Linda Willing

Denver

Writer at FireRescue1

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Articles

From party house to partner: A fire department’s surprising win

3 days ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

False fire alarms are a common problem for fire departments. In my city, there was one source of false alarms that was consistent and troublesome: fraternity houses near a university campus. A few buildings were particularly bad, not just with frequency, but also in that the residents never followed protocols for fire alarms. Evacuation would be haphazard if it happened at all. Most often, occupants would silence or reset the system before we even arrived on scene.
How to implement a successful fire department mentorship program

2 weeks ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

If you ask fire service leaders what they think about mentoring, most of them will say it’s a good idea. But if you ask those same people how mentoring has functioned in their own organizations, you might get a different story. Some fire departments have long-standing, formal mentoring programs. Others have nothing at all. Many have something in between, either informal programs or just an attitude of encouraging people to engage in those kinds of relationships.
How NOT to resolve firefighter conflicts

3 weeks ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

You are the officer in a station where two firefighters, Sandy and Ray, do not get along. You have been aware of problems between them for some time and have occasionally witnessed arguments or confrontations. You are also aware of rumors and gossip about both of them. The station atmosphere is being negatively affected due to this conflict. One day, you witness a heated argument between Sandy and Ray and tell them to come into your office. Once there, are you likely to say one of the following?
What losing the NFA would really mean

3 weeks ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

The first time I went to the National Fire Academy was in 1981, just a few years after it opened. I had only been a firefighter for a little over a year, but the academy was expanding its programming then and was actively recruiting students. I took a one-week class on arson detection, and the course content was good and helped me on the job. But more than that, the experience of being on campus for that week changed the trajectory of my career, and my life.
‘Don’t make it worse’: The importance of proportional response on and off the fireground

1 month ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

There is a general rule in the fire service: Don’t make it worse than it already is. Firefighters understand the importance of proportional response in a technical sense. You don’t use a deck gun on a trash can fire and you don’t take a booster line into a fully involved structure. But organizations may lose sight of this concept when it comes to responding to other kinds of incidents. A couple examples come to mind.
Handling harassment on duty: Take a professional, policy-driven approach

1 month ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

A recent sexual harassment lawsuit has raised questions about the fire service’s ability and preparedness to handle such matters. The lawsuit by a female firefighter hired in 2023 alleges that she was physically and verbally harassed by a coworker within weeks of her hiring. The legal filing states that the male firefighter touched her inappropriately, made sexual comments about her body, sent her sexually explicit texts, and walked in on her while she was showering.
Firefighter sleep: 7 ways to improve your crew's sleep and safety

1 month ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

Firefighters don’t get enough sleep. For anyone who has worked in the fire service for any time at all, this is hardly news. Sleep deprivation can lead to real problems, including safety concerns. And as firefighters age, sleep disorders can lead to serious health problems for them. Even though these issues may seem obvious, it is surprising how little attention has been given to the role of sleep for firefighters. Fortunately, that is starting to change.
How to get the most out of your AAR

1 month ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

It wasn’t that long ago that an after-action review (AAR) was something that happened informally and spontaneously, if at all. Of course, members who responded to an emergency call would talk about it, but there was no structure for these discussions until the U.S. Army began formal AARs in the 1970s and other organizations followed. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) was also introduced in fire departments around the same time. These two processes have significant differences.
Revolutionizing firefighter training for high school grads, veterans

2 months ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when there was little connection between firefighting and higher education. Firefighters trained for the profession in local academies or on the job. Though there were a few fire science programs available in the 1960s, very few went to college to become firefighters. All that has changed in a big way. Today, there are more than 900 colleges and universities in the U.S. that offer fire science degree programs, each unique to their area and institution.
3 types of crew conflicts company officers must manage

Jan 14, 2025 | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

Managing crew conflicts is one of the hardest challenges facing a company officer. Some are poorly prepared for the role, perhaps having focused more on the technical aspects of the officer’s job. Other officers may not understand how to balance their role as both a crew leader and team member, while others might be overwhelmed trying to mitigate conflicts that may have been years in the making.