FireRescue1 Leadership Institute’s 2026 Spotlight on AI in the fire service examines how artificial intelligence is shaping decision-making across training, operations, incident response and administrative work. Coverage focuses on practical, real-world use — including predictive analytics, dispatch improvements, generative AI applications and the ethical considerations leaders must weigh. Grounded in examples from the field and informed expert insight, this series is designed to support informed, responsible adoption of AI within today’s fire service.
SPOTLIGHT ON AI
The strongest retention strategy is giving firefighters reasons to keep choosing your department
Task-based training standards can help departments define what personnel need to know and do to use AI responsibly
Training firefighters to use AI effectively requires more than prompt-writing skills
Dan Chuparkoff challenges fire service leaders to use AI to reduce routine work while keeping judgment, accountability and decision-making human
CPSE Center for Innovation researchers Alex Henderson and Alex Fisher break down how departments are using AI, where adoption is lagging and what concerns remain
Connectivity has never been better; the challenge now is filtering the noise, establishing priorities and making better decisions under pressure
Part 2: Research suggests AI is accelerating work, weakening reflection and creating new demands on the people it promised to help
Applying the NIST AI Risk Management Framework can help departments evaluate, deploy and govern emerging AI tools
Leading AI adoption doesn’t require you to be a technologist — it requires you to be a leader
LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS
A volunteer program in Ohio spreads strategic plan work across ranks while senior staff keep authority over policy, funding and labor decisions
“If you can stare down a hallway and look the devil in the face, surely you can walk into an office and talk to the chief”
Officers who demand strict compliance can leave firefighters believing nothing they do matters
Keeping crew morale high is part of the job — and it starts with not letting negativity spread
One captain’s call keepsake answers a question we should ask more often: Why do we do what we do?
From Mission Ready Packages to digital request tools, EMAC pairs technology with preparedness so help is ready to move before disaster hits
Four common retention pitfalls, plus simple solutions for improving department culture and keeping firefighters happy
Before blaming employees, chiefs should look at what they reward, ignore and correct, and whether expectations were clear
Assistant Chiefs Bob Welch and Kyle Fekete highlight how real-time aerial footage from drones arriving ahead of fire crews is transforming resource deployment
About the Sponsor: First Due
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First Due is again the highest-ranked Fire & EMS software company on the list
First Due became the official platform for the CAL FIRE Incident Reporting System, known as CALFIRS, as the Department’s incident reporting system
First Due earned a spot on the 2026 GovTech 100 for the second consecutive year, recognizing its AI-powered, all-in-one platform supporting fire and EMS operations
The FDNY is now live and submitting fire incidents to NERIS through First Due, while sustaining the operational demands of the largest municipal fire department in the United States
The company’s growth underscores the demand for streamlined public safety operations supported by real-time data
Through AI-powered processes, built-in checklists, guided workflows, and real-time validation, First Due eliminates manual coordination
Marking back-to-back recognition, this year’s honor underscores First Due’s leadership in artificial intelligence for public safety
Ranking No. 492 overall and No. 54 in Software, 2025 marks the company’s fourth consecutive appearance on the list — and its first time in Inc. 500
First Due integrates NextNav’s advanced vertical location and 3D visualization technology into its Incident Command platform