9 essential fire company leadership qualities

These characteristics mark company officer successful in achieving the No. 1 goal: the success of their firefighters and their company


Leadership – it’s a word used often and broadly in both the private and public sectors. It’s a word that gets a great deal of use in the fire service, particularly where leadership pertains to a fire department’s upper management. In this article, I’m going to discuss those leadership qualities that every company officer needs to be successful in their primary goal: the success of their people and their fire company.

For starters, I’m talking about the role of a leader from the perspective of a fire officer with management responsibilities for a group of firefighters – which may be an engine or truck company in a career department, or a small volunteer-staffed department. Bottom line is that it involves leadership for a small group at the tactical level of a fire department, where the rubber meets the road.

Consider what follows to be an evaluation tool for your personal growth and development as a company officer. Use it as a baseline to evaluate your current level of leadership and then use it to develop those areas where you see room for improvement.

To Read The Full Story

Member Exclusive Content

Get free access to this and other FireRescue1 exclusives - sign up or log in today!
You'll have access to exclusive member benefits, such as:

  • Exclusive incident analysis, videos, tips and training from FireRescue1
  • Latest product research, including our How to Buy Guides
  • Get our curated newsletters delivered straight to your inbox

Copyright © 2023 FireRescue1. All rights reserved.