A Tower Controller in Charge reported an aircraft requesting special handling requested a specific runway due to being overweight and the Controller in Charge approved that runway after getting concurrence from airport personnel and the facility manager. After the event the reporter was 'ridiculed' and 'reprimanded' for approving the use of the runway.

Narrative

Aircraft X; departed Runway XXL at XA00 on Day 0. Immediately upon being airborne; over the ocean; the pilot says to LC1 on frequency 'mayday! mayday! mayday!'. This indicated an imminent crash; so as the Controller in Charge (CIC) I pulled the [phone reserved for priority situations]. The phone notifies Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) and airport management (which in the local orders for CIC that is the only requirement is to pull a phone that notifies those 2 entities). Aircraft X was overweight and had 120 tons (approximately 264;000 pounds) on board with 3 souls on board; and had a fire in his wheel well; at least an indicator light for it. Aircraft X was offered to maintain VFR in the pattern to come back around and land Runway XXL; but then the pilot decided that he needed to go dump 70 tons of fuel over the ocean before he could land because he was overweight.ZZZ [TRACON] was controlling Aircraft X heavy at this point; over the ocean; and then the pilot decided he didn't have time to dump fuel over the ocean and wanted to come back for an immediate landing. Originally; Aircraft X asked for Runway XYR; but then when he realized how overweight he was; he told ZZZ he needed Runway XYL. ZZZ Airport Management does have a rule that Aircraft X cannot land Runway XXL; but that is under normal conditions; not during overweight [priority handling]. Nobody was on Taxiway X or Y; and [priority services] was well aware that the Aircraft X was going to land Runway XXL and was okay with it. Runway XXL is the longest runway at ZZZ; and the most appropriate runway for an overweight; [priority] landing; regardless of aircraft type. Aircraft X ended up landing Runway XXL without incident; although he did roll long and did want the fire trucks to check out his landing gear before going to parking.The emergency was handled in an excellent manner by both LC1; ZZZ and the rest of the controllers and CIC working that night. All procedures were followed; and the aircraft was given the longest runway for landing regardless of the Airport Management rule. Airport Management was aware of which runway Aircraft X would be landing; and was okay with it since X and Y were clear; and because well obviously it was a [priority handling aircraft]. Also; I was on the phone with the Air Traffic Manager at ZZZ which Aircraft X was 10 miles out for Runway XXL and let her know he would be landing Runway XXL; and no instructions or comments were given to me from the Air Traffic Manager of the entire facility to do anything different.The issue here is management and their response to emergency situations. The culture at ZZZ is punitive; and discussions are made that are unnecessary just so they can punish people. They insulted the controllers for landing Runway XXL; even though all protections were in place; the plane was extremely heavy and overweight; and the pilot requested that runway. The not landing a Aircraft X on Runway XXL is an Airport Management rule; and Airport Management was okay with it; so that is just nonsense to bring that up to us. There was another event like this last year in the middle of the night for a gear issue; and the controllers let the aircraft due a low approach over the runway at ZZZ in order to see the gear more clearly; but low approaches are not authorized at ZZZ. When this rule was broken; the controllers were applauded and given a national award; however; when we had an imminent [problem] situation and landed Runway XXL we were reprimanded. The disparity in treatment is the issue that should be addressed; not the performance of the controllers in an [priority] situation. The PUNITIVE CULTURE NEEDS TO CHANGE AT ZZZ. When I went down to talk to management; I was immediately ridiculed by a member of management for landing a Aircraft X on Runway XXL; even though that same person had approximately 5 deals with another aircraft type. Why the negative comments; especially with an [priority] situation? In addition; I feel the landing on Runway XXL was appropriate because Aircraft X said they needed it due to being overweight and Airport Management was okay with breaking their own rule in an [priority] situation where X and Y were clear.In addition; the [priority handling] check list is 3 folders deep on the computer; which was a major distraction. The [priority handling] check list should be on the desk top or printed on the clip board. The [priority handling] check list should be readily available. If management wants a specific crash phone to be pulled; they should update the training and documents for the CIC. In the CIC binder; it only says to pull 'A CRASH PHONE THAT NOTIFIES ARFF AND AIRPORT MANAGEMENT' and that is it. It is not the CIC's job to decide which fire men or stations will respond - that is the job of the fire dispatch who was notified via the phone. If they no longer want the phone pulled for [priority handling] or imminent crashes over the ocean; then they should change the CIC binder. All [priority] procedures were followed; and everybody was notified of the [priority]. In my opinion; all controllers did a fantastic job that night working an [priority] aircraft that didn't know if they would make it back to the airport at all; or land safely.