1. Personal and Professional Development3
Personal and Professional Development

2. 3
Knowledge Objectives
Explain how a chief officer can develop personally and professionally using the concept of continuous improvement.
Discuss the effects of a chief officer’s involvement in the community.
List fire service organizations that may help guide a chief officer’s development.

3. 3
Skills Objectives
Develop personally and professionally using the concept of continuous improvement.

4. 3
Introduction
Personal and professional development is a very important part of a fire service career.
A rewarding career is best achieved by continuous involvement.

5. Developing Personally and Professionally (1 of 3)
Continuous improvement
An organization must continuously improve if it is to remain strong.
People who move the process forward faster are more successful.

6. Developing Personally and Professionally (2 of 3)
Traits of success
Vision
Technical knowledge
People skills

7. Developing Personally and Professionally (3 of 3)
Resources for developing traits of success
Training and educational opportunities
Self-help and biographical books
Trade magazines
Conferences and seminars
Service organizations
Observations of others

8. Community Involvement (1 of 3)
Fire Officer III must project a positive image of the department to the community.
Fire officers must have knowledge of:
Community demographics
Social and economic challenges
How these challenges affect service delivery

9. Community Involvement (2 of 3)
Volunteering on community boards
Spend time and energy without being spread too thin.
Interact with community members who may be on other boards.
Support base for future programs

10. Community Involvement (3 of 3)
Developing a relationship with the media
Keys to success are training, education, and experience.
Several training opportunities
If you do not provide information, someone else will.

11. Fire Service Organizations (1 of 2)3
Fire Service Organizations (1 of 2)
Affiliations are an important part of personal and professional development.
Offer benefits and rewards
Provide opportunities for networking

12. Fire Service Organizations (2 of 2)3
Fire Service Organizations (2 of 2)
Fire service organizations include:
National fire service organizations
Provide training, education, and leadership experiences
Provide national perspectives
State fire service organizations
Local fire service organizations
Local networking opportunities
Basis for regionalized operation

13. 3
Conclusion
Success depends on an officer’s ability to develop personally and professionally.
Officer’s success also depends on his/her ability to become visible in the community.
Fire officers can further their development by becoming active in the fire service organizations.

14. 3
Summary (1 of 2)
A key component of developing personally and professionally is adopting the concept of continuous improvement.
Traits of success include vision, technical knowledge, and people skills.
Resources that help develop traits for success include education opportunities, self-help and biographical books, trade magazines, etc.

15. 3
Summary (2 of 2)
The Fire Officer III must project a positive image of the department.
Fire service organizations can offer many benefits and rewards and, at the same time, provide the basis for networking.