I’m excited and honored to Welcome our newest member Chief Rich Gasaway! I’m looking forward to working with you in the group! Thanks Chief, Roger

If you’re here looking for shortcuts, test answers, or rank without responsibility, this probably isn’t your place. This community exists for firefighters and fire officers who take their career seriously—those who want more than the next promotion and understand that leadership is built long before the badge changes. Who This Community Is For This group is for: - Firefighters preparing for their first officer role - Newly promoted officers looking for guidance and confidence - Experienced officers who want to sharpen their leadership - Fire service professionals who value mentorship, discipline, and growth If you believe leadership is something you train, not something you assume, you’re in the right place. The Problem Most Firefighters Face: The fire service does a good job teaching tactics and policy. It does a poor job mentoring leaders. Most firefighters are promoted with: - A test score - A badge - A rule book But very little guidance on: - Leading former peers - Making hard decisions under pressure - Handling conflict, doubt, and responsibility - Building a career that lasts—not one that burns out - This community exists to fill that gap. Why This Community Exists After more than 30 years in the fire service—serving from firefighter to chief officer—I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself: Good firefighters struggle as new officers not because they lack ability, but because they lack mentorship. This community was built to provide what many of us never had: - Honest guidance - Real-world leadership discussion - Career perspective - Accountability - Not theory. Not ego. Experience. What Makes This Community Different This is not: - A passive course you watch once - A motivational quote feed - A rank-based ego contest This is: - An interactive mentorship community - Experience-based leadership discussions - Career guidance you can actually apply - A place where questions are encouraged - A space where growth is expected

Welcome to Firefighter Career Connection. If you’re here, it’s because you’ve decided to stop guessing and start building your fire service career with purpose. This is not a social group.This is not a motivation feed.This is a working career community. It is led by Roger Waters, a retired fire chief with 32 years of experience hiring, training, mentoring, and promoting firefighters. Don't let this first post stress you. It's long but covers the core of this community and also helps me to know you and improve our community by understanding what the priorities are for you. take your time and work through this. If you do the work, this group will change the trajectory of your career. ⚠️ Before You Go Any Further — Understand This Most firefighter candidates and young firefighters fail or stall not because of lack of effort, but because of: - No structure - No feedback - No accountability - No experienced guidance This community exists to fix that. But it only works if you participate. ✅ STEP 1 — INTRODUCE YOURSELF (REQUIRED) Go to the Introductions section and post the following: Answer all 4 questions: 1️⃣ Where are you right now? - Aspiring firefighter - In testing / hiring - Probationary firefighter - Early-career firefighter 2️⃣ What department, city, or region are you targeting (or currently serving)? 3️⃣ What is your single biggest challenge right now?(CPAT, written exam, interviews, discipline, direction, confidence, etc.) 4️⃣ What do you want to accomplish in the next 90 days? 👉 Keep it honest. No long stories needed. 🧭 STEP 2 — SET YOUR 90-DAY FOCUS - Download your 90 Day Plan its attached to this post. Trying to fix everything at once leads to nothing getting fixed. Write this down (or comment below): My #1 career goal for the next 90 days is: Examples: - Pass the CPAT - Get hired - Improve interview performance - Build strong probation habits This goal will guide how you use this group. 🔥 STEP 3 — COMMIT TO THE PROCESS