What I've learned.: Thoughts from a Fire Chief

This book is a must read little gem for those now in organizational leadership or management positions or for those with aspirations to fill them. It is particularly relevant for individuals in the emergency operations field or those in military type organizations. Regardless of what discipline the reader may strive or practice in, there is something for all within these pages.

The author draws from his own personal experiences as well as from those he has worked for or with in capturing the quotes offered here. His twenty-eight years in the Philadelphia Fire Department, where he held progressively more responsible positions in both line and staff assignments, provided the framework and proving grounds for this effort. It is his hope that those who browse these pages will find an answer to a particular problem or problems perplexing them or at least a guideline to approaching a solution.

The book may be read straight through or absorbed and digested in much smaller bits, and the reader is invited to take whatever he or she finds here of value to them and put it to whatever use they see fit.

William C. Richmond spent twenty-eight years in the Philadelphia Fire Department where he held every rank rising from Fire Fighter Recruit to Fire Commissioner; head of that department. He served in both line and staff positions and as Commissioner commanded some of Philadelphia's most noted fires including Harrison Court, the Second MOVE Confrontation, Chevron Refinery and the Coral Street Fire that resulted in ten fire deaths and led to residential smoke detector legislation.

After retiring he worked thirteen years with a local law firm where he coordinated the investigation of major fire losses and other disasters. He is presently a Senior Management Consultant for TriData Corporation in Arlington, VA where he has participated in forty plus studies and/or evaluations of fire departments in twenty states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

He has had published over sixty articles on fire service management, training and operations as well as contributing two articles to Firehouse Magazine on the ?Second MOVE Confrontation? and the ?Rising Sun Baptist Church Fire?.

He has lectured at the graduate and under graduate levels at Saint Joseph's University and Holy Family University on numerous occasions as well as at a number of fire related seminars.

Mr. Richmond makes his home in the Philadelphia area and is now semi-retired.