On Thursday, April 23, 2020, at FDIC International 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m., North Providence (RI) Fire Department Shift Commander/Battalion Chief and longtime Fire Engineering Web columnist David DeStefano will conduct the classroom session “Company Officers for the 21st Century Fire Service.”
The focus is on the impact of officers on the operation and culture of a fire department and the differences between the role of the 21st-century officer and that of previous years.
Discussions center around the following: why proficiency beyond raising ladders and stretching hose is needed, transitioning from a firefighter to an officer, and instituting an officer development plan. Peer, subordinate, and self-evaluation tools for use in the cyclical process of awareness, education, understanding, and implementation are introduced.
Case studies are used to illustrate skills for the roles of educator, mentor, safety officer, supervisor, and leader as well as for operational readiness. Participants are given the tools that will enable them to bring a comprehensive agenda that can be customized to local structure and requirements back to their fire department.
DeStefano is a shift commander/battalion chief for the North Providence (RI) Fire Department. He supervises 20 firefighters who staff seven fire and EMS units that respond to more than 7,800 incidents annually.
MORE DAVID DeSTEFANO
