Trending Topics
Willing032010-2.jpg

Linda Willing

Leading the Team

Linda Willing is a retired career fire officer and currently works with emergency services agencies and other organizations on issues of leadership development, decision-making and diversity management. She was an adjunct instructor and curriculum advisor with the National Fire Academy for over 20 years. Willing is the author of On the Line: Women Firefighters Tell Their Stories and was co-founder of Women in the Fire Service. Willing has a bachelor’s degree in American studies, a master’s degree in organization development and is a certified mediator. She is a member of the FireRescue1/Fire Chief Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with Willing via email.

LATET ARTICLES
Whether you’ve been out of the fire service for five months or 15 years, your lived experiences remain valuable to the firefighters of today
How to help younger generation firefighters improve their in-person communication skills
The driver was fired, but the department’s culture may still be on a collision course
The 1–10 rating system sounds objective, but it’s vulnerable to personal bias and apathetic evaluators, while lacking any actionable path for growth
When false fire alarms from a fraternity house hit a breaking point, one fire officer found the answer in equal parts authority and allyship
Emergency response requires increased focus; this is a balancing act when approaching a scene with numerous factors in play
With the right investment and buy-in, mentorship programs can facilitate skill development, career advancement and improve firefighter retention
Firefighters are naturally good problem-solvers but notoriously conflict-averse
As a fire officer, there are times you’ll have to be a referee between firefighters and not properly playing the role will only worsen the conflict
It’s critical that fire officers know how to best mitigate hostilities between members