The NVFC will offer Incident Safety Officer Training, Leadership for the Fire and Emergency Services, and Surviving the Job - Cancer in the Fire Service in Ludington, MI on January 10, 2026.

The NVFC will offer its Essentials of Volunteer Retention and Recruitment course and Volunteer Fire Service Culture: Essential Strategies for Success course at the Bangor Community Fire Department.

Many fire and EMS departments across the nation are struggling to find new volunteer members and retain their current members. This session discusses the challenges of recruiting volunteers, presents valuable research collected as part of the NVFC’s Make Me A Firefighter campaign, and offers ideas to help overcome recruiting challenges. During the second half of the session, retention challenges, potential solutions, and the importance of leadership will be covered.

Congratulations, you’re a training officer! But…how to do you teach adult learners? When we think of the science of how humans learn, we often think of children (i.e., pedagogy). However, there are learning theories unique to adults: how people learn in formal and informal ways once they are over 18. Many training officers (in all industries) find themselves in the role of educator with little to no background knowledge of andragogy (the science of adult learning). Understanding more about andragogy can help you further build your skillset as a fire department trainer and reinforce techniques you’re already using.

Welcome to the NVFC Leadership Track, designed for fire and EMS department leaders, including chiefs and officers. This specialized program consists of 10 meticulously crafted courses instructed by prominent subject matter experts. Each course will equip emergency service leaders with the essential skills, knowledge, tools, and mindset required to strengthen their leadership abilities and effectiveness. This program is for new and established leaders looking to continue learning and growing in their roles. The Leadership Track will take an estimated 10 hours to complete from start to finish. Progress will be saved each time a student logs out, ensuring students are able to complete the track at their own pace. Attendees will be provided with a certificate of attendance for each completed course as well as a final certificate indicating completion of the full track.

Individuals diagnosed with autism are seven times more likely to have an experience that would require emergency services. This course provides an overview of how symptoms of autism impact a person’s daily life, as well as the lives of those around them. In an effort to increase first responder’s awareness of what this community needs in an emergency situation, this course will train you on how to identify autistic traits in an effort to provide the utmost diligence and care when attending these calls.

Join Chief Shelly Carter (she just got a promotion!) and Dr. Candice McDonald for an inside discussion on women & minority leadership in the fire service. Course takeaways include an overview of the current state of women and minorities in the volunteer fire service, ways to promote leadership opportunities for qualified women and minorities, and methods for being an intentional champion of women and minorities in leadership positions.

This class is designed to give the participant an overview on leadership in the fire and emergency services as well as tips to help them succeed in leadership roles. Developing strong leadership in fire and emergency services begins with understanding personnel's unique challenges in these roles. This includes exploring key leadership principles and strategies that address decision-making under pressure and effective team management. Providing practical tools and actionable insights ensures leaders are prepared to navigate complex situations confidently.

The NVFC’s Incident Safety Officer (ISO) training will give students an overview of the role of an ISO and cover communications and safety, as well as the practical application of this information. Please note, this is not an ISO certification program.

Many small-town fire chiefs of volunteer and combination fire departments often find it challenging to implement NFPA standards in their department. What you may not realize is that fire chiefs have the power to decide which NFPA standards to use and how to use them (except when local, state or federal law requires otherwise). Topics discussed include the fire chief's power as the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), how to modify an NFPA standard, how to adopt an NFPA standard, and best practices.