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Fire Rescue ClassesFriday, 2:45 PM - 4:15 PMFriday, June 12LeadershipNicholas PapaProfessional DevelopmentRecruitment, RetentionVolunteer, Combination

The Company Officer: Service Above Self

By February 2, 2026February 9th, 2026No Comments

The Company Officer: Service Above Self

Nicholas Papa 

Friday, June 12, 2026
2:45 PM – 4:15 PM

Leading a fire company or shift is one of the greatest privileges in the fire service, but it carries a considerable weight. No other position has the direct impact and lasting influence on individual firefighters. The fire officer is the driving force and sets the tone. In turn, there are no bad fire companies or shifts, only bad fire officers. Successfully leading in the fire service requires the fire officer to place service above self and hold the line of accountability. This program will provide aspiring and current fire officers with a roadmap to navigate this process and develop a high performing team. Being a firefighter is the greatest job on Earth. As a fire officer you not only get to be a firefighter, but you get to lead them.

Nicholas Papa

Nicholas Papa is a second-generation firefighter with 20 years of experience in the fire Nicholas Papa is a deputy chief with the New Britain (CT) Fire Department, where he has served since 2007, presently assigned as the shift commander of Group B. A second-generation firefighter, he entered the fire service in 2003, volunteering for a neighboring suburb until his appointment to the NBFD. He is the Fire Engineering best-selling author of the book Coordinating Ventilation: Supporting Extinguishment and Survivability, an FDIC educational advisory board member and instructor, as well as a past FSRI technical panelist for the Study on Coordinated Fire Attack. Nick is also the founder of the fire service training and consulting organization, Fireside Training, LLC (www.firesidetraining.org).