Advanced Leadership Training for Volunteers
Leadership is not just crucial but essential to the day-to-day operations and future potential of every volunteer fire department. While most volunteers join to run calls and serve their communities, it's great leaders who make that service possible.
Identifying, training, and empowering strong leaders is central to departmental success. While the IAFC typically uses organic mentoring and structured classes like the Officer I program (along with numerous educational conferences) to help prepare leaders, many departments have realized a need for more structured and advanced leadership training.
Join us on June 11th to hear about one region's effort to modify a program developed for career staff to serve and meet the needs of volunteer departments. You will learn about the program's development from a career to a volunteer-based curriculum, hear a student's perspective on their experiences during and after program completion, and explore different ways that this program can be tied to other advanced leadership training initiatives, such as the Symposium in the Sun.
Most importantly, this webinar equips you with the knowledge and tools to develop and implement a similar leadership program tailored to your department's unique needs, ensuring its practicality and relevance to your role.
He has held several leadership positions in public safety association management including Assistant Executive Director for the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Currently, he is the Fire Chief of the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Chairman of the Fairfax County, Virginia, Volunteer Fire Commission and Board Member At Large for the IAFC’s Volunteer and Combination Officers Section.
Shawn received a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Aviation Business Administration and a Masters of Aeronautical Science (MAS) both from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL.
He has authored over 150 articles in various publications. In 1996 he was selected by Fire Chief Magazine as Fire Chief of the Year in 1996. He has published 4 books and 7 photography books. He received the Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels Meritorious Service Award. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022 he received the Jimmy Seavey Health and Wellness award presented by the NVFC. and the Presidents Award from the International Society of Fire Service Instructors.
He was one of the founders of the Volunteer and Combination Officer Section (VCOS) and the National Fire Academy Alumni Association. He has contributed to several “ribbon reports” published by the VCOS. He was asked to be one of the editors for the original Lavender Ribbon Report published by the VCOS and NVFC in 2019. In 2021 he along with Brian McQueen spearheaded the update for the Lavender Ribbon Report. He is a principal author of the Yellow Ribbon Report and the updated updated Training Volunteers white paper published by the National Volunteer Fire Council and the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section.
