10-15% of what firefighters do involve Hoselines, Halligans, and Hurst Tools. 100% of what firefighters do involve Character, Attitude, and Values, yet we put most of our emphasis on tactical skills, not the people skills we use most often.

Don't get me wrong, it's extremely important to be tactically proficient. However, many case studies of fireground accidents demonstrate it's poor decision-making due to carelessness, ignorance, or freelancing (individually or collectively) are many times the issue. In addition, over 80% of the time, our interaction with others is not at emergency incidents. We have never-ending daily media reports of firefighters arrested for moral, ethical, and dishonorable actions. Firefighters behaving badly is not an anomaly, it is a regular occurrence. Fire officers regularly complain of new as well as seasoned firefighters lacking character, poor attitude, and lacking core values consistent with the fire services mission. There are many fewer complaints regarding tactical competency.

The deficiency in Character, Attitude, and Values usually comes from a systemic lack of a fire department with plans, programs, and processes in place to address interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and organizational values. Most organizational dysfunction and poor morale can be attributed to a lack of personal and organizational Character & Values. This program will bridge the gap between tactical and interpersonal attributes. This program will provide a framework to proactively implement plans and processes to improve interpersonal skills and the attributes that go with them towards creating positive organizational culture.