Management In The Fire Service

Recently we've been asking around trying to find out what are the best management books for an aspiring fire chief (and if you have suggestions please let us know in the comments). My favorite suggestion was to watch The Godfather. After you're done with that, here's some books that you might want to look into.

ICMA has two reliable books that have been on fire department bookshelves and promotional reading lists for years. Effective Supervisory Practices is a unique blend of theory and practice based on years of research and experience. Managing Fire & Rescue Services covers the nuts and bolts of fire, emergency service and rescue management including deploying resources, fiscal management and human resource management.

Brady's Fire Chief's Guide to Administration & Management follows the career development model of the National Fire Academy. This text brings a real world focus to management with a focus on history and an eye toward the future. Also from Brady is Fire Service Peronnel Management.

Jones & Bartlett, along with the International Association Of Fire Chiefs, has published A Leadership Guide For Combination Fire Departments. Authored by a team of fire service leaders, this books is a compilation of the best practices and lessons learned through experience with a focus on the unique dificulties encountered in a combination department. It is based off of Jones & Bartlett's Chief Officer's Desk Reference, which is considered a road map of success for chief officer's and aspiring chief officer's alike.

Chase Sargent shares the tricks of the trade it took him years to aquire in From Buddy To Boss: Effective Fire Service Leadership. Written in an easy to read style, this text will help you develop your leadership skills and make the transition to boss.

Finally, in What I've Learned Chief William Richmond draws on his 28 years on the Philadelphia Fire Department to provide insight ond gems to those in management positions or those aspiring to be. The book can be read straight through, or in little bits and pieces as time allows.

For a general look at building leadership, A New Breed Of Leader shows readers how to develop the essential qualities needed to become an effective leader.

There are man, many more management books out there. A complete list can be found here. And if you have any questions, please call or email and our excellent customer service reps will give you a hand.

Also, we love feedback and we want to know what you think. In the comments section, let us know your favorite and highly recommended management books. If we get enough suggestions, we'll put them all together in another post.

We also get a lot of questions about "must read" fire department books. We have our suggestions, but we'd like to hear yours. again, stick them in the comments section and we'll put them all together in the near future.