Do you ever feel you need superhero powers to accomplish everything on your to-do list? Today’s fire service executives are tasked with more than ever before. And it’s easy to lose sight of your goals and what’s important when you’re drowning in budget cuts, personnel issues and the many responsibilities that come with running a fire department in the 21st century.
The IAFC’s Executive Edge program offers a high level, experiential learning opportunity you don’t often find in the fire service.
It’s the small-class format that has attracted attendees in areas such as St. Petersburg, Phoenix, Chicago and Washington, DC. The course is limited to 25 participants to keep the intimate group dynamics that allow fire chiefs to open up and ask questions. Chiefs are often afraid to say they don’t know the answers to some of the challenges they face for fear of showing weakness. In this small group setting chiefs can open up in a confidential environment and solicit the feedback from their peers and the presenters who are experienced chiefs themselves.
Executive Edge addresses a variety of topics in a confidential setting allowing participants to bring up challenges such as achieving work-life balance, motivating an apathetic command staff, or how to handle a Mayor seeking major fire department reform.
Issues such as these are discussed as a group with input from experienced chiefs on major decisions they made throughout their career. Hear how these chiefs learned from the monumental issues they faced and how they shaped them as a leader moving forward.
"It was an insightful and dynamic experience! An invaluable educational experience that will have profound impact on my career," said attendee Division Chief Randy Karrer of Drexel Heights (AZ) Fire District. "Getting the opportunity to benefit from the experiences of others is the most efficient and painless way to go. The experience represented in the room was incredible," said Derrell Selleys of Daisy Mountain Fire (AZ).
Register for the next Executive Edge program featuring Jeff Johnson, Chief (Ret.), Tualatin Valley (OR) Fire & Rescue and Joanne Hayes-White, Chief, San Francisco (CA) Fire Department as they share their knowledge and expertise.
Executive Edge will be held Nov. 14-15, 2011 in Portland (OR)
Sign up today at www.iafc.org/ExecEdge.