Combative Command: 5 Musts When No Help is Coming
Michael Dozier
Thursday, June 12, 2025
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
More so now than ever, the American fire service has a need for competent command presence on our incident scenes. Our fires are burning hotter and faster than ever before and that, compounded with ever changing construction standards, has created a situation where we must be extremely efficient to have successful outcomes. Our biggest, most visible departments have unlimited resources and seemingly a chief officer around every corner. This allows them to operate with SOP driven strategy and tactics. Outside of a few initial decisions their company officers can go to work without the need to direct incoming companies and making command decisions. This is simply not the operational reality for a great deal of the American fire service. This presentation will provide experience-based, proven tactics to provide that solid command presence while operating in a forward, combative position.
Michael Dozier
Michael Dozier is a Career Captain with Horry County Fire Rescue. He has been in the fire service since 2006 and is currently serving as House Captain on Squad 1 in Socastee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire Administration and a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia Southern University. He runs the social media blog The Company Officer and is passionate about Company Officer Leadership and Firehouse Culture.
