All essays
Thought Leadership from Fire Service Leaders: Top Essays in the 2026 Darley Thought Leadership Essay Competition
Beginning in 2023, the Darley Thought Leadership Essay Competition has challenged members of the fire service to tackle some of the profession’s most pressing issues. This…
Don’t Just Attend, Deploy: The Conference Commando Guide to Fire & EMS Conferences
I’ve always enjoyed the opportunity to attend national fire and EMS conferences. They provide outstanding educational sessions, meaningful conversations, opportunities to build new professional relationships, and…
I’m STILL a Fire Service Feminist!
I wrote on this topic–lack of representation of women in the fire service–back in 2016 and unfortunately it’s still a topic that won’t go away. What…
Frantz Fanon, Burnout, and the Firehouse: Why Leaders Cannot Ignore the Systems That Shape Their People
Operations Chief at Fire Service Psychology Association Note: I recently read a post on LinkedIn from, Abi Adamson “The Culture…
Sleep Deprivation: The Continuing Challenge for Fire and EMS
Many U.S. fire and EMS organizations continue to use some variation of the 24-hour shift to provide around-the-clock staffing. For decades, these schedules have been popular…
We Investigate Fires. Why Aren’t We Investigating Firefighter Suicides?
An estimated 200 firefighters die by suicide each year. Maybe that’s accurate. Maybe it isn’t. Show me the data. The uncomfortable truth is that we don’t…
Jim Page and Johnny Gage: Two Legends, One Lasting Legacy
The recent passing of Randolph Mantooth, the actor who brought firefighter-paramedic Johnny Gage to life on the groundbreaking television series Emergency!, has caused many of us…
Help Fund “Bridging the Gap Between Professional Psychology and the Fire Service”
By. Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer In my “2nd fire service career I’ve found a place with the Fire Service Psychology Association (FSPA) where I’m currently…
No Ordinary Retirement: Life After the Fire Service
Leave it to my fire service colleague, Kory Pearn, to answer that question in a big way! In addition to being a Captain with the St.…
Why Fire Departments Need Fire-Service-Specific Psychological Assessments: A Strategic Imperative for Safety, Readiness, and Retention
Firefighters and EMS professionals operate in environments defined by chaos, trauma, and split-second decision-making. Yet, despite these realities, many departments still rely on psychological assessment tools that were never designed for the fire service—or worse, skip them altogether.
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.
Leadership, Change, and High‑Trust Conversations
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Voss for an in‑depth conversation about leadership, organizational change, and what it really takes to lead…