Commentary
When Speaking Up Costs Everything: A Firefighter’s Truth About Harassment and Silence
Women in the fire service are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for equal treatment—for respect, dignity, safety, and a real voice in the profession they have committed their lives to serving. That is not an unreasonable demand. It is a basic expectation.
Breaking News: We are still getting it wrong in so many Departments
By: William Hux, Chief Fire Marshal, Va. State Fire Marshals Office, Va. Fire Marshal Academy Note From Chief Avsec: Another great post from my Guest Blogger,…
Men in the fire service: It’s time to step up!
By: William Hux, Chief Fire Marshal, Va. State Fire Marshals Office, Va. Fire Marshal Academy Now that FDIC 2025 has ended and 37,000 fire service members…
America’s Fire Service is not a Family – Opinion
Editor’s Note: The following from my fire service colleague, John Murphy, was originally published on LinkedIn and is presented here with his permission. By: John K.…
Time to “think outside the box” to develop a standard for psychological services for fire departments
A fire service colleague, J. Gordon Routley, posted this comment in a discussion thread on LinkedIn about developing a standard for psychological services for fire and…
We can all help prevent death and injury to children from firearms
The holiday season is upon us in the U.S. and Canada and that means children will be spending more time at home as many schools take breaks for the Thanksgiving (U.S.) and Christmas holidays. Thus, I’ve updated my original article and am sharing it today in hopes of preventing an unintentional shooting, especially one involving a child or teen.
Why I write
I write because I want people to think, especially about what they don't know. My aim is to inform, educate, and challenge readers to encourage them to engage with new ideas. In return, I learn from their feedback.
The Missing Presence: “Nine Sisters” at the 7th Annual Fire Service Psychology Association Conference
The 7th Annual Conference of the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA), held on October 3-4, 2024, in Washington, D.C. was a significant event aimed at bridging…
Fire Service Psychology: Where are the major fire service organizations?
In the bustling world of firefighting and emergency services, there’s a long-lost sister—a quiet advocate working tirelessly behind the scenes. Her name? Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA). Dr. Kristen Wheldon, Psy.D is the President and Founder of FSPA, and has been championing her cause, but why haven’t the major fire service organizations rushed to embrace FSPA? Let’s explore this intriguing question.
Leading During Chaos – The True Meaning of “Creating a Family Environment”
What I’m about to talk about is nothing new for most of you, unfortunately it isn’t new to me either. In just over 27 years of this life [Of publice service] I voluntarily chose, looking past the day-to-day “job” there is something that continues to become clearer as the years tick away. Most everyday can only be described as “chaotic” in public safety, no matter your certification level, and regardless of the geography; We are all quick to drop the “brother this” and “sister that” in our daily life. While I’m [may] not the first to tease your brain with this, my take makes sense to me, so maybe it will make some sense to you.
Let’s build some kindness into our firehouses
The word brotherhood is thrown around in the fire service all day long. This day reminded me of what the word really means. This is a dangerous profession, and we would die for each other and there are many times we do. I ask you today to put aside the pettiness between us as brothers and sisters. The pettiness between shifts. The pettiness that separates operations from daywork. The pettiness of destroying someone’s reputation over a rumor. The pettiness that comes from an occupation that breeds alpha personalities and competitiveness that often ends friendships.
Take Full Advantage of Fire’s Diamond Time
In doing some research online regarding firefighter safety, I came across this "oldie but goodie" from one of the legends of the fire service in the U.S., the late Ronny Coleman. For firefighters and officers of a certain age, we grew up with Chief Coleman particularly as we read his classic monthly column in the old Fire Chief Magazine (the hard copy), The Chief's Clipboard. For me, reading that column provided my first real taste of officer development as I'd just been promoted to a company officer position in my department, the Chesterfield (Va.) Fire and EMS Department, nee the Chesterfield Fire Department. This was one such column.