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.

“Chief Kerr has been breaking glass ceilings and paving the way for generations of women in the fire service since she began her career more than 30 years ago,” said City Manager Marc Ott. “From her earliest days at Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue where she became the first female deputy chief after rising through the ranks, to being hired as the firs female fire chief in Little Rock and Austin, Chief Kerr has been setting the standard for other departments and cities to follow. After five years, I still often remark that she was one of the best hires I ever made.”

Humbled by the vote of confidence her peers have shown in her by electing her to the position, Kerr stopped by KXAN to talk about the honor.

“I do consider it a great honor. I’m pleased that I get to be the first,” said Kerr, adding that she didn’t want to be the last and only. “It’s like the pinnacle of my career.”

The first woman in 142 years to lead the organization, she says she recognizes it’s an “opportunity to break that mold.” And Kerr says she always keeps one saying in mind: “The door to opportunity is marked, ‘Push.’ And only you can lock it.”

Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano considers the honor elite.

“Chief Kerr’s election to this prestigious office is an example of our success in recruiting talented leaders who will help us become the best-managed city in the country,” said Arellano. “Not only is it a first for a woman to hold the office of president, but it’s the first time that a woman will serve on the IAFC’s Board of Directors. Her election to this position just proves what we’ve known all along — that Chief Kerr and the Austin Fire Department are one of the best, if not the best, in the country.”

The Austin Fire Department says if you’d like to celebrate this historic moment, you can make a donation to the Austin Fire Foundation by visiting the Austin Community Foundation website. It says all funds will go towards the Austin Fire Department’s community outreach and public education initiatives, including the installation of free working smoke alarms.

If you or someone you know needs smoke alarms, please call the Austin Fire Department’s smoke alarm hotline at 512-974-0299.

In-Depth: Austin Fire Department list of accomplishments

Operational enhancements

• Achieved four-person staffing on ladders, engines, and heavy rescues due to the award of a $.51 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. This grant allowed us to hire 36 firefighters and pay their salaries for two years. With this addition, AFD completed our four-person staffing plan, which began with a City Council Resolution in January 2008, more than five years ahead of schedule.
• Supported expanded footprint of the Gender-Neutral Locker Room project for all affected fire stations.
• Incorporated Chief Officer oversight of Facilities, Human Resources, and Payroll.
• Instituted 24/7 Shift Commander to provide continuity of operations.
• Instituted 24/7 Safety Chief to provide a constant safety presence on the fireground.
• Dedicated a Battalion Chief to addressing facility issues for more than 50 worksites.
• Expanded Fire Prevention section with additional fire inspectors and fire protection engineers.
• Oversaw the creation of the Wildfire Mitigation Division and became the largest fire department in the state of Texas, and possibly the United States, to have 100 percent of Operations firefighters certified to the NWCG Basic Wildland firefighter level.
• Increased the number of firefighters, adding numerous promotable positions.
• Achieved additional facility renovations and two new fire stations via 2012 bond and 2014 budget process.
• Supported the re-institution of Battalion Chief workdays and new Captain workdays for improved efficiency and communication.
• Initiated the Labor/Management Initiative to improve relations between labor and management.
• Established positions in the Regional Intelligence Center and the Joint Terrorism Taskforce.
• Proposed two additional Operations battalions to provide more appropriate span of control and leadership.
• Advocated for an Apparatus Specification Committee to ensure front-line firefighters are included in apparatus selection.
• Finalized and launched the region’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) in conjunction with Travis County.
• Expanded the formal commitment to include a seventh Emergency Services District (ESD)—#8. Formal agreements are now in place between AFD and ESDs 2,3,6,8,9,10, and 11.

Safety equipment and initiatives

• Mandated all Firefighters be issued leather firefighting boots for increased safety.
• Mandated all Firefighters be issued waterproof winter jackets for increased safety.
• Instituted a vendor contract to professionally clean and repair firefighting gear for increased safety.
• Approved shorts for uniform wear during hot summer months to provide increased firefighter comfort.
• Approved purchase of Plymovent systems to capture and remove diesel exhaust for a healthy work environment for firefighters.
• Approved purchase of new hose packs for increased fireground efficiency.
• Supported placing Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs) on every unit for increased firefighter safety.
• Supported AFD’s completion and adoption of the 2012 International Fire Code and contribution to the adoption of the 2012 International Building Code, maintaining our position as an industry leader.

Administrative/community outreach support and benefits

• Supported full implementation of the Wellness Center for firefighter wellness.
• Instituted individual e-mail addresses for all department personnel to enhance communication.
• Advocated for and established the Budget Committee for better fiscal controls.
• Instituted Daylight Savings Time overtime pay.
• Instituted Military Gap pay.
• Supported the hire of the department’s first Occupational Health Nurse.
• Instituted Catastrophic Leave without a contract.
• Fought for continuation of step raises without a contract.
• Supported Battalion Chiefs’ requests of no overtime for probationary firefighters.
• Placed limits on overtime in a rolling window; this is more expensive, but safer.
• Created the Chaplain Program for firefighter support.
• Support the creation of the Innovation Committee.
• Mandated support for Professional Development.
• Approved participation of Firefighters on specialty teams such as Texas Task Force 1.
• Supported the creation of the AFD Combat Challenge Team.
• Re-instituted the Department’s Awards Ceremony.
• Provided funding to assist with San Jacinto Night in support of the Austin Fire Museum.
• Supported the Department as the national pilot for the “Ready, Set, Go!” en Español campaign.
• Supported the successful completion of the grant deliverables that were required of the $252,600 FEMA grant we received in 2013. Those included installing 1,046 smoke alarms in 397 homes, purchasing a state-of-the-art model Fire Safety Trailer for community and public education events, conducted 40 fire safety training demonstrations that reached approximately 12,227 people (7,745 adults/seniors and 4,483 kids), and conducted four community outreach events specifically targeted to hearing-impaired individuals (reach: 100 people, installed 227 special smoke alarms).
• Supported the push for Firewise; Austin now leads the state with 12 nationally recognized Firewise communities. This support enabled Travis County to be selected as one of 10 counties from across the country as a pilot Fire-Adapted Community.
• Recognized by Allen Bergeron, the city’s Military Omsbudsman, and Dwain James, executive director of the Texas chapter of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (EGSR) with a Department of Defense award for “best practices” approach in handling AFD personnel who are also members of the military.
• Awarded the Patriot Award through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for outstanding support of AFD personnel who are active in the National Guard. The ESGR is a Department of Defense organization that seeks to promote a culture in which all United States employers support and value the military service of their employees.

Who is Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr?

Chief Kerr is at thirty year veteran and fourth-generation firefighter who began her career in the fire service in 1983. Kerr is currently the fire chief of the Austin Fire Department and first vice president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, also known as IAFC. She will be sworn in as the president of the IAFC in August.

Prior to beginning her tenure in Austin in 2009, Kerr served in the same position with the city of Little Rock, Ark., for five years. She was also deputy fire chief at Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for five years but with that department for more than 20 years; it was the place she began her career in firefighting. Prior to entering the fire service, Kerr was a coach and physical education teacher at the high school level for 12 years.

Kerr has been an IAFC member since 1991. She is the past chair of the Human Relations Committee of the IAFC, past president of the National Society of Executive Fire Officers, and the past Southwest director of the National Society of Executive Fire Officers. She currently serves as the Secretary of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs’ Association and is actively involved as a member of the “FireRescue” magazine editorial board and the Austin Area Urban League. She is also a member of the Texas Fire Chief’s Association, the Capital Area Fire Chief’s Association and the International Association of Women in the Fire and Emergency Services. Kerr also serves on the Advisory Committee for St. Edward’s University’s Public Safety Management Program and was recently honored as a 2013 Girl Scouts of Central Texas Woman of Distinction.

Kerr has a master’s degree in public administration from Florida International University, a bachelor of arts degree in physical education and health from William Paterson University, an associate’s degree in fire science technology from Broward Community College, and two certifications from the Harvard University program — one for senior executives in state and local government and the other for the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. She is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.

Kerr is an avid sports enthusiast — enjoying cycling, golf, tennis and skiing.

More about AFD and IAFC

The Austin Fire Department was founded on Sept. 25, 1857 and is now one of the 20 largest departments in the country — with 45 fire stations located throughout the city and more than 1,100 employees.

The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world’s leading experts in firefighters, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.

The post Austin Fire Chief Breaks another Glass Ceiling appeared first on Rhoda Mae Kerr.