Fire Chief Billy Greenwood's Blog (47)

Gaining the Readership Edge is not about spending time with your nose in the latest trade journal. Sure they all offer great information, with many great writers who have invested lots of time and effort putting pen to paper to educate others. No what we are talking about in Gaining the Readership Edge is the ability to take that book knowledge and applying it to the real-world.

We all know that in competitive sports, second place is the first loser.  Athletes (amateur or…

We all understand the fireground can be a very dynamic working environment. If you've been around long enough to know, new fire service veterans will often say "that no two fires are the same" or there is no such thing as the "routine fire" today. This can be especially true if you are charged to work for a fire department that has an "all hazards" mission statement.…

Assessing Fire Department Organizational Behavior comes in many different forms. There are many professional standards, response models and certified accreditation. On a recent training trip I had the opportunity to provide an unofficial organizational assessment of a department. Assessing organizational behavior is important for instructors. You see you can learn a lot…

PRE-SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT - Tonight on Fire Engineering Radio Join the Tap the Box guys with host Billy Greenwood and Chief Don DeAngelis as the industry leaders in fire service leadership discuss the leading…

The television programming in my house is changing. Our children are getting older and the programming is moving to a more diverse genre. The other night my oldest was watching the show Jersey Shore on MTV;  so I sat down and decided to see what he was taking in.  It didn't take long to figure out the cast had a mantra for "summer life" on the shore.  Mike "The Situation" and another, Pauly D. often stated their day was going to consist of "G-T-L"; and it took me some time to figure out what…

The fire service has a very unique organizational…

In a time when we are under public or political scrutiny, the fire service as a whole cannot accept the Barely Satisfactory firefighter. Barely satisfactory may make the…

During our travels there seems to be a common complaint heard by many brothers and sisters around the country, that being their department offers little or no leadership training or development. Hopefully you weren't pinned and sent off to figure this all out on your own. Preparing the next generation of leaders is everyone's responsibility. You see it is not just the fire chief's responsibility but the entire membership regardless of rank or title. It takes many hands to build a village.…

Battle Ready?

Fire Departments can have the best apparatus, tools / equipment and still struggle to provide professional services to their community.  Why?  Behavioral modification or “learning” is a major component in preparing brothers for battle.  While we travel across the country providing some of the best training available to firefighters, we have noted that many fire departments have lots of technology these days.  This technology, especially in the thermal…

HERE WE GO!!!   It is that time of year again where 30,000 plus like minded progressive brothers converge in Indianapolis.  The trek for many is an annual pilgrimmage. Meeting up with old friends or making new connections within our industry.  The best part of the journey is the stories. All of us have a story to tell.  For most of us FDIC is an opportunity to…

                     The fire service can move at lightning fast speed one minute and other times the clock can move at a turtle’s pace... …

With the recent snowstorms that have blanketed the country, the fire service needs to take a look up before we commit to an interior or exterior fire operation. The type of structural materials, design and condition all play a big part on whether that snow loaded roof is going to be a problem.  I…

Hello FE Community.

Thought of the Day -  We have all been through numerous administrations in our fire service careers.  "Given all things equal within an organization, same fire department, same dedicated men and women protecting our citizens, it is the Level of Leadership that sets that same organization greatly apart...."  FETC

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