Deputy Fire Chief Michael H. Bailey from the Snoqualmie Fire Department has completed the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) as part of the National Fire Academy. This four-year program consists of a rigorous curriculum, extensive research, and two weeks of training per year at the academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Classes take place with participants from across the United States, facilitating sharing and networking with other fire service leaders from varying backgrounds, department sizes, and overall make up.
“This is an exceptional achievement,” said Snoqualmie Fire Chief Mark Correira. “This program has given Deputy Chief Bailey the executive-level skills and abilities to be an excellent Chief Fire Officer. We are very fortunate to have him on the department’s executive leadership team. Through his training, Deputy Chief Bailey will contribute best practices in leadership, risk reduction, and emergency management to our community.”
U.S. Fire Administrator G. Keith Bryant noted that “The intensive EFOP is designed to provide senior fire officers with a broad perspective on various facets of fire administration.”
Each of the four courses in the EFOP requires a written research project to demonstrate application of course concepts to real-life situations within the student’s own organization. These research projects are evaluated through a formal process, with progression contingent on achieving each milestone.
Added Bryant, “It is important that these senior fire executives apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to existing situations in their own communities. This makes EFOP and the Applied Research Projects particularly valuable to these fire service leaders.”
More information about the Executive Fire Officer Program is at www.fema.gov (search EFOP).
About the National Fire Academy
The National Fire Academy offers a wide array of programs and courses for fire service and allied professions. Courses are delivered on campus as well as throughout the nation in coordination with state and local fire training and local colleges and universities.
