According to Bersin by Deloitte, U.S.-based companies invested more the $15 billion in 2013 to develop their leaders.

If we were to ask fire and EMS chiefs to identify the five most important skills they must bring to the table in order to serve their communities most effectively, the ability to navigate political environments would surely be on that list.

Yet if asked to assess their level of expertise for each skill set, most would report that political acumen is the one they're least adept at or feel comfortable with.

During the panel discussion at the FRI 2014 general session, one of the panelists said about himself and all fire chiefs, "We're all politicians now."

Respectfully, we disagree that this must—or even should—be the case. In this series of articles, we'll provide four sets of proven suggestions and tips that will help you hone your ability to be political without being a politician.

One of the biggest shifts that most rising leaders have to make is the shift from being the go-to person to someone who builds teams of go-to people.  As you take on more and more scope in your leadership role, you can’t continue to operate as the go-to person who acts as if you’re personally responsible for everything that happens. You need to be accountable and own the results but you can’t expect yourself to do everything that leads to the results.

That, of course, means that you need to be really effective at delegation. Unfortunately, a lot of leaders aren’t that good at it.  Too often, they delegate something to a team member and it doesn’t get done well, or on time or at all.  One of the big reasons this happens is because too many leaders take a “one size fits all” approach to delegation. As I’ve written here before, effective delegation needs to be custom-fit to the people involved and the tasks that need to be accomplished.

Most all of a vehicle’s energy and the forces that act upon it while driving are ultimately transmitted through wheel studs, so we must ensure they continue to do their job by routine inspection and proper maintenance practices using the correct tools. 

Routine inspection at the company level includes checking for loose lug nuts on the daily inspection and learning to recognize the signs of loose lug nuts. Loose nuts can be identified most often by streaks of rust or discoloration radiating outward on a wheel from the nut. Visible cracks in lugs nut, studs, wheels, or loose lugs are unacceptable and should be repaired immediately. Ultimately, a loose wheel is already in a state of failure and this is where the maintenance facility comes into play. Your maintenance department, person, or independent shop should include a torque verification of these wheels on a routine basis to minimize the risk of such failure. There are additional methods and products available to recognize or prevent problems early such as Zafety Lug Lock, Rollock, or the application of frangible lacquer. 

YAKIMA, Wash. — Dozens of emergency responders from across the state joined Yakima firefighters and other local officials Thursday morning outside the Yakima Convention Center in honor of the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

With a fire engine draped in the American flag as a backdrop, local fire officials paid tribute to the thousands of civilians and emergency responders who lost their lives following a series of commercial airplane crashes in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. 

We will never forget 9/11,” said Capt. Tom Schneider of the Yakima Fire Department. The anniversary of the 9/11 attacks came hours after President Barack Obama announced to the nation that an ongoing effort to “degrade and destroy” a growing terrorist threat in Syria and Iraq would intensify...