Peter Matthews talks with Jared Vermeulen, who authored a new book, “The Modern Fire Officer: Building Legacy That Endures,” that is designed to help guide today’s fire officers through the many situations they encounter each day.

Vermeulen says that today’s fire officers often wear dozens of hats compared to a few hats for previous generations because of the all-hazards role that fire departments play in their community while ensuring today’s firefighters are confident in their duties. He said officers can find themselves trying to bridge multiple generational gaps in understanding, technology and know-how at the same time. 

They discuss the challenges of some chiefs who take the helm as fire chief to fix a 20-year-old problem, blocking progress in their organization and possibly pushing it backward. Vermeulen says the fire service, in some ways, is the U.S. Post Office in it’s antiquated ways.    

Related links:

• The Modern Fire Officer 
• Jared Vermeulen on LinkedIn
• The Modern Fire Officer (Book 1)
• The Modern Fire Officer: Building Legacy That Endures (Book 2) 
• The Firehouse Yak: Jared Vermeulen – Foundations for The Modern Fire Officer