Leading with Purpose: Chief Lallier’s Story
We sat down with a leader whose career has been defined by service, innovation, and unwavering commitment to the fire service.
Chad A Lallier, the Battalion Chief with the Alexandria, VA Fire Department, has been a fire service member for over 30 years since he started his career in the United States Air Force as a Crash Rescue Firefighter. Once his active duty was completed, Chief Lallier worked as a DOD Firefighter, and then as an Airport Crash Rescue Firefighter with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. He has been with the Alexandria Fire Department since 1998, and Chief Lallier has spent the majority of his career in Alexandria working with various Special Operations companies, including Hazardous Material, Technical Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, and as a qualified Fireboat Crewmember.
Chief Lallier is also a Fire Service Instructor, focusing on Firefighter Safety and Survival as well as Water Rescue. He also serves as a member of the National Capital Region Incident Management Team (FEMA Type 3 IMT) and assists the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation with the annual Memorial Service honoring our fallen heroes.
What inspired you to continue firefighting as a career after serving in the Air Force?
“For me I knew from before I joined the Air Force that I was either going into firefighting or law enforcement. It was what I’ve always wanted to do. I guess it goes back to how I was raised. I had the desire to serve, and these two careers were the best way to serve the community.”
Was there a particular moment or experience that solidified your decision?
“As a child growing up in in upstate New York I would see my father respond to calls with our local volunteer fire department. The volunteer system is all there was, so if he didn’t, who would? It was from that time forward that I knew I had to be involved in the fire department. Once I started to volunteer as a junior firefighter I caught the bug! I was determined to continue to be a firefighter as long as I could.”
What are some of the most innovative tools or advancements you've used in recent years, and how have they improved firefighter safety and efficiency?
“When I look back to when I began my career the advances in technology are incredible. We had just received our first thermal imaging cameras when I started in Alexandria. They were huge, big, bulky, impractical devices. Today they are sleek, slim, and can hang off our turnout gear and weigh a fraction of the original models. Manufacturers are now developing cameras that can be connected to our helmets or face masks as heads-up displays – that’s a vast change from what we had in 1998.
Communications have greatly improved as well, from apps like First Due and others, all available on a cell phone and in the palm of your hand instead of the old-style pager. The apps have all kinds of useful information related to the incident. Building plans, pre-fire plans, age of the structure, number of stories, occupancy, the list goes on and on. Our new portable radios now work on radio frequencies and/or cellular, and they have built in GPS for personnel accountability and tracking. That is a big safety advancement. The ability to deploy a team during or after a natural or manmade disaster and have full radio, cellular, and Wi-Fi is a critical advancement in technology for Emergency Services. The advances and continued improvements in communications have made our work safer for everyone operating.”
You responded to the September 11th attack on the Pentagon; can you share what it was like operating as a first responder that day?
“That day was unique – I had just returned home from my 24-hour shift, we had our baby daughter at home and my wife was heading into work as a trauma nurse. As the events began to unfold she left for work. Shortly after the plane struck the Pentagon I called her cell phone and told her she needed to come home because I had to go. We were not yet officially recalled, but I knew this was an event that was going to need all hands.
I left for Alexandria and arrived three hours later (the normal commute from my home is 45 minutes.) I was sent to the Pentagon shortly after gathering my gear. As a first responder, we all just did our jobs. We really didn’t focus on any of thoughts of an attack in multiple areas of the country. We just focused on the tasks at hand, trying to save any viable life we could and putting out the fires.”
Can you share some of the challenges that you and your team faced and how you adapted to them?
“There were so many significant challenges. In the Northern Virginia Region we have automatic aid agreements, so response brings multiple jurisdictions together without delay. That said, we had no formal interoperability agreements at that time. That was where the challenges began – when we mandatory recalled our entire workforce, as did many other departments. When I showed up at our staging area we all got onto a bus that dropped us off at the incident with our PPE (turnout gear only) and we staged. We were split into multiple work groups and my group’s commander said, ‘grab all your stuff and follow me, you all won’t have SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) for this, but we have to do what we can without.’
We were assigned to conduct a secondary search in an area of the building near the collapse zone. It was still filled with smoke and other products of the incident. We did what we had to do, without worrying about the potential hazards and adapted by simply doing whatever it took to accomplish the tasks we were assigned, despite having limited equipment. This went on for three days when I finally went home, but I was home for barely 20 minutes when I received a call to come back – length of time undetermined. It turned out to be another three days, and then for two weeks of backfill for our Technical Rescue Teams who were operating to shore up the building collapse.”
Can you share another example of a time when you worked alongside other agencies’ departments and what key factors contributed to a successful joint response?
"We operate with multiple jurisdictions daily in this region. We have regional response manuals allowing for seamless operations across all jurisdictions. Recently we had a flash flood in the area. With our automatic aid agreement, we responded from call to call, for several hours, working side by side with regional partners. We didn’t miss a step and advances in technology allowed us to communicate as well as provide timely dispatch of resources throughout the region. The post September 11th after action reviews pushed for interoperability throughout the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government region which helped us all communicate and operate seamlessly.”
Can you tell us about any community outreach efforts the Alexandria Fire Department participates in to attract and inspire the next generation of firefighters?
“We have a great working relationship with our high school. We send personnel there for their career days. We attend community meetings. We engage with our community daily through school visits, community fire academies, CERT programs, and more. We understand the importance of our community, as much as they understand us.”
What type of bonding and team building experiences does the department engage in with new recruits to build team cohesion?
“Our Recruit Academy is structured in a paramilitary manner, like most other fire departments. Through this method personnel are naturally involved closely with one another, which starts to build a bond. From day one, we operate as teams. There are no single person teams in the fire department, we instill this from day one. This continues as they graduate and reach the station level. The station level is where the true team bond is developed and honed. The bonds built in recruit school and station life will last throughout a career and beyond.”
What health screenings or wellness programs has the department implemented for firefighters over the years to ensure long-term firefighter health?
“Our department puts personnel health and safety as a priority. We get annual physicals that are more advanced than the NFPA Standards require. We get pre-cancer screenings, as well as major organ ultrasound scans. Since the beginning of these screenings we have been able to detect more than 36 incidences of early onset cancer in our members.”
What aspects of your career have been the most fulfilling, and is there a particular moment that stands out as especially meaningful?
“When I look back on all the things I have been involved in over the years it is quite interesting. My career here started a few years before the Pentagon incident and most recently we had an airplane crash into the Potomac River. There are a few moments that stand out, from the hundreds of calls over the years, from good to bad.
One of the best things I can reflect on is how our younger generation of firefighters has developed and continues to develop as my career extends. I’m sure this is very much like I did, however, it is much easier to see it in others. Among the men and women I taught as a firefighter in recruit school, many are becoming officers now, as well as those that I have put through our academies in my role as the Chief at Training. Two of my proudest contributions to our department are the implementation of Personal Escape Systems for all firefighters and the rollout of our Swift Water Rescue Team. I was involved in the team that researched and developed both programs, which were a significant advancement for our members’ safety and the safety of our community.”
Your work with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation plays an important role in honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Can you share more about your involvement and what the foundation means to you?
“More than twenty years ago I began volunteering to assist the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at their annual memorial service. When I started, it was a way to give back to the families of those that had made the ultimate sacrifice and something that I continue doing today, assisting the families as they process the tragedy. The group I work with takes great pride in making the families the number one priority. From the time they get off the plane until the time they get back on, they know we are here for any needs that may arise.
Over the years we have been able to develop lasting relationships. As survivor families return to assist during the weekend of the event, we often get in touch and catch up. It makes everyone involved feel that what we do – and the time we put into it – is worth every second. We have a large team that makes it all work out. Through my work with the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation and the Maryland Fire Rescue Services Memorial during their annual events has pushed me to always look and push for advancements in firefighter safety and survival.”
As a firefighter, you don’t just respond to emergencies, you’re a part of the community. How do you see your role in Alexandria beyond emergency response, and what does being a firefighter in this city mean to you?
“The support and praise we get from the citizens of our city are second to none. When we go out on community engagement events we can have conversations with our community members that are on a personal level, different from when we are on a response. It is a great way to connect to the human side of giving back. The community feels the support and so do we. They are always there when we need them to be our voice, and we in turn are there for them. In the beginning of my career the city chose me, as my career has developed and I moved up in the organization, I have chosen the city.
We are a small community, compared to our neighboring jurisdictions. Everyone that works here knows everyone else and it makes for a great job. I see some of our newer firefighters move on to ‘bigger and better’ opportunities elsewhere. I often caution them on bigger doesn’t directly translate to better, it may just be different. In the end everyone needs to do what’s best for them and their families. For me, it’s Alexandria.”
Chief Chad Lallier’s journey is a powerful reminder that leadership in the fire service is built on more than experience; it’s built on heart, humility, and a deep commitment to those we serve. From mentoring the next generation to driving innovation in safety and training, his legacy extends well beyond any single incident or role. We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn from his perspective and proud to spotlight voices like his that shape the future of public safety.
At Equipped, we’re here to share these stories, spark connection, and equip leaders across public safety with insights that make a difference.
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