The Company Officer: Service Above Self
Nicholas Papa
Friday, June 13, 2025
10:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Leading a fire company is one of the greatest privileges in the fire service, but it is also one that carries a considerable weight. No other position in the fire service has the immediate/direct impact and lasting influence on individual firefighters. The company officer’s ultimate task is preparing those within their charge for whatever the fireground may offer, and then, taking them into the fray when the bell hits. The company officer is the lifeblood of their crew, and as such, there are no bad fire companies, only bad company officers…a sobering reality. Successfully leading a fire company requires the company officer to place service above self and hold the line of accountability. Company officers must forge legitimate relationships with their members and be invested in their growth and well-being to earn their trust and elicit legitimate buy-in. They must establish a mission-oriented culture and cultivate esprit de corps through consistent and progressive action. This program will provide aspiring or current company officers with the roadmap to navigate this process and develop a high performing fire company. The lessons provided are garnered from actual experience, and provide the practical nuggets not found in the typical management-/theory-based company officer leadership classes or textbooks. Being a firefighter is the greatest job on earth. As a company officer, you not only get to be a firefighter, but you also get to lead firefighters.
Nicholas Papa
Nicholas Papa is a second-generation firefighter with 20 years of experience in the fire service. He is a captain with the New Britain (CT) Fire Department, where he has served for 16 years. He was the co-founder of the department’s fire academy, and the lead instructor for the inaugural recruit class. Nick entered the fire service in 2003, volunteering for the neighboring suburb of Newington until his appointment to the NBFD. He is a contributor to Fire Engineering and the author of the best-selling book, Coordinating Ventilation: Supporting Extinguishment & Survivability. Nick is a FDIC International advisory board member and has been a classroom instructor since 2017. He also served as a technical panelist for the FSRI research project, “The Study on Coordinated Fire Attack in Acquired Structures.” Nick is also the founder Fireside Training, LLC.
