What Does the Future Hold for Fire Officer Development?

By Chief James Harrington, Gates Fire District
Chairman, NYSAFC Paid Officers Committee

As the Paid Officers Committee looks at new ways to develop training programs for fire officers, we have learned that there are some initiatives currently underway in the state addressing this subject. In the last issue of The NYSAFC Bugle, I spoke about the FLIPS training program that many fire officers have attended. In addition, there are numerous training programs held annually across the country that assist fire officers in meeting training requirements.

Several of these programs address the operational/tactical considerations that the fire officer needs to stay current with constantly changing trends in the fire service. There are a limited number of conferences that address the needs of the fire officer from an administrative/leadership standpoint. NYSAFC’s Paid Officers Committee continues to find ways to fill the voids in officer development.

Recently, the New York State Career Fire Chiefs held a meeting where members of the Consortium of Community Colleges made a presentation on the goals and objectives of the group. Formed in 2011, the consortium objective is to address consistency in the delivery of associate in applied science (AAS) programs in fire sciences. Uniformed delivery of these college degree programs will enhance the education often needed by today’s fire officer.

The second objective the community colleges were tasked with was to see how they could assist the local fire service in their communities. The Career Fire Chiefs are currently reaching out to the consortium to see how these local colleges can assist in meeting our educational needs. In a future issue of The NYSAFC Bugle, we will look more in depth at how community colleges could assist our fire officers with career development and higher education.

We encourage you to join us as our section meets on Friday, June 14, 2013, at the Turning Stone Resort for FIRE 2013. This meeting will give you an opportunity to network with other paid officers and provide us with feedback on the current needs of career fire officers in the state of New York. Specific information and an agenda will be available as the June meeting approaches.

Please feel free to contact any member of the NYSAFC Paid Officers Committee with your thoughts or ideas on how we can help you strengthen your careers.