Editor's note: "EFO Research Brief" is a collaboration between Firehouse.com and the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program to highlight the research conducted by students. Each month, we will provide a summation brief of the student's final research capstone spanning multiple fire service topics.  

For decades, the fire service has recognized the importance of higher education and professional development. National initiatives have repeatedly called for firefighters and fire officers to pursue continuing education, develop leadership skills, and prepare themselves for an increasingly complex profession.

The "21st Century Fire and Emergency Services" white paper advocates for increased engagement in professional development, as do the Statements of Significance from the Wingspread Conferences. The Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) initiative was established to strengthen educational opportunities for fire and emergency services professionals, and the National Professional Development Matrix (NPDM) was created to provide a framework for career-long development.

Despite these efforts, engagement in higher education and professional development remains inconsistent at the local fire department level. 

For my Executive Fire Officer (EFO) applied research project, I examined the why—whether the issue is actually a lack of motivation—or whether firefighters face other barriers that prevent them from pursuing professional development. The research explored what those barriers look like and, more importantly, what fire departments can do to remove them.

The findings suggest that we may be asking the wrong question and that the problem may not be motivation, but it may be access.

What the research says

Existing research has focused heavily on employee motivation and the relationship between professional development and employee engagement. Research demonstrates a strong positive correlation between opportunities for professional development and motivation.  

However, the fire service continues to perpetuate the idea that on-the-job training is inherently superior to outside educational and professional development opportunities. This creates a narrow definition of professional development and may limit the exposure firefighters have to new ideas, practices, and leadership concepts.

There is also a significant gap in research examining the career trajectories of firefighters and the specific barriers that prevent them from pursuing professional development throughout their careers. More research is needed to identify the structural and resource barriers that exist within fire departments and determine how agencies can effectively eliminate them.

EFO research

Rather than examining this issue solely within one jurisdiction, this research sought to identify trends that could be applied across the fire service.  

A mixed-methods approach was used, incorporating survey and interview data from 203 respondents representing multiple departments (including mine), varying ranks, geographical locations, and levels of experience. 

The research focused on three primary questions:

1. What type of barriers are firefighters experiencing when pursuing professional development—motivation, structural, or resource barriers?
2. Do departments that hire from outside their own ranks experience increased participation in professional development?
3. What barriers to professional development are commonly identified across the fire service, and what are other agencies doing to eliminate them?

The biggest finding: It isn't motivation

The most significant takeaway from the research was that firefighters generally want professional development and the primary obstacles were not a lack of motivation, but rather resources and structural barriers. Respondents repeatedly identified limitations involving time, finances, childcare, scheduling, and access to information about available opportunities. These barriers appeared across seniority levels, ranks, and agencies.

This finding is important because it changes how fire service leaders should approach the problem: if firefighters do not want professional development, increasing opportunities alone will not solve the problem. But if firefighters want to participate and simply cannot overcome the barriers standing in their way, the solution is very different. 

Instead of asking, "How do we motivate our members?" leaders should be asking, "What are we doing that makes professional development difficult to access?"

When professional development is part of the career path

Another consistent theme throughout the interviews was the role professional development plays in promotional processes.

 Many respondents believed that establishing higher educational and professional-development standards for promotion would encourage greater participation. Raising the baseline requirements would create a clear incentive for members to pursue education and professional development as they progress through their careers. This concept aligns with the "21st Century Fire and Emergency Services" white paper, which identifies comprehensive organizational professional development plans as a means of encouraging personal growth. Such plans should incorporate both training and education and should be integrated into the structural processes associated with career advancement.

In other words, professional development should not be something firefighters are encouraged to pursue only when a promotional opportunity becomes available. It should be an expected and supported component of the career path.

Remove the obstacles

The research suggests that relatively straightforward changes could significantly increase participation.

 When asked whether financial assistance would make them more likely to pursue a degree, 143 of the 203 respondents said yes, while another 43 said maybe. That means 186 of 203 respondents—more than 90 percent—indicated that financial assistance could increase their willingness to pursue a degree.

That is a significant finding, particularly when considering that many firefighters have some college education but have not completed a degree. 

The message for fire service leaders is clear: If we can reduce the financial, scheduling, and logistical obstacles associated with professional development, more firefighters are likely to participate.

Five ways fire departments can increase participation

1. Advertise Professional Development Opportunities - The first step is simple: make sure members know what is available. Departments should consistently advertise opportunities for higher education, emergency management training, hands-on training, conferences, leadership programs, and other professional-development activities. Communications should also include information about tuition reimbursement, scholarships, training leave, and other benefits that can make participation more attainable.
2. Create a Fair System for Training Leave - As awareness increases, requests for training leave will likely increase as well. Departments need a fair and transparent process for distributing limited training opportunities. Standardized criteria should be established, published, and consistently applied. Members should understand how decisions are made and what they can do to improve their chances of being selected. A transparent process not only improves access—it builds trust.
3. Rethink Promotional Processes - Professional development should have a meaningful place in the promotional process. Interviewees frequently expressed concerns about the perceived knowledge and preparation of organizational leaders. Establishing higher baseline requirements for company officers and chief officers can help address those concerns while creating a tangible incentive for members to continue developing themselves. When an administration raises the professional standard for promotion, it sends a powerful message: professional development matters. The goal should not be to create unnecessary barriers to promotion. Instead, departments should establish standards that reflect the knowledge, skills, and competencies expected of today's fire service leaders.
4. Create a Professional Development Committee - Departments should also consider establishing a committee responsible for coordinating and distributing professional-development opportunities. When conference attendance or outside training is determined informally, members may perceive the process as favoritism or nepotism—even when that is not the intent. A formal committee can create a standardized application and selection process that gives members an equitable opportunity to participate. The responsibility should not end when the member returns from the conference or training. Selected attendees should be expected to bring relevant information, training concepts, or best practices back to the organization. The committee can then help evaluate, coordinate, and distribute that information throughout the department. Professional development should benefit more than the individual who attends.
5. Expand Access Through Technology - Not every firefighter can attend an in-person conference or college course. Digital education provides another opportunity to reduce barriers. Online courses, virtual conferences, recorded training, webinars, and other digital resources can make professional development accessible to members who face scheduling, geographic, or family constraints. Technology should not replace hands-on training or face-to-face professional interaction. However, it can significantly expand access to education that otherwise might not be possible.

Changing the conversation

The fire service frequently discusses the need to develop better leaders, increase professionalism, and prepare firefighters for the increasingly complex demands of the job. But professional development cannot simply be encouraged from the podium. If departments genuinely want their members to pursue education and professional development, they must create an environment in which doing so is possible. 

The research demonstrates that firefighters are interested. The challenge is removing the obstacles that prevent them from acting on that interest. This requires fire service leaders to look beyond motivation and examine the organizational systems surrounding professional development:

• Are opportunities clearly communicated? 
• Is training leave available and distributed equitably?
• Are financial resources available?
• Can members participate without sacrificing family responsibilities?
• Are educational achievements recognized within promotional processes?
• And, perhaps most importantly, does the organization's leadership demonstrate through its actions that professional development is valued?

Conclusion

The fire service continues to face increasing expectations for professionalism, leadership, education, and technical competency. Meeting those expectations will require a workforce that is prepared to learn throughout its career.

The good news is that the research suggests firefighters are willing to do so but the challenge is access.

Firefighters are encountering barriers involving time, money, childcare, scheduling, and organizational structure and these are obstacles that fire service leaders can influence. By increasing communication about available opportunities, creating equitable systems for training leave, incorporating professional development into promotional processes, establishing committees to manage opportunities, and expanding digital access, departments can make professional development more attainable for their members.

Professional development should not be viewed as something firefighters must pursue on their own time and at their own expense. It is an organizational investment that ultimately benefits the entire department and the community it serves.

If we want a more professional fire service, we must make professional development accessible to the people who will lead it.