The Firehouse Yak: Daniel DeYear – The Company Officer’s Number 1 Priority

Feb. 3, 2025
Peter Matthews talks with Daniel DeYear about his company officer development program and some of the key takeaways that he shares to help lead today’s fire service.

Chief Daniel DeYear returns to The Firehouse Yak podcast after talking about the fire service’s approach to safety with a discussion on company officer development based on his workshops.

DeYear digs into decades of leadership lessons from nearly two decades as an officer and chief in Dallas Fire-Rescue, including communication, accountability, trust and support. Many including firefighters and officers, DeYear says, do not understand the officer’s primary role in the fire department.

Listen to learn about DeYear’s opinion of the biggest challenges facing fire officers today, most of which have been a challenge for the last few generations of fire service leaders. He also digs into the debate about being friends with your officers, about top-down and bottom-up communications and how to build a crew based on strengths and weaknesses.

About the Author

Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director

Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department.        

About the Author

Daniel DeYear

Daniel DeYear recently retired from Dallas Fire Rescue where he served as deputy chief of the training division. He has been with the department for more than 30 years. DeYear previously worked for the Carrollton, TX, Fire Department for nearly 10 years, serving in several capacities, and then for two years as an international fire marshal for the U. S. Department of State, Foreign Building Operations. In conjunction with the latter, he travelled to dozens of countries to provide fire and life safety to U.S. embassies and consulates. Currently, DeYear also serves as the chairman of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection’s Fire Fighter Advisory Committee and is a member of the organization’s Curriculum & Testing Committee and Health and Wellness Committee. He was the Texas Association of Future Educators 2020 Instructor of the Year. You can find more here: chiefdeyear.com.

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!