MSFCA Fire Officers Schools help build your professional networks

I had the great opportunity to be a guest instructor at this year’s MSFCA Fire Officers School in Alexandria and the first annual Fire Officers and Instructors School in Duluth. It is fitting that our organization’s primary mission reflects my passion in developing current and future leaders.

I commend everyone that made this year’s programs a success. Both schools had great attendance; registrations for Duluth neared the 300 mark. Our committee members and staff deserve special recognition and appreciation for their work leading up to and behind the scenes in coordinating instructors, networking events, and focusing on every last detail with precision. Thanks to our vendors for supporting our educational programs and showcasing the newest and best products on the market. Alexandria and Duluth were incredible host cities and I look forward to visiting both again soon.

As an instructor, I am always learning from the attendees in my each of my classes and enjoy the interaction we have on discussing issues impacting the fire service. As you may recall, my last article talked about the value of understanding the unique personality profiles of the members of your team and how you, as a leader, can use this information to build a successful team. To start of the class, we used the PACE® Palette to understand our individual personality types and everyone else in the class. With this information handy, we were able to apply our filters to better understand some of the simple and complex issues we face as organizational leaders. As the class progressed, we dove a little deeper into discussing the modern-era challenges we face in our organizations and collectively as a fire service. To be honest, I wish we had more time as we only scratched the surface.

We all acknowledge that some of the problems we encounter are easily solved whereas others are more complex. In some cases, we are faced with an ethical dilemma in which there is truly no easy “right” or correct answer and we are perplexed as to what to do next. In these cases, don’t be afraid or hesitant to reach out to a colleague for advice. The fire officers and instructor schools are excellent opportunities to network; add as many names and numbers to your phone to build upon your professional network.

I look forward to seeing you at the fall conference in St. Paul and at other MSFCA sponsored events over the next year.

Note: this article appeared in the April digital issue of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association magazine. For other articles by leading fire service professionals, join the MSFCA today! Magazine memberships are available!