On the day of my appointment as Butte County Fire Department/CAL FIRE Butte Unit Chief I took the opportunity to read three General Orders to all Butte County Fire Department/CAL FIRE Butte Unit personnel in attendance.  These orders were directed at career and volunteer fire fighters, resource management professionals and administrative staff.  They are not general suggestions or general ideas, but orders related to what is and will be important to me as the Chief of this department.  They are as follows:

1. The Butte County Fire Department/CAL FIRE Butte Unit will always remember who we work for.  Simply put we work for the citizens of California and Butte County regardless of the jurisdiction or situation.  Our decisions, both emergency and administrative, must keep this in mind.  This does not mean that every decision will be embraced by every person we serve; it just means we will base our decisions on the common good and always within our training, experience and the law.  

2. The Butte County Fire Department/CAL FIRE Butte Unit will always look for opportunities to work cooperatively with other agencies and public service providers and we will work hard to maintain those cooperative relationships.  Agencies working together will always provide better service to the public than agencies working individually.

3. Butte County Fire Department employees will support each other professionally and personally.  Chief Officers will consider the wellbeing of our employees as part of every decision we make.  Company officers will consider the same for the employees they supervise.   All employees must recognize that we are absolutely dependent on each other in every aspect of this important job.