The program, "The Company Officer Academy" is the result of numerous requests and discussions the chiefs have had with chief and company officers across the nation concerning company officer training and preparedness. Many departments simply promote a new company officer and send them to a new assignment with no formal training. This often results in creating a more stressful and challenging situation for the new officer and the unit.
Chiefs Salka and Lasky have put together a dynamic multi-day program that addresses the many skills and abilities that company officers need to have to be effective in the firehouse and on the fireground.
This course is designed for the following:
- New Company Officers
- Current Officers
- Future Officers
Topics You Will Cover
- Leadership and the Leader, Manager, and Supervisor “traits” of the company officer
- Communications, Motivation, Training, Team Building and Mentoring
- What it takes to be that great Company Officer
- The Roll Call: Setting Up and Planning Your Day
- Your Firefighter’s First Day: The Company Officer’s Role
- Your Company Officer’s First Day: The Chief’s Role
- Riding the Front Seat
- Values - Vision – Mission
- Performance Evaluations
- Coaching and Counseling as well as handling Disciplinary Issues
- Awards and Records of Exceptional Performance
- Fireground Responsibility: The Company Officer’s role in preventing LODD’s
- Fireground Scenarios: Tactics and Strategy considering ALL staffing levels
- Situational Leadership Workshop
Your Instructors
Chiefs Lasky and Salka have decades of experience as chiefs and company officers and have handled many of the difficult and challenging situations that you are likely to face sometime in your fire service future. They will explain some of the myths concerning performance evaluations and discipline and how to get a handle on your daily firehouse routine. Join them as they guide you through the challenges you will face tomorrow with concepts and solutions that have served them well. The success of a company officer on the fireground is often determined by their success as a leader in the firehouse. This is where the rubber meets the road.
Chief Lasky Biography
Chief Rick Lasky (ret.) a 37-year veteran of the fire service, served as chief of the Lewisville (TX) Fire Department for 12 years, prior to that as Fire Chief in Coeur d'Alene Idaho. Most recently, he was interim Chief for the Trophy Club (TX) Fire Department. Rick followed in his father’s footsteps beginning his career as a firefighter in the suburbs on the southwest side of Chicago and while in Illinois received the 1996 International Society of Fire Service Instructors “Innovator of the Year” award for his part in developing the “Saving Our Own” program. Throughout his 30-plus years in the fire service he has served as a career and volunteer firefighter. He served as the co-lead instructor for the H.O.T. Firefighter Survival program at FDIC for over 10 years, is a long-standing editorial advisory board member for Fire Engineering Magazine and also serves on the FDIC advisory board. Rick is the author of the best-selling books “Pride and Ownership-A Firefighter’s Love of the Job” and “Five Alarm Leadership: From the Firehouse to the Fireground” published by PennWell Books and is the co-host for the radio show “The Command Post” heard on Fire Engineering Talk Radio. In 2017, he was the recipient of the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award.
Chief Salka Biography
Battalion Chief John Salka (ret.) a 40-year veteran of the fire service, served with the FDNY for over 33 years, the past 15 years a battalion chief in the 18th Battalion in the Bronx. Prior to the 18th Battalion he served in several of the FDNY’s busiest and most active units. His tenure as an officer in the department also included instructing at the Probationary Firefighters School, the Captains Management Program, and the Battalion Chiefs Command Course. He is a New York State certified instructor and also lectures nationally. He is a seminar presenter and has presented at the Firehouse Expo in Baltimore, the FDIC in Indianapolis, the NY State Association of Fire Chiefs show and many other venues. Chief Salka writes the monthly back page column "The Fire Scene" in Firehouse Magazine and has also written for Fire Engineering Magazine, SizeUp and the FDNY training magazine WNYF. He served as the co-lead instructor for the H.O.T. Firefighter Safety and Survival program at FDIC for over ten years, serves on the FDIC advisory board, and is the co-host for the radio show “The Command Post” heard on Fire Engineering Talk Radio. Chief Salka has also found the time to work for the NIOSH Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program. He is the author of the best-selling books “First In-Last Out: Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department,” “The Engine Company” and “Five Alarm Leadership: From the Firehouse to the Fireground.” He received the 2001 FDIC Training Achievement Award for his Get Out Alive firefighter survival training program and travels extensively training firefighters throughout the 50 states and Canada in tactics, strategy, leadership and safety & survival. Chief Salka has also served as a volunteer firefighter throughout his entire fire service career.