Note from Chief Avsec: I received this article from a professional acquaintance, Rachel Cook, via e-mail. I found the article to be informative and educational, particularly as we've been witnessing the utter devastation being caused by wildfires in the western U.S., particularly in California.

John S. Butler, currently the fire chief for the Fairfax County (Va.) Fire and Rescue Department, was the newly promoted fire chief for the Howard County (Md.) Department of Fire/Rescue Services in 2015 when he set a goal for increasing the diversity of his fire/rescue department. In setting that goal, Chief Butler challenged his staff to begin pursuit of that goal by answering "Why is it important to have a diverse and inclusive department?" before determining what recruitment and selection actions to pursue.

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer, with Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell In a recent post on FireRescue1, Rachel Engel, associate editor of FireRescue1.com and EMS1.com, wrote “While many fire service leaders still consider millennials to be the latest department newbies, it’s those in Generation Z (aka, Zeds) that are peak-rookie age.” She went on to ask, “What should fire service leaders know ...

I was fortunate in my career to attend many good—and some not so good—leadership and management courses, classes, and seminars. One common thread always seemed to be that one of the key functions of a leader/manager/supervisor (take your pick) is to motivate their employees or members. But can we really motivate another individual? Learn how to create an "atmosphere" that supports motivation in your firefighters.

And yes, the flashover was just as it is described in all the firefighting textbooks. That, I can verify. I don’t remember much after that. I remember my arms in front of me, falling, my head and body striking something, which turned out to be the first floor. I remember hearing the horn sounding for a firefighter evacuation.

I've been truly fortunate to have a really fulfilling second career as a freelance writer after retiring as a fire department battalion chief. And the journey to get there has been kind of unique but I'm sure most freelance writers would say something similar if asked.

We can provide a sound organizational structure with policies and procedures that are congruent with an organization’s vision, mission, and values. And we can attempt to modify undesirable individual behavior, when necessary, using progressive discipline. But I don’t think that we can make anyone do something that they don’t want to do.

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer “The fire service is a dynamic and diverse profession. It offers a wide array of opportunities throughout one’s career, not only through promotions but also the variety of services offered.” So begins a very thoughtful and informative piece from my colleague, Billy D. Hayes, that’s just posted recently on FireRescue1.com, 8 fire service careers that ...

So, when it comes to your fire departments, cancer risk reduction efforts, do you have a system? Or is your current state that of several “moving parts” that may or may not be congruent with one another?

But a question that stays stuck in my brain is “What impact is all this technology having on actual fire service delivery?” And it's that question that motivated me to write this piece today.