The volunteer fire service in America has been in existence much longer than we have existed as a nation. The local volunteer fire department has served at the center of life in many communities for a long time. However, society is changing and the people in our fire departments are changing as well. In order for volunteer fire departments to remain viable and successful, leaders within the service must understand the nature of these departments and their role in maintaining them. In many cases the people chosen as leaders change on a frequent basis. In other place the leaders serve long periods of time. Regardless of which it is, there are certain things which a leader must know in order to be successful in running their volunteer fire department. With the publishing of this book, it is my intention to provide the reader with the benefit of my five decades of experience in the fire and emergency services.
