From playing basketball in Chicago firehouse bays to spending 26 years climbing the ranks in Birmingham, OJ Kolodziej built his career on discipline, technical execution, and self-investment. Starting out, the now-retired captain from the Birmingham (AL) Fire Department spent a year and a half floating between stations before securing a spot on heavy rescue and […]
Lessons in Truck Company Operations and Leadership Read More »
John J. Salka Jr. stresses that issues that relate to or affect firefighters and company officers and issues that relate to supervisors require skillful attention and treatment of different kinds from battalion and assistant chiefs.
Fire Department Chiefs’ Commitment to Their Subordinates & Their Superiors Read More »
For most firefighters, retirement is something we look forward to for years. We count the shifts, joke about our last day, and dream about sleeping in, spending time with family, traveling, or finally doing all the things we put off while serving our communities.
The Most Important Retirement Plan Has Nothing to Do With Money Read More »
Chief Jacob Johnson interviews Chief David Jones (ret.) of the Addison, TX, Fire Department to discuss leadership when it comes to smaller fire departments and collaboration, along with finite techniques to be a successful fire chief.
Beyond the Bugles: Little Fire Department, Big Leadership Mindset Read More »
Workforce management has taken on a whole new form and will continue to evolve over the next 5 to 10 years. This leaves a conundrum for public safety leaders as to how to keep their departments staffed while continuing daily operations. It comes down to recruitment and retention.
Doing more with less: Tips for agencies facing staffing shortages Read More »
Building or renovating a fire station is an exercise in trade-offs. Few departments have the budget to include everything on the wish list, but some decisions made during design can affect firefighters and operations for decades.
What fire chiefs should protect when station budgets get tight Read More »
When times are tough, municipalities often look to fire department staffing as a place to cut from the budget. The logic seems straightforward: if the number of “actual fires” has declined, then perhaps the demand for services is not as high as it once was. Spreadsheets reinforce this argument. Charts show a downward trend in
There’s no single leadership style that works for every person, problem or moment — and Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski learned that through plenty of trial and error. Raised around two very different leadership models, Lipski describes his grandfather as measured and graceful, while his father was direct, information-driven and confrontational when necessary. Over nearly
Changing your leadership style without losing the mission Read More »
Volunteer Fire Chief Gail Schmidt of the Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Career Fire Chief Amy Ramon of the Cy-Fair Fire Department in Texas were named as the 2026 award recipients.
IAFC honors extraordinary leadership with FRI 2026 Fire Chief of the Year awards Read More »
Dennis Compton explains why maintaining close relationships with federal officials and fire service partners is critical for the fire service to sustain success in addressing priorities.
