By Justin Champion
Instructors hold one of the most powerful positions in the fire service. Whether you’re in the academy, running company drills or speaking to a packed room at a conference, the moment you step to the front, you’re not just teaching — you’re leading. You’re shaping culture. You’re building the mindset of those who will go out and carry the weight of the badge.
Still, too many sessions fall flat. We’ve all sat through them — slide decks read word-for-word, no energy, no connection. You leave with the same questions you walked in with. That kind of “training” checks the box, sure, but it doesn’t prepare anyone for the street. And let’s be honest: Just because you can run through a PowerPoint doesn’t make you an instructor.
Anyone can click through slides. Not everyone can teach.
Teaching is about more than content. It’s about context. About care. About connection. When you teach, you’re not just passing on procedures — you’re passing on values, responsibility and a shared expectation of excellence.
Here’s the truth: Firefighters don’t need more presentations. They need mentors. They need instructors who’ve been there, who are willing to say the hard things, who train like lives depend on it, because they do.
If you’re in an instructor role, treat it like what it is — a leadership position. Not because you wear a different color helmet, but because someone’s listening to you. And what you say, or don’t say, can shape how they act under pressure.
With this in mind, here are 10 ways to lead in the classroom:
- Know your audience: Are they recruits? Veterans? Officers? Shape your message accordingly. Speak their language, and meet them where they are.
- Lead with purpose: Don’t start with what. Start with why. If it doesn’t matter on the fireground, why are we even talking about it?
- Don’t just read the slides: PowerPoint is not a script. It’s a tool. Use your experience, your voice and your story to make the material matter.
- Train like it’s real life: Bring in scenarios. Ask real questions. Let the members make decisions and learn from mistakes now, not later at 3 a.m.
- Make it interactive: Ask questions. Call on experience in the room. Give the quiet ones a reason to speak up.
- Be passionate and honest: Show that you care. Admit when you don’t know. Firefighters respect real over perfect every single time.
- Model the culture you preach: Be squared away. Be consistent. Don’t just talk about standards — live them.
- Connect the dots: Don’t teach skills in a vacuum. Help people see how this ladder throw or this radio call fits into the bigger picture.
- Build people up: Correct what needs correcting, but always with the intent to make them better. That’s leadership.
- Keep learning: If you’re not evolving, your students won’t either. Read, watch, train and listen. Stay a student.
Own the role
You don’t need a title to lead, and you don’t need a badge that says “instructor” to make an impact. But if you’re lucky enough to have that title, own it, because every time you teach, you’re either strengthening the culture or letting it slide. Every time you mail it in, someone else pays for it later.
So don’t just fill a slot. Don’t just speak to speak. Teach like it matters. Lead like someone’s life depends on it. Be the instructor you wish you had.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justin Champion is a combat veteran, fire instructor and mental health advocate with nearly two decades in the fire service. He is the founder of From the Ashes LLC, where he trains firefighters across the country in fireground leadership, tactics and mental wellness.
