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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
How to navigate that time after changes have been made but before the benefits have been realized
While it sometimes makes sense to go along to get along, the lone voice of dissent often provides meaningful insight
While non-fire-specific training can be beneficial, trainers who fail to understand the needs of first responders will lose their interest
The company officer is the first line of defense when debate escalates
Names can describe, categorize and serve as a symbol, but we also need to update them when appropriate
It’s a stressful job, so you need to know how to check in and take care of yourself
We do everything we can in the hope we’re wrong about what is happening to the smallest of victims
In emergency services, the efforts of the crew and lessons learned on the ground are just as important as the outcome
From issues of trust, conflict and commitment to accountability avoidance and inattention, dysfunction can render a team utterly ineffective
The staffing of captains Felicia Barnes, Emily Murphy and Katja Lancing marked the first time all three captain positions at one station were held by women