Montana Fire Service Leadership Training Series
Ignite Your Recruitment and Retention Through Effective Leadership
The Montana State Fire Chiefs Association in conjunction with the Montana State Volunteer Firefighters Association is pleased to announce our Montana Fire Service Leadership Training Series. These free monthly online training sessions will focus on Leadership, Recruitment and Retention and all fire service professionals are invited and welcome to participate. Please share with your colleagues. Certificates will be provided upon completion of the session.
For questions contact Kim Skufca, MSFCA, 406-625-7059 or Email
This training is made available through funding provided by the FEMA SAFER Grant, awarded to MSFCA in 2020.
Finding the Need Behind the Need: Passion-Driven Recruitment for Fire and EMS Volunteers
Session Description:
Recruiting for fire departments and EMS agencies is more than just filling roles; it’s about finding individuals genuinely passionate about making a difference in public safety. This course delves into “finding the need behind the need,” emphasizing the importance of understanding and connecting with potential volunteers’ deeper motivations. By going beyond qualifications and certifications, recruiters can build a team of dedicated volunteers committed to serving their communities.
Key Takeaways:
● Understanding the Surface Need: Learn the basics of identifying the immediate requirements for roles such as firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics.
● Delving Deeper into Motivations: Discover techniques to uncover candidates’ passions and commitments to public safety.
● Asking the Right Questions: Gain insights into asking questions that reveal candidates’ motivations and personal experiences driving their interest in volunteering.
● Active Listening Skills: Enhance your recruitment process by actively listening to candidates’ stories, focusing on their enthusiasm and sincerity.
● Showcasing Impact: Learn how to connect candidates’ passions with your organization’s purpose by highlighting meaningful experiences and the positive impact of their volunteer work.
Presenter: Walter A. Campbell
Walter A. Campbell stands at the forefront of innovation in recruitment and retention strategy within the public safety sector, specializing in volunteer fire and EMS departments. With a career marked by excellence, Walter has earned national recognition as a strategist, consultant, speaker, and instructor, influencing positive change in organizations nationwide.
Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Recruitment
Session Description:
Social media is more than just a platform for selfies and memes – it’s a potent tool for recruiting volunteer firefighters.
Join us to discover how to effectively utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with and engage potential volunteers. We’ll cover everything from crafting compelling posts to leveraging targeted ads. Whether you’re a social media novice or a seasoned pro, this course will equip you with the strategies and insights you need to make your recruitment efforts trend.
Key Takeaways:
● Craft engaging and effective social media posts.
● Utilize targeted advertising for recruitment.
● Effective Calls-to-Action: Use CTAs to prompt audience engagement and drive volunteer interest effectively.
Presenter: Walter A. Campbell
Walter A. Campbell stands at the forefront of innovation in recruitment and retention strategy within the public safety sector, specializing in volunteer fire and EMS departments. With a career marked by excellence, Walter has earned national recognition as a strategist, consultant, speaker, and instructor, influencing positive change in organizations nationwide.
10 Healthy Habits of a Resilient Firefighter
Session Description:
Discover the secrets to becoming a resilient firefighter and achieving optimal health with our transformative seminar, “The 10 Healthy Habits of a Resilient Firefighter.”
In the demanding field of firefighting, maintaining physical and mental well-being is crucial. This seminar is designed to equip any member of the fire service with the knowledge and strategies needed to thrive in their high-pressure roles.
This seminar delves into the ten key habits that contribute to the overall well-being and resilience of firefighters. Participants will learn practical techniques for managing stress, enhancing physical fitness, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
From effective sleep strategies and proper nutrition to stress management techniques and strength training exercises, each habit is carefully tailored to address the unique challenges faced by firefighters. Through engaging examples, interactive discussions, and thought-provoking questions, attendees will gain invaluable insights that they can immediately apply to their lives and careers.
Join us as Aaron Zamzow (Zam), from Fire Rescue Fitness and the Better Every Shift Podcast, will empower attendees to take control of their health, well-being, and resilience. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn the 10 Healthy Habits of a Resilient Firefighter.
Presenter: Aaron Zamzom “ZAM”, Career Firefighter/ EMT and Training Officer
Aaron Zamzow (ZAM) has over 20 years of firefighting experience as an on-call paid firefighter in Golden Valley, Minnesota, and is currently a career Firefighter/ EMT and Training Officer in Madison, Wisconsin. He is the owner of Fire Rescue Fitness, a company that creates workout programs and fitness resources that focus on getting Fire Rescue Athletes “fit for duty.” Aaron holds a Bachelor of Science degree in health and wellness, is an NSCA-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer, a Precision Nutrition Practitioner, and an ACE Peer Fitness Trainer.
He has also worked in the fitness industry for over 30 years and has experience working with the general population and athletes from the NBA, NFL, and NHL. He is the author of numerous fitness programs catered toward Fire Rescue Athletes (firefighters, EMTs, and medics). He has recently been published in and writes for Firehouse, Fire Rescue Magazine, Lexipol, FR1, International Fire Fighter, and numerous other first responder publications. In 2022, Aaron launched the “Better Every Shift” Podcast with FireRescue1, where he and guests discuss pertinent fire service topics. Aaron also uses his experience and knowledge to consult with Fire Departments on the best practices for firefighter fitness and health and serves as the fitness and nutrition committee chair for the First Responder Center for Excellence and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Aaron’s enthusiasm to help members of the fire service and knowledge is contagious. His presentations and programs have sparked thousands of firefighters, EMTs, chiefs, and medics to improve their level of health and promote a healthier and more fit fire service.
Aaron (Zam) is on a mission to help transform, motivate, and educate 100,000 firefighters, EMTs, and medics to get “fit for duty.”
Firefighters Under Fire: The Tucson Experience
Lessons learned from an active shooter incident
Session Description:
In July 2021, the Tucson Fire Department responded like it does almost every day to a reported residential structure fire. Upon arrival, initial responding units came under almost immediate gunfire from a civilian. One member of Tucson Fire was struck by gunfire. Others had to run for their lives. Three innocent civilians died in connection with the event. This incident shook the department and the community, and it resulted in some significant lessons learned, both operationally and from the leadership perspectives. Chief Ryan shares in this discussion his observations on a growing national trend of acts of violence against firefighters, provides insight into some very unique “behind the scenes” challenges that he had to navigate in the wake of this event, and how the Tucson Fire Department reviewed the event, identified key areas for improvement, and operationalized the improvements. This presentation is geared primarily towards incumbent fire chiefs and those aspiring to fire chief positions.
Presenter: Chief Chuck Ryan
Chuck Ryan was appointed as Tucson’s 28th Fire Chief on September 30, 2019. He previously served for more than 25 years with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department in Virginia. He held every promoted rank in the department, retiring as an Assistant Fire Chief to take the Tucson Fire Chief’s job. Chuck also served for over a decade as a Task Force Leader and Plans Manager with Fairfax County’s urban search & rescue team, Virginia Task Force 1/USA-1.
Chief Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Siena College in New York, and a Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is certified as an Executive Fire Officer through the National Fire Academy, credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer, and he is a Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. Chuck is also a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
Cooperative Purchasing: Meeting Your Procurement Requirements with Flexibility
Session Description:
Cooperative purchasing is a rapidly growing tool in the local government toolbox that makes purchases large and small easier. In this session, we will look at cooperative purchasing and how it allows you to meet your procurement requirements and have flexibility in what and how you purchase. We will show examples of how it works, including references to Montana regulations that give you the ability to use cooperative purchasing programs like Sourcewell and what kinds of contracts are available that your fire districts can use.
Presenter:
Shawn Stokes, Program Manager, Cooperative Services, LLC
Shawn Stokes is a Program Manager with Cooperative Services, LLC. He currently works with Sourcewell on their public safety cooperative procurement initiative.
He has held several leadership positions in public safety association management, including Assistant Executive Director for the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Currently, he is the Fire Chief of the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Chairman of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Volunteer Fire Commission, and Board Member At Large for the IAFC’s Volunteer and Combination Officers Section.
Shawn received a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Aviation Business Administration and a Masters of Aeronautical Science (MAS) both from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL.
10 Toxic Leadership Traits that Affect Department Climate
Presenter: Colby Cagle
Session Description:
Together, we will explore 10 of the most toxic leadership traits that affect department climate and culture. We will learn how to self-identify our own personal leadership traits and tendencies and leverage those for good instead of letting them have negative impacts within our departments. We will discuss diversity, equity, inclusion, communication, and management as leaders dealing with multiple generations and experiences. This webinar is for all levels of leadership and for those wanting to step into the role of department leadership.
Modernizing the U.S. Fire Data System: An Introduction to the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS)
Session Description:
On July 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) co-hosted a virtual discussion with Q&A where leaders shared the vision, purpose, and impact of the new National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS).
Featured Speakers:
- Dr. David Alexander, Senior Science Advisor for Resilience, DHS Science and Technology Directorate
- Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator, USFA
- Dr. Steve Kerber, Vice President and Executive Director, FSRI
- Commissioner Adam K. Thiel, Philadelphia Fire Department
Montana State Fund: Partnering with Fire Fighters for a Safer, Healthier Montana
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
6:30 PM MDT
Session Description:
In this session, participants will learn about workers’ compensation and how partnering with Montana State Fund can help them stay safe on the job and if an unfortunate accident does occur, how to manage it for a positive outcome.
Presenters:
Jodi Blixt – Montana State Fund Claims Examiner
Stormy Tuffield – Montana State Fund Safety Management Consultant stormy
Jodi Blixt 10 years of workers’ compensation insurance experience. She joined Montana State Fund as a claim assistant in 2014. She then went through the claims examiner training program and has been a claims examiner since 2015. Jodi holds a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health from the University of Montana Tech.
Stormy Tuffield joined Montana State Fund as a safety management consultant in 2018. He began his safety, risk management, and loss control career in 2006 with the US Coast Guard. Stormy has worked for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, where he oversaw the workers’ compensation, return to work, emergency management, and risk management programs. Stormy has over 16 years of military service and is currently serving in the Montana Army National Guard. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from American Public University and two Master Degrees from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
A FIREFIGHTER MAYDAY WILL RUIN YOUR DAY: Taking care of your internal and external customers.
Presenter: Phil Davis, MPA MASIMO | Fire and EMS Clinical Resource Manager, Deputy Fire Chief (Ret.)
This session will cover the following topics:
- Pulse oximetry
- Hazards of CO
- CO monitoring of both EMS patients and firefighters during rehab
- Multi-casualty incidents involving carbon monoxide
- Perfusion Index
- Establishing baselines and defining abnormal readings
- Overall firefighter safety
- NFPA 1584 (9 steps of firefighter rehab)
Phil Davis is a Clinical Education and Resource Manager for MASIMO Corporation (masimo.com). Prior to joining MASIMO, he was the principal of his own consulting firm, specializing in two practice areas– emergency management and executive development. In 2006 he retired as the Deputy Fire Chief of the Cosumnes Fire Department in California. He has also served as the Assistant Fire Chief for the UC Davis Fire Department. He was in the fire service for 28 years (and in emergency services for 33 years) and has worked as a firefighter/paramedic, captain, training officer, EMS coordinator, and Chief Fire Officer. He has served on two type-2 incident management teams for CALFIRE in California. He was appointed to the California EMS Commission and served as the vice-chair of the Commission. After retiring from the fire department, Chief Davis was the regional Emergency Services Director for the American Red Cross, Capital Region Chapter. His experience also includes part-time adjunct faculty positions at the National Fire Academy, UC Davis, and Chico State University as well as numerous California community colleges. He has authored several professional articles and magazine columns. He has previously written blogs for the online version of Emergency Management Magazine and the Sacramento ABC affiliate, News10.net. Twice nominated as Fire Instructor of the Year, he has presented dozens of classes in 47 states plus Canada and Guam.
Chief Davis holds a bachelor of science degree in health science and a master’s degree in public administration and is certified as a chief officer, master instructor, hazmat technician, hazmat incident commander, hazmat safety officer, EMT, and fire officer in California.
From Buses to Mobility Devices: Batteries are part of our response now.
Presenters:
Michael O’Brian
Fire Chief for Brighton, MI and IAFC Board of Directors
Neal Ullman
Montana DEQ – Department of Environmental Quality – Energy Bureau
This training will aid in bringing recognition to the fire service on the role we play in reducing the impact of a fire involving lithium-ion batteries. The webinar is just before the start of Firefighter Safety Stand-down Week. This year’s stand down is aimed at preparing the fire service for responses to lithium-ion batteries. This webinar will be a great starter to highlight the various issues and the role the fire service plays not only in response but the overall mitigation of an incident.
Michael O’Brian is the Fire and is active in code development working to help solve complex problems affecting our fire service. Chief O’Brian serves on the IAFC Board of Directors and is a long-time board member on the Fire and Life Safety Section.
SLIPS, TRIPS, AND FALLS:
How to avoid the Perils of the volunteer fire service retention cliff
Presenters:
Chief Tiger Schmittendorf,
Vice President of Recruitment & Retention Services for First Arriving,
Retired Deputy Fire Coordinator for the County of Erie Department Homeland Security & Emergency Services (Buffalo, NY)
There’s no limit to theories of why the fire service finds itself racing around like a roadrunner to find solutions to recruiting and retaining volunteers. This non-fiction “Retention Cliff” theory uses familiar characters and storylines to depict how so many fire and EMS agencies have gone from being flush with volunteers–to flushing their volunteers–while the member pipeline has seemingly run dry. We’ll break down the four demographics of our fire service and how and why we find our organizations on the brink of either sheer greatness or utter collapse at any moment.
Most importantly, this conversation ends with a “That’s NOT All Folks!” message of hope. Together, we’ll scheme a cartoon-concocted construction plan for building a rope bridge to the other side of volunteer recruitment and retention success.
Chief Tiger Schmittendorf is Vice President of Recruitment & Retention Services for First Arriving, a full-service marketing and technology team headquartered in Richmond VA. He served as Deputy Fire Coordinator for the County of Erie Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (Buffalo NY) for more than 20 years before retiring in 2018. There he was responsible for the recruitment, training, and mutual aid operations of 97 fire departments and 6,000+ firefighters. He is a Nationally Certified Fire Instructor and has actively served as a firefighter with the Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company in Angola NY since 1980, having served as Chief of Training, Public Information Officer (PIO), Recruiter, and as his department’s first-ever junior firefighter. He also brings 15 years of experience in engineering, sales, marketing, and management to now marketing the product he loves: fire and emergency services. Connect with him at: [email protected], via FireRECRUITER.com, RuntotheCurb.com, TrainYourReplacement.com, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Developing A Communications Plan
Presenters:
Liz Loomis, President,
Liz Loomis Public Affairs (LLPA)
Communicating with the public is more than just reporting facts about an accident or fire. If done correctly, it becomes a critical part of ensuring community financial support for fire and life safety services.
This training teaches participants how to develop a basic communications plan, including paid communications, earned media strategy, social media, and public outreach.
Liz Loomis has 25 years of experience in strategic communications, earned and social media, campaigns, and government to achieve the desired outcomes for her clients. She founded Liz Loomis Public Affairs (LLPA) in 1997 to serve local governments by providing vital public services.
As a former city council member, mayor, and state representative, Loomis’s knowledge of voter opinion is actively sought after by organizations dependent on tax revenue. Her firm has helped pass hundreds of ballot measures in the past 20 years. She is a national keynote speaker on improving communications with taxpayers, how to win ballot measures, public relations, and crisis communication issues.
“WHO DO WE WANT?”, “WHERE ARE WE LOOKING?”
Presenters:
Chief Joe Page, Whitefish Fire Department
Every department wants more fully qualified firefighters; however, the reality is that we must develop them. Everyone must do something for the first time.
Join Chief Page to explore “out of the box” recruitment opportunities. (Pervious training hosted 2/16/2022)
Chief Joe Page started his fire service career as a volunteer for the Vista Fire Dept in South Salem, New York, back in 1983. During his 15-year with Vista, Joe advanced through the ranks, being elected Chief in his last 2-years before his job as a printed circuit board designer relocated him to New Hampshire.
Once in NH, Joe volunteered for the Amherst Fire Dept until another job relocation took him back to New York, where he volunteered with the Carmel Fire Dept. Then a few years later, a big move out to Colorado, where Joe volunteered for the Elk Creek Fire Dept in Conifer, CO earning rookie of the year in 2004. Yep, 4th time’s a charm.
In 2004 Joe was fortunate and was hired as the Training/Safety Officer for Elk Creek Fire, eventually serving as Asst Chief and then Interim Fire Chief.
In 2013 Joe accepted an Asst Fire Chief position with the Whitefish MT until 2014 when he was named Fire Chief, a position he holds today.
Joe’s fire service career spans five different departments in four different states, from all volunteers, to mostly volunteers and now a mostly career combination departments, not that he wouldn’t love to have many more volunteers. For the last few years job has also been a contract instructor for IAFC’s Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Certification course.
How To Manage The Impact Of Change
Presenter: Chief Rich Cowger, Fire Chief Columbus Fire Rescue
How do we as a fire service adapt to the changes in the communities and areas we serve. What are the organizational challenges and, in some cases, personal impacts that accompany change in our communities and how do we address them.
Peer Support- Resilience In The Fire Community
Presenters: Becca Rigal Captain Medicine Lake Rural Fire Department
Adam Jordan Engineer/Medic Great Falls Fire Rescue
Because of the exposure to trauma and occupational and relational stressors, firefighters are at higher risk of mental, emotional, and physical dangers than the general population. With this understanding, Adam Jordan and Becca Rigal hope to shed some light on the need for increasing vigilance within the fire service for programs such as Peer Support to ensure the well-being of our members.
Rebecca Rigal was born and raised in Germany. She came to the United States in 1996 and became a U.S. citizen in 2009. One of Rebecca’s highest priorities is mental health, especially the psychological and spiritual care of first responders. Shortly after she joined the Medicine Lake Volunteer Fire Department in 2016, Rebecca was tasked to research policies and procedures to form a Peer Support Team (PST). Since its implementation, PST has assisted its members with stress management, follow-ups, and interventions. As a Captain in the rural fire service, Rebecca carries the responsibility of ensuring her crew’s safety on the scene and strongly believes in addressing the subconscious embers after a bad call.
March Training
Becoming A Person Of Influence
Yanick will define leadership, talk about some of the myths of leadership, the 5 levels of leadership, different ways to lead, and two laws from John Maxwell’s book “The 21 Irrefutable laws of leadership.”
December Training
Leading Fire Protection Today and Beyond… Who’s our Team?
Instructor: Chief Shane Ray, President, National Fire Sprinkler Association
August Training
Leading in Turbulent Times
Instructor: Chief John M. Buckman, III, State Fire Training Director – Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office
The training will discuss the strategy needed to stay ahead of the challenges we are facing. The world has changed. Our volunteer and career wants, desires, and concerns have changed. What are you doing to help calm their concerns?
Chief Buckman served 35 years as fire chief for the German Township (Indiana) Volunteer Fire Department, and 15 years as director of the fire and public safety academy for the Indiana State Fire Marshal Office. He is the Director of Government and Regional Outreach for IamResponding.com. Buckman is a past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and a co-founder of the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section. In 1996, Fire Chief Magazine named Buckman Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year. Buckman is an accomplished photographer, a co-author of the Lesson Learned from Fire-Rescue Leaders, and the editor of the Chief Officers Desk Reference. Buckman is the owner of Wildfire Productions.
July Training
The Essentials of the Leadership Journey
This training highlighted the essentials of leadership that we discover along our journeys as chief officers, officers and leaders. The backbone of the training was the eleven-part Leadership Journey course that is taught in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming based on the Band of Brothers series.
Instructor: Division Chief Greg Ward is the Operations Chief of the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority (LFRA) in Loveland Colorado. Greg has served the Loveland community for the past twenty-six years and has a total of thirty-four years in the fire service, serving with the Berthoud Fire District, United Stated Air Force Academy Fire Department and Black Forest Fire Rescue District prior to LFRA. Greg serves as the president of the Colorado Governor’s Fire Training and Certification Board, the coordinator for the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s Fire Officer II program and a member of the Aims Community College Fire Science Advisory Board. He is proud to be a third-generation firefighter and chief officer.
June Training
Democracy Day
Selecting a new Fire Chief is a difficult challenge – whether it is in the volunteer fire service or the career service. Firefighters say they want leadership and are quick to judge leaders through the prism of their own experiences, whether positive or negative. During this presentation, we explored different methods for selecting a new Fire Chief (including doing away with elections) as well as how career departments might consider including personnel in the selection process.
Instructor Matthew Tobia is the Fire Chief with the City of Harrisonburg (VA) Fire Department and is a 33-year student of emergency services. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program at the National Fire Academy. Matt has served as a member of the Editorial Board for Fire-Rescue Magazine and has authored over 120 articles. He is also the former chair of the IAFC’s Safety, Health and Survival Section, holds the Chief Fire Officer credential, and is a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers. Prior to Harrisonburg, Chief Tobia spent 23 years with the Anne Arundel County (MD) Fire Department and four years with Loudoun County (VA) Fire Rescue. Matt began volunteering in south-central Pennsylvania in 1987 and is active with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the Mid Atlantic Burn Camp for Children.
May Training
Establishing Expectations: How to Improve Member Involvement and Performance
Instructors:
Troy Petersen, FSTS N. Central Regional Training Manager
Terry Larson, FSTS S. Central Regional Training Manager
Using evidence-based best practices and legitimate job expectations, participants learned how to set expectations to improve member performance and retention through effective leadership.
April Training
Fire Chiefs 101 – Partnerships and Resources
Instructors:
Chief Mike DeGrosky, MT DNRC
Dick Swingley, State Fire Marshal, MT DOJ
Delila Bruno, Division Administrator, MT DES
Jack Ganieany, Response, Mitigation & Recovery Bureau Chief, MT DES
March Training
The Truth behind Recruiting and Retaining Volunteer Firefighters
Instructor: Jason Caughey, Fire Chief, Laramie County Fire District #2, Cheyenne, Wyoming
This training session focused on identifying why members leave organizations and how to attract new members.