KTKA

In his first 20 days as fire chief, Allen Bradshaw says he's had a singular focus.

"My first priority was to open the lines of communications," says Bradshaw.

His appointment in early September, spelled the end of Howard Giles tenure as chief. Giles, hired from outside, never won the acceptance of the firefighters. Bradshaw says he won't have that problem. He grew up around fire stations. His father was a fireman, eventually becoming chief.

"I started out as a firefighter, then an apparatus operator, then lieutenant, then a captain, battalion chief, then a shift commander and now fire chief. So I've held every position except deputy chief."

After opening communications, Bradshaw wants to standardize the departments procedures.

Beyond that, Bradshaw wants to replace fire trucks more often than they currently are and has already requested that eight currently vacant positions be filled. He says both those items are also safety issues.

"If we don't provide them the tools to do their jobs, trucks, equipment, personnel that's fully staffed, we're failing them."

The city council had to approve an exemption to the ordinance that says department heads must live in the city. Bradshaw says that could have been a deal-breaker.

If the city council had said, "No, we're not going to do this, Bradshaw was prepared to go back to his previous position in the department and not move.

"I would have gone back to my position as shift commander and been a resource to the Topeka Fire Department," says Bradshaw.

Bradshaw admits the perceptions of his department may have been tarnished during firefighters squabbles with the previous chief.

"Respect is a hard thing once it's lost to regain. But we're going to work hard as a fire department to regain that respect and trust."