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When the Community Changes but the Firehouse Doesn't

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  Subscribe here for more When the Community Changes but the Firehouse Doesn’t What adaptation, community change, and organizational fit may have to do with volunteer staffing struggles Thomas Johnson, MPH, AEM Originally posted Jun 11 ∙ Preview   READ IN APP   Photo by tyler richardson on Unsplash Another Piece of the Puzzle In my last article, When Volunteer Capacity becomes a Capability Risk , I argued that strain in volunteer fire and EMS should not be treated as just a staffing problem. I said it looked more like a warning sign about local capability, long-term sustainability, and the assumptions emergency managers make about what communities can count on when something goes wrong. The more I’ve sat with this concern, the more I’ve found myself asking another question. If staffing struggles are signaling something deeper, what exactly are they signaling?...
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The Leadership Crucible June 2026

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  Originally sent June 9, 2026   AFCA Members,  Please see the link below and discussion guide for June’s Leadership Crucible Podcast. This month, Randy Bruegman, Fire Chief (ret.) is joined by leadership author, West Point graduate, and decorated combat veteran Dave Anderson for a discussion on the critical role character plays in effective leadership. Their conversation explores moral courage, leading before receiving a title, developing future leaders, and the importance of building a legacy through people rather than position.  Dave challenges leaders at every level to reflect on a simple but powerful question: “Would you follow you?”  Podcast Facilitation Guide Discussion Guide   On behalf of the AFCA, we hope you enjoy this month’s podcast and the opportunity for meaningful discussion with your teams. John Whitney Vice President, Arizona Fire Chiefs Association Fire Chief, Superstition Fire & Medical
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PIO Training Opportunities

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  Online Independent Study Training for PIO’s through FEMA Go to https://training.fema.gov/is/crslist.aspx You can scroll to see the list of classes or search by title Most classes only take an hour or two to complete. IS-29.a Public Information Officer Awareness Training  The goal of this awareness course is to provide an orientation to the public information function and the role of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in the public safety/emergency management environment. IS-42.A Social Media in Emergency Management  The purpose of this course is to provide the participants with best practices including tools, techniques and a basic roadmap to build capabilities in the use of social media technologies in their own emergency management organizations. Classroom Training for PIO’s Public Information Basics (L105) Dates:  August 19 – 21, 2026 – Phoenix This course is designed to equip participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including ora...
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What Every City Council Member Should Know About Community Risk Reduction

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What Every City Council Member Should Know About Community Risk Reduction Brent Faulkner, MAM, FO   Read Original Article May 26, 2026 Author Every year, in budget meetings across the country, elected officials make decisions about Community Risk Reduction funding without fully understanding what they are deciding. They are not making those decisions carelessly. They are making them with incomplete information — because the fire service has not always done a good job of explaining CRR in language that connects with how elected officials think, what they are accountable for, and what their constituents actually experience. This article is an attempt to close that gap. It is written for city council members, county supervisors, and elected officials who oversee fire department budgets. It is also written for fire chiefs and CRR professionals who want to help their elected officials understand what is actually at stake when prevention funding is on the table. You Are Not Just Funding ...
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