Many times we pass on opportunities to train or learn something although many situations lend themselves to doing so. Look for ways to incorporate the situation or circumstance that you are dealing with into a learning moment. The pictures below are of a company training on aerial ops with a candidate operator.

It was a call for an alarm sounding at a medical building after hours. After looking in the windows and doors and seeing no signs of smoke or fire and with the lock box key not…

In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to be involved in both sides of the promotional process: as a participant and as an interviewer.  Both are stressful and will challenge you.  You must be able to pull from your training, education, experience and coaching in both circumstances to arrive at a positive decision and hopefully with a successful outcome.

This post is going to focus on  being the participant in these processes.  In my classes on officer development I try to hammer…

As progressive, engaged and enthusiastic firefighters, we all took classes, trained hard and created an image of the way we would be when we got promoted. We would do this and we would do that, damn the consequences and those we might piss off. But, when we got there, it may not have all gone as planned. Hmmm…..did you ever wonder why?

I have seen this happen over the years and it has happened to me during my first years as a young company officer and later on as a chief officer, the…