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I Had a Plan to Become Fire Chief. Here’s Why Missing It Was the Best Thing That Happened.

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Read Original Post | July 12, 2026 The Paper Route I never felt particularly smart growing up. I say that not as false modesty but as an honest accounting of how I understood myself for most of my early life. School was something I tolerated rather than excelled at. Mostly C’s in middle school. I had to maintain a 3.0 to drive in my family, so I graduated with a low 3.0 — exactly enough, not a point more. What I did have was an appetite for work that I cannot entirely explain. It started at eleven with a paper route. Through my teenage years I worked in a cabinet shop, a race shop, doing yard work, as a clerk’s helper at a grocery store. I typically had two jobs at a time and picked up every odd job placed in front of me. Nobody told me to do this. I just could not seem to stop. I mention this because it matters later. The work ethic was always there. The direction took longer to find. Brazil Before I landed in the fire service I spent two years living and working in Brazil. I did not ...
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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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