DFD Question

[ct_alum]

Can anybody familiar with the DFD command structure tell me where the rank of Senior Chief is positioned? Is it above/below/equal to Senior Battalion Chief? I thought that my late cousin retired as a Captain but found out he was a Senior Chief. Just curious, thanks in advance for any input.

[FEO]

Organization[edit]

Division/Rank structure[edit]

Below is the division and rank structure of the Detroit Fire Department, including car/radio callsign designations.^[19]
Administration Division [[100 callsigns)

• Executive Fire Commissioner [[EFC) [[100)
• First Deputy Commissioner [[FDC) [[101)
• Second Deputy Commissioner [[SDC) [[102, 103, 104)

Firefighting Division [[200 callsigns)

• Chief of Department [[200)
• Deputy Chief [[DC) [[201, 202)
• Senior Battalion Chief [[SBC) [[203)
• Battalion Chief [[BC)
• Captain [[Capt.)
• Senior Lieutenant [[Lt.)
• Lieutenant [[Lt.)
• Sergeant [[Sgt.)
• Fire Engine Operator [[FEO.)
• Firefighter Driver [[FFD.)
• Senior Firefighter [[SFF.)
• Firefighter [[FF.)
• Trial Firefighter [[TFF.)

[Carey]

This is my understanding of the senior chief position: Of the several DFD battalion chiefs on duty on any given day, the senior chief is the one with the most seniority, and that person becomes the citywide supervisor for the day. They work out of HQ in a 24-hour shift, make sure staffing is set and respond to multiple-alarm fires, among other duties.

[ct_alum]

Carey:
Thank you very much!. He had 38 years in when he retired, so I would imagine he was the Senior Chief whenever he was on duty. He was 3rd generation DFD; his son wanted nothing to do with the job. Kind of sad.

[Meddle]

Also, when the Batt Chief went to 203, the most senior Captain filled in as Acting Batt Chief for that area.

[mtm49269]

WWWAAAAYYY back in the day, Chiefs used to have drivers. My late Dad retired as 203 in 81, long after there were no longer drivers. [[When DFD opened enrollment to women, i actually got an application hoping to eventually become his driver.) When he was Chief 3 he had a driver who was named Major Winston who he often brought by the house even though we were outside of his battalion.