The Michigan State Firemen’s Association in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council proudly presents:
Changing the Fire Service Culture: Essential Strategies for Success
Saturday May 22, 2021
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
To register for this FREE training, click here
Firefighting is one of the most physically and mentally demanding jobs that an individual is asked to perform. Each year, between 80 and 100 firefighters die and more than 70,000 are injured in the line of duty while training, responding to or returning from an emergency incident, or on an actual emergency scene. The nation’s fire service is comprised of more than 700,000 volunteer firefighters or 70% of the total of all firefighters. The volunteer fire service has existed for over 200 years and is steep in traditions. It is those traditions that has created a culture that often drives these brave firefighters to place their own health and safety at risk because of a desire to help others. Today, a new paradigm is being developed that strives to change that culture and reduce the line of duty death and injury statistics. The National Volunteer Fire Council published the text “Volunteer Fire Service Culture – Essential Strategies for Success” as a guide to volunteer fire service leaders who desire to change the culture and attitude towards personal health and safety. This training program utilizes this text to reinforce the need for change and provide a roadmap for implementation of change.
The reference text can be downloaded at https://www.nvfc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Culture-Shift-Textbook-FINAL.pdf
Course Objectives:
- Discuss issues that challenge the fire service safety culture and their impact
- Define how leadership is applied to address these challenges
- Identify tools that can assist emergency service leaders in improving the safety of their organization
Instructor bio:
David Lewis is an active member of the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company (Maryland), serving as a firefighter/EMT, Chief Officer, and Company President. David is also a Past President of the Anne Arundel County Volunteer Firefighters Association and of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association. He is also active at a regional and national level as a Director to both the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association and the National Volunteer Fire Council. David is an instructor for the National Fire Academy, the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, and the University of Maryland. He has delivered training programs and conference presentations across the U.S and is a recognized leader in promoting firefighter safety and wellness. As an emergency services educator, Mr. Lewis is able to apply his life experiences in an environment that shares with others and builds future leadership across the emergency services communities.