Linda Willing

2 days ago | gov1.com | Linda Willing

Performance reviews are often an uncomfortable – some would even say useless – process, both for those being reviewed and those conducting the review. But it doesn’t have to be this way. On a scale from 1-10: How rating systems skew resultsSometimes the flaw in the process is due to how the system was designed. I remember being subject to a performance review where every category was rated on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being perfect and 1 being most substandard.

2 days ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

I want to know exactly what happened that day in Delray Beach, Florida. Specifically, I want to know what was said and done in the cab of the fire apparatus just before it crossed the tracks and was struck by a commuter train. What we do knowThe basic facts are out there. On Dec. 28, 2024, at 1044, a City of Delray Beach, Florida, fire truck was driven around a closed safety gate at a railroad crossing and was struck by a Brightline commuter train traveling at 79 mph.

6 days ago | firerescue1.com | Linda Willing

Performance reviews are often an uncomfortable – some would even say useless – process, both for those being reviewed and those conducting the review. But it doesn’t have to be this way. On a scale from 1-10: How rating systems skew resultsSometimes the flaw in the process is due to how the system was designed. I remember being subject to a performance review where every category was rated on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being perfect and 1 being most substandard.

3 weeks 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.

1 month 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.