The fire and rescue service world has been a huge part of Chris Mullendore’s life since he was a young boy. Both his dad and brother worked for the fire department, which eventually influenced Chris’ decision to become a firefighter. Over the years, he has worked hard and continued to promote through the various ranks of fire and rescue. Chris is now the Battalion Chief of Health and Safety for the Division of Fire and Rescue Services in Frederick County.

Chris has always been very proficient when it comes to the skills training in fire and rescue, but he came to realize that focusing on people is extremely important. While this field is very competitive with a team-based approach, he believes that helping and making people better is what truly matters. Chris and his team have had to adapt a lot since the pandemic, which has led to more learning and leadership lessons along the way.

Chris considers himself the “fire department therapist” because he enjoys listening to people when they need to talk, and he lives by the Golden Rule. He truly is passionate about people and helping them be the best they can be. Tune into this episode to hear more about Chris’ leadership journey, and why treating others like family is so important!

About Chris Mullendore:

Chris is the Battalion Chief of Health and Safety for the Division of Fire and Rescue Services in Frederick County. He began his career with Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services in 2004 and has since worked his way through the ranks where he currently serves

as the Battalion Chief of Health and Safety. He has served in several supervisory roles and managed the county’s Hazardous Materials Team, Advanced Technical Rescue Team, and

Training Academy. He is also a member of the Maryland Incident Management Team within the Finance and Administration Section.

Chris graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Affairs from the State University of New York. He is one of less than 0.1% of the fire service to have completed the Executive Fire Officer Program from the National Fire Academy, where he had multiple papers published for fire service research. Chris is also the only employee of the Division of Fire and Rescue Services to have ever been selected as both the Firefighter of the Year and Supervisor of the Year.

He has received the highest award for bravery, the Gold Medal of Valor, and multiple other outstanding awards over the years. Chris is a member of the Leadership Frederick County class of 2023, and he always shows up with a smile.

https://frederickcountymd.gov/24/Division-of-Fire-Rescue-Services-DFRS

Episode Timestamps:

• Chris’ story of joining the fire department and eventually becoming a leader as the Battalion Chief of Health and Safety {01:30}
• Leadership practices Chris aspired to do and practices he wanted to do differently {05:50}
• Important lessons Chris has learned along his leadership journey {08:45}
• How the pandemic impacted the fire department {15:40}
• Managing the political divide that can occur within the fire department and community {19:25}
• Why Chris values treating everyone like family {22:20}

“While I was still very skill-based, I understood that people were really where the leadership aspect of it was. I put a lot of focus into people, mainly in just making other people better.”

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