Fast Attack Fire Service Training & Consulting

10/24/2021

Nick Sohyda, who chairs the committee for NFPA 1720: Standard for Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Volunteer Fire Departments, explains recent updates.

07/21/2021

Was happy to discuss deployment standards at the Erie County Fire & EMS Recruitment and Retention Symposium.

In an effort to increase the number of workers and volunteers for fire and EMS crews, Erie County Fire and EMS Recruitment and Retention Committee held a seminar. This seminar was designed to bring…

08/27/2019

Spent an evening with the fine folks of the Greensburg Fire Department, doing their annual RIT Refresher Training.

05/31/2019

The same is true of volunteer fire departments. You can't fix your recruitment problem until you address your retention problem. People do not volunteer to hang out in a toxic environment where backstabbing, complaining, and negativity is tolerated.

"Culture is more important than vision. Some leaders have great vision, but have created a toxic culture where that vision will never happen.

03/22/2019

This is a powerful message for every leader. A leader's ego often does not allow them to critically to listen to those they lead. Instead of viewing feedback as criticism, critically evaluate feedback. Leaders should thank their peers for being honest with them. This is the type of teamwork we should strive for in our leadership teams, even when it hurts our feelings.

03/13/2019

In every job interview I have ever been a part of, interviewer or interviewee, fire service or civilian, there is almost always a question related to a candidate's strenghs and weaknesses. Instead of subjectively grasping at straws, and using common answers such as "I'm a hard worker" or "I'm reliable" this book uses an internet-based survey to help you identify your top 5 predominant strengths, along with an lenghty explanation of those strengths. Conversely, your weakness (don't mention more than one) should be a product of one of those strenghts. It doesn't matter your career field, this is a common question.

12/31/2018

In Pennsylvania, unless you live in a big city like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg or Erie, your fire department is almost certainly made up of