Build the Next Generation of Fire Service Leaders

Give your fire professionals the skills, confidence, and strategic mindset your agency needs—and your community expects. Enroll them in The Leadership Academy for Fire Professionals and strengthen the leaders who will guide your organization into the future.

This five‑session series equips emerging and current fire service supervisors with the strategic, operational, and people‑centered leadership capabilities required in today’s fire and emergency services environment. Participants learn how to think and plan like executives, lead crews with clarity and accountability, manage budgets with confidence, and strengthen both internal culture and community trust. Each session builds practical capability—strategic planning, leadership and management principles, budgeting, team development, and community/media relations—giving fire professionals the tools to support long‑term organizational success.

Course Logistics & Participation Requirements

Registration: Select the number of attendees and complete payment by credit card—no PayPal account required. Your emailed receipt serves as your proof of registration.

Dates & Attendance: Training dates are listed below. Please add them to your calendar and plan to join each online session at least five minutes early.

Daily Schedule: Each session begins promptly at 08:00 MST. Participants may take personal breaks as needed, and a group break of up to 30 minutes may be scheduled each day.

Technology & Participation: Each student must use a computer or laptop with both a camera and a microphone. A roster is maintained for compliance and documentation. To earn the full 40‑hour Certificate of Completion, students must pay tuition and attend all five workshops. If an unavoidable conflict arises, contact the instructor directly to discuss options.

Homework: None.

Who Should Attend: Open to all fire‑service personnel preparing for promotion, as well as current Supervisors, Captains, Battalion Chiefs, Managers, and Directors. Agencies may also enroll high‑potential employees from any division - Operations, Prevention, Training, Communications, Administration, or other units. Civilian personnel are welcome.

COURSE OUTLINE: The Fire Professionals’ Leadership Academy (Online & LIVE)

Session 1 – The Fire Professional’s Role as Visionary & Strategic Planner

Topics include:

• Strategic issues facing the fire service over the next decade
• Executive‑level techniques for strategic and tactical planning
• Improving productivity, quality, and organizational learning
• Developing an effective Mission and Vision
• Principles of strategic planning
• Building a Planning Cycle Calendar tied to your agency’s budget

Session 2 – The Fire Professional’s Role in Implementing Effective Leadership & Management Principles

Topics include:

• Creating an environment that supports sound decision‑making and accountability
• Implementing an effective performance review system
• Strengthening communication across ranks, shifts, and divisions

Session 3 – The Fire Professional’s Role in Finance & Budgeting

Topics include:

• Preparing for budget presentations
• Aligning agency goals with the budget process
• Presenting and defending your budget to policy makers, committees, and the public
• Involving decision‑makers throughout the budgeting process
  (This is not an accounting or bookkeeping class.)

Session 4 – The Fire Professional’s Role in People Management

Topics include:

• Defining the “team” within a fire‑service context
• Building and sustaining effective, mission‑focused teams
• Identifying and overcoming obstacles to team performance
• Senior leadership’s responsibility to model expectations

Session 5 – The Fire Professional’s Role in Community & Media Relations

Topics include:

• Why every fire agency needs an effective public‑facing communication strategy
• Fundamentals of marketing, community relations, and media engagement
• Structuring the role of an effective Public Information Officer
• Handling negative press and conducting press conferences
• Sharing your agency’s story without relying solely on local media
• Key elements of a successful marketing and communication program

Check out Steve's book by clicking the cover photo below.

“This book should be in every police and fire leader's (formal and informal) library. It should be referenced regularly, not gathering dust. It contains a wealth of applicable wisdom. ” - Christian Tubbs, MS, MA, EFO, CFO, CFC, MIFireE