John Buckman III

Chief's Traffic

Chief John M. Buckman III served 35 years as fire chief for the German Township (Indiana) Volunteer Fire Department, and 15 years as director of the fire and public safety academy for the Indiana State Fire Marshal Office. He is the Director of Government and Regional Outreach for IamResponding.com. Buckman is a past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and a co-founder of the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section. In 1996, Fire Chief Magazine named Buckman Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year. Buckman is an accomplished photographer, a co-author of the Lesson Learned from Fire-Rescue Leaders, and the editor of the Chief Officers Desk Reference. He is also the owner of Wildfire Productions. Buckman is a member of the Fire Chief/FireRescue1 Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with Chief Buckman on LinkedIn or via email.

Full list of John Buckman III results

Company officer tips for staying motivated on the job
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Keys to motivation include developing a vision, building a support system and changing bad behaviors
Succeed in your firefighter career by breaking these 10 bad habits
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Change these behaviors to practice relational leadership that will advance your professional and personal exchanges
‘Fight the pain’: A personal story of chronic pain, depression and, finally, relief
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Debilitating physical pain can have a similarly devastating mental impact
Don’t talk smack – and other life advice for firefighters
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Going beyond Chief Brunacini’s guidance to “Be nice”
‘What if …?’ Key questions to help quantify your fire department’s needs
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Fire service leaders must focus on data, not emotion, when make their case for funding, staffing and more
Officers, it’s time to stop doing and start leading
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It’s one thing to check the boxes; it’s another to create opportunity for your members
'It’s time to declare a staffing mayday': 21 ways VFDs can break the mold
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Volunteer leaders must dare to do something different in the recruitment and retention of fire department members
‘A privilege to serve’: Reflections on my leadership role post-9/11
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As the newly installed IAFC president, I suddenly faced a new fire service focus on terrorism and preparedness
The critical role of the volunteer fire chief
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How volunteer fire chiefs can effectively serve their communities and value their members
Coping with grief in the fire service: Moving forward after loss
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How we mourn loss is individual, but passage of time helps everyone
How volunteer leaders can best serve their members during difficult times
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Focusing on positivity, communication and connection can help members feel supported
Anatomy of fireground decision-making
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Fire chiefs need to foster opportunities for incident commanders to develop their situational awareness skills through training and experience
Why firefighter training depends on repetition
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Firefighters and instructors who think they can stop drilling on skills are dead wrong, and brain science explains why
Buckman and Ludwig: Chief to chief and president to president
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A former IAFC president interviews the incoming president about his goals for the organization and hopes for the fire service
Three steps to collaborative fire service leadership
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An evolving skill set, a focus on communication and new approaches to firefighter training will help to change the culture in the fire service
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