As Firehouse Sees It: Officer Turnover Provides Firefighters With Leadership Opportunities

While visiting some firehouses recently, I found that most officers have fewer than 10 years in their respective agency, both career and volunteer. Sure, some veteran officers at the departments have 25 years or more, but they are sprinkled into the mix. At a few stations, I was asked whether officer development was a challenge that I found during other visits. The short answer was yes.

At one career station that I visited, both companies had firefighters/engineers who have fewer than seven years’ combined experience who are acting as officers. The only leadership training that they received was what was passed down inhouse. At a busy volunteer shop, members shared how others moved away in their late 20s because of the high cost of living, so officers tend to be young with that churn. Fortunately, that department put emphasis on required development education, so members could gain experience in all aspects.

At a large department, an engineer who has about 12 years of experience shared how the senior members at a previous assignment were frustrated when younger firefighters were “always asking questions.” The engineer left that house because he believed that senior members gave up on rookies, and the crew was left in disarray. The engineer’s experience at his previous department sparked a commitment from each member at his new department, who would focus on certain tasks. Everyone then would gather to drill, even when they were off duty. They stepped up, organized a plan and sought knowledge from others who had experience and then used media and technology to find other ways to learn from experienced firefighters.

Continuity appears to be a key factor in developing new firefighters and officers. If crews spend a lot of time with rookies, the rookies tend to be fully invested, as opposed to those who work with different crews frequently. Although they might gain new understandings at those various assignments, the core of their foundation, according to those I spoke with, was working with regular crews. That formula of continuity and consistency seems to be a no-brainer as members are developed into the next generation of drivers and leaders. A little guidance can go a long way.

Save the date: Station Design Conference 2026

This year’s Station Design Conference was a tremendous success, bringing architects together with fire and law enforcement agency representatives to plan future station projects. With a focus on planning for stations that will be used for decades at a time of evolving technology and safety, product manufacturers joined those conversations.
I would like to thank Firehouse Special Projects Director Janet Wilmoth for all of her efforts to coordinate the event. She did a terrific job bringing together 800 people to ensure tomorrow’s stations are ready for the needs of the future.

Station Design Conference 2026 will take place May 19–21 in Reno, NV.

Tip of the helmet

After 45 years, Chris E. Mickal hung up his helmet with the New Orleans Fire Department as deputy chief. Throughout his career, Mickal provided Firehouse with photos of myriad incidents around the Crescent City. Twenty years ago, he was the duty chief as Hurricane Katrina barreled down on the city. He worked for weeks on end after the city was devastated to provide a command presence while simultaneously documenting the department’s operations. He provided a keynote address during Firehouse World 2006.

Capt. Michael Daley, who is the author of our Fire Studies column, retired after 37 years with the Monroe Township, NJ, Fire District. Daley has authored nearly 100 articles for Firehouse, has presented at events and had led numerous webinars for our readers for nearly two decades.

We congratulate both Mickal and Daley, wish them all the best in their retirement and thank them for their contributions to Firehouse  over the decades.