As the calendar turns, firefighters—like most professionals—often reflect on personal New Year’s resolutions. These commitments typically focus on physical fitness, professional development, or work-life balance. While personal resolutions are important, they are only part of the equation. A firehouse that enters the New Year with a shared resolution gains something equally powerful: a collective sense …
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Helping Firefighters Retire Well: The Company Officer’s Role in Planning a Meaningful Transition
A coworker that I enjoyed working with over the years, passed away recently on his way to the firehouse.  While his passing away is sad, it is also a shame he never got to enjoy retirement. I am sure he had a retirement plan and fate interrupted that plan. So outside of that, how …
Choosing an Effective Leadership Style for the Fire Station
Leadership in the fire service is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Fire officers operate in a high-risk, high-reliability environment where decisions affect firefighter safety, operational effectiveness, and public trust. Choosing an appropriate leadership style for a fire station requires a deliberate assessment of mission demands, personnel capability, organizational culture, and situational context. The most effective fire …
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Why Your Fire Station Needs a Training Plan Just as Much as You Do
As a fire officer, you already know the value of having a personal training plan. Whether you’re preparing for promotion, sharpening your leadership skills, or staying physically and mentally ready for the job, you rely on a structured plan to guide your growth. But here’s a truth we sometimes overlook: your station needs a training …
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Keeping Firefighters Motivated as They Move from One Station Task to Another
Keeping firefighters motivated isn’t always about grand speeches, big training burns, or dramatic saves, it’s about the day-to-day rhythm inside the station. A firehouse runs on a steady rotation of routine tasks: morning checks, apparatus maintenance, EMS restocking, reports, training blocks, cleaning, meal prep, PT, and community interaction. For officers, the real challenge is not …
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Embracing New Technology in the Fire Service: Why It Matters More Than Ever
The fire service has always been rooted in tradition—helmets, rank structures, tactics, and even the stories we tell in the firehouse connect us to generations before us. But alongside that tradition has always been another defining trait: adaptation. From the transition to motorized apparatus, to SCBA, to thermal imaging cameras, the fire service has repeatedly …
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Surviving Unpopular Political Decisions in the Fire Service
Firefighters are no strangers to change—but few things test the resilience of a department like a political decision that sparks outrage. Whether it’s budget cuts, station closures, consolidation plans, or leadership changes that come from city hall instead of the firehouse, these moments can feel like an earthquake shaking the foundation of the organization. When …
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Convincing Firefighters That Training and Education Are in Their Best Interest
Firefighters are known for courage, teamwork, and grit — but the most effective crews also share a common value: a commitment to continuous learning. As a fire officer, one of the toughest but most rewarding challenges is convincing your personnel that training and education aren’t just departmental requirements — they’re investments in their safety, their …
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Moving Personnel Between Shifts: Leading with Purpose, Not Punishment
In every fire department, leadership decisions about personnel assignments carry weight far beyond the daily schedule. Moving a firefighter or officer from one shift to another can have ripple effects on morale, teamwork, and the department’s culture. Too often, these transfers are misunderstood—or worse, misused—as disciplinary tools. As administrators and leaders, we must remember that …
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Helping Firefighters Push Forward When Development Hits a Roadblock
Every firefighter, no matter how dedicated, will eventually face an obstacle in their growth. It could be failing a certification exam, struggling with a new skill, or even just hitting a plateau in motivation. As officers and mentors, our role is not just to notice these moments but to actively guide our people through them. …
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The Third Bugle 