10 Steps: TO BETTER COLLABORATION BETWEEN FINANCE OFFICERS AND FIRE CHIEFS.

GFOA and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) are working together to develop resources to promote better collaboration between finance officers and fire chiefs. An introductory public finance curriculum geared toward firefighters is in the works, along with checklists that finance officers can use when meeting with their counterparts in the fire department (and vice versa for fire chiefs).

As a first step, the working group, which is made up of GFOA and IAFC staff and members, developed this list, with items geared toward both central office finance professionals and fire department executives. We encourage you to share this list with your colleagues in the fire department to precipitate a larger conversation about how to work together better.

1 For both: Go to lunch or have coffee together without specific work-based tasks in mind. Get to know each other as individuals, which allows you to build a relationship and earn each other's trust, an important precursor to effective collaboration.

2 For Fire Department staff: Get Finance involved early with purchases that are outside the norm. If you need to purchase a new fire engine or fire truck (yes, Finance folks, there is a difference), talk to your Finance colleagues as soon as the need arises. Even better, work with Finance to develop a long-term equipment replacement schedule for all gear and apparatus.

3 For Finance Department staff: Ask questions and do some basic due diligence to learn more about firefighting. Start by learning the difference between a fire engine and a fire truck! (In the simplest terms, an engine holds water and hoses, and a truck is a mobile toolbox that can include large ladders that extend from the truck and don't come off.)

4 For both: Express your gratitude and appreciation for each other's work. It demonstrates that you're paying attention and genuinely appreciate each other's contributions.

5 For Fire Department staff: Invite Finance Department staff to get an up-close-and-personal view of your department. Invite them to come out and see new equipment when it arrives. Ask them to go on inspections with you. These efforts will give finance...