PSBTA Catching Wildfire Episode 5: Leadership, Technology, and the Future of the Fire Service

On this episode of Catching Wildfire, join Chief Jeff Johnson, Chief Kim Zagaris, and Chief Brian Fennessy as they discuss how effective leadership in the modern fire service requires a commitment to authenticity, a willingness to embrace technological innovation, and the persistence to overcome systemic resistance to change.

This conversation serves as a powerful mentorship session, capturing wisdom from seasoned fire service leaders. It underscores the idea that while the core mission of firefighting remains, the tools, tactics, and leadership philosophies must evolve. The key takeaway for current and future leaders is the need to balance respect for tradition with an urgent embrace of new technologies and a leadership style founded on humility, persistence, and a deep, service-oriented heart.

Chief Fennessy began his career in 1978 with the US Department of Agriculture's United States Forest Service and the US Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management working as a hotshot crewmember, hotshot/helishot/helitack captain and ultimately crew superintendent.

In 1990, Fennessy joined the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) and ultimately became Chief of the Department in 2015. One of his many accomplishments while with the SDFD was developing & establishing a multi-mission Fire/Rescue/EMS helicopter program designed to serve the citizens of the City of San Diego and the region.

Chief Fennessy has enjoyed a diversity of executive leadership and management experiences in both the wildland fire and metropolitan fire service communities. He believes that Mission-Driven Culture (MDC) is the future of the fire service and has presented on this topic at a variety of local, state, and national venues.

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