There’s a lot of advice floating around that explains what a firefighter needs to do to get promoted to an officer position.

And there’s quite a bit about leadership and what to do once you ARE promoted.

On this edition of the show, we’re going to look at a couple of different sides of the promotion equation: How to prepare yourself for a promotion…and what impact on the department promotions may have.

Both are important, and both are often overlooked.

My guest to discuss these topics is Paul Watlington. He’s the battalion chief of training for the Burlington, North Carolina Fire Department. Paul is also a member of the Yanceyville Volunteer Fire Department. He is a 22-year veteran of the fire service and has many certifications from the National Fire Academy and the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal.