SDFD Leads the Way

Over the last few years, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) has taken the lead in promoting cultural change at the first-line leadership level. Bringing about a cultural change is difficult, but SDFD felt they had no choice as they faced the largest turnover of their force since its inception.

In August 2008, William Middleton wrote "Leadership Starts with an 'L'" (FireRescue Magazine, August 2008). In it, Middleton talks about San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's efforts to incorporate the L-curriculum into their leadership development program.

In April 2010, SDFD Assistant Chief and NWCG Leadership Subcommittee Representative Brian Fennessy followed up with "In Search of Cultural Change" (FireRescue Magazine, April 2010). Chief Fennessy writes about the challenges SDFD faced as well as the fruits of their efforts to bring about cultural change and the effect those efforts have had on the nation with regard to developing first-line fire leaders.

Read for yourself the impacts of the L-curriculum has had on local fire departments and what potential exists to a national cultural change in fire service leadership.

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This is a repost from August 16, 2010, and is the final items transitioned from the About Leadership tool in the Leadership Toolbox.