Assistant Chief Keiken Accepted for First Fire Service Executive Development Institute

Assistant Fire Chief James Keiken has been accepted into the inaugural class of a new year-long leadership-development program developed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) association. The program is designed to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures. In announcing the program, IAFC president and chairman of the board Chief Hank said the program is an essential component of management development in the fire service. "Today's business, political and military leaders have access to outstanding cohort-based learning opportunities that allows them to learn from experts, connect with peers and prepare them to run a successful, forward-thinking enterprise. Fire-EMS leaders should have the same opportunity," Clemmensen said. "The IAFC Fire Service Leadership Development Institute will provide greater access to this kind of high-level professional development that will support the strength and growth of our departments as dynamic community leaders." Admission to the program is highly competitive, with participation limited to 20 individuals selected on the basis of their commitment to leadership excellence and career advancement. The program focuses on fire and emergency service leadership, but will also expose participants to broader leadership trends and successful strategies from other industries. To illustrate, the introductory residency component will feature experts from the fire and emergency service and the private sector, who will cover such topics as: • ethics • leadership in the new era • emerging concepts in organizational design and delivery • human resource management • effective use of science and data • labor-management relations • financial management