Call for Volunteers: Opportunity to Shape Fire Officer Development Program

The IAFC is seeking members who wish to volunteer to serve the organization on a newly-created Officer Development Program Task Force. The new task force will devise a standing curriculum for a series of educational opportunities for current and emerging fire and emergency service leaders.

“The IAFC has developed an outstanding program for company officers at Fire-Rescue International,” said Chief Larry J. Grorud, CFO, MIFireE. “The success of this program has demonstrated the desire for officer-development training; it has also revealed the need and opportunities to expand the methods and frequency of how these courses are offered. In order to offer more flexibility and opportunity for access to this education, it’s critical to have a clear and comprehensive curriculum.”

The charge of the task force will be to develop learning objectives for the 3-tiered officer-development program. The tiers include a 3-step company officer program, a 3-step battalion chief program and a 3-step staff/operations chief program. A capstone fire chief course will be available at any step for new 5-bugle chiefs.

Conceptually, emerging leaders could complete each 3-step process independently. However, those moving through the tiers could align learning in the last and first steps of each tier to compress the process.

The task force will be charged with developing course content and learning objectives for each step and tier of the program, which can provide value independently as well as compliment other IAFC professional-development programs and other nationally-regarded professional development such as certification or Chief Fire Officer designation.

Ideally, the task force will encompass representatives from across the educational tiers. Candidates who are company officers, battalion and staff chief officers and new and experienced fire chiefs from various department types are being sought. Successful candidates will have background or experience in curriculum development, training or leadership development. The task force will primarily work electronically and via teleconference or webinar and may be called to meet once face to face.

Those interested in participating should submit their interest and résumé to the IAFC Conference Department, with Officer Development Program in the subject line, by May 1.