Had a great first day at FDIC 2018. It was good to see so many friends and colleagues who came in early for the pre-conference workshops. I want to thank the folks who stopped by my “7 C’s of Fire Officer Trust Class” #7Cz. Your participation was great and I appreciate your candor, in discussing Fire Officer development.
We talked about accepting and using failure. Due to time constraints, I did not share this clip with you. It is the U-Penn Commencement speech that was delivered by the actor Denzel Washington. His thoughts on failure bolster our discussion.
Whether in a large department or a small, we all experience the same issues around officer development. This workshop draws on several disciplines to aid participants in identifying the key characteristics of successful officers and managers. Through discussion and activities, the participants will be introduced to seven traits critical to professional growth. Among the issues covered will be barriers that hinder cultural change, transforming from firefighter to fire officer and shaping the future.
(Pictured below is the first crew under my command as an assigned officer. They taught me more than I could ever learn from a book – Thanx Terence , Al, Flo and Mike)
JCFD Engine Company 9
Course Description:
Through the use of dialogue we will share the traits that are commonly associated with good officers and successful leaders. Drawing on elements of the National Fire Academy course, ” Shaping the Future”, participants will exchange ideas and insight for the past, current and future Fire and Emergency Services Culture. We will identify the elements of change in a non-judgmental way.
Course Objectives:
Define the seven areas for exploration and discussion.
Utilize dialogue and written exercises to identify key terms.
Discover your “Command Presence”
Discuss barriers that hinder cultural change.
Identify resources to aid in transformation from Fire Fighter to Fire Officer.
Identify unique issues and operations in the Fire Service Culture.
Discuss common business and management cultural principles.
Hope you can make it out and join me. The best lessons are always shared. Stay safe!
I haven’t been active on social media, blogs or podcasts, in over a year. Some may know that I retired from the Jersey City Fire Department with 31 years.
Recently, I had the privilege of speaking to the Connecticut Fire Service Instructor’s Association. The topic was training the new firefighter.
It was an informal talk at their Annual Meeting. The audio is what it is, due to the fact that I did not record the talk in my usual fashion. 🙂
How do you improve on improvement? How do you make improvement part of an on-going process? This short clip is a session wrap up. It concludes with the theory of “Kaizen”; small incremental changes towards the greater good. Utilizing input from all areas.
#FDIC2016 Only 3 days before the largest Firefighter Conference in the world. (Over 30,000 FF’s and Instructors)
I hope you can attend but also hope you find time to stop by my workshop on Leadership. My session is April 19, 2016, 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Room 134-135 on the main floor. #fireofficertrust
IT IS, HIGHLY, RECOMMENDED YOU COMPLETE THE FULL NFA “CALLING THE MAYDAY” COURSE!
Thank you, Dr. Burton Clark, NFA, for your tireless efforts on behalf of firefighters and the important awareness of “May-Day” Training.
The “culture of the fire service” continues to be a barrier for firefighters to call for help when they need it. You’re in a fire. The situation is getting worse. You become lost, separated, low on air, you take a fall, the building or floor collapses; and we have firefighters debating, with themselves, on whether they are going to call for help or not.
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