From Spotsylvania County
The International Association of Fire
Chiefs [www.iafc.org] (IAFC) recently announced that Jay Cullinan, Fire Chief of the
Spotsylvania Department of Fire, Rescue & Emergency Management, has been accepted
into the 2018 Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI). Cullinan competed
with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country to become a member of
the 2018 cohort program. Along with being accepted into the program, Chief Cullinan
has been awarded a scholarship which covers costs of attending the program.
Cullinan, who has worked for Spotsylvania for 21 years, continues to see education and
training as key factors in the success of the organization. Already holding multiple
degrees and certifications, he will add lessons learned in this program to his “toolbox” in
an effort to continue leading Spotsylvania’s Fire and EMS system in a progressive
direction. Cullinan is the first within the department hired as a firefighter to move up
through the ranks to the position of fire chief. He was appointed to the post in April of
this year.
This is the sixth year Motorola Solutions Foundation has provided the IAFC with a grant
to fund the program. “Motorola Solutions Foundation recognizes how these challenging
times require a new breed of leader to head our local fire departments and national fire
service”, said Matt Blakely, Executive Director of Motorola Solutions Foundation.
“We’re proud to help support the education of these leaders to ensure they have the skills
necessary to meet these complex and emerging issues confronting our communities.”
The Fire Service Executive Development Institute is a year-long leadership-development
program created and implemented by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring chiefs with
the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures. Members of the cohort
will meet in December 2017 for their first six-day session in addition to two other
sessions scheduled six months apart. The group will communicate between sessions
using an online community.
“The IAFC is most pleased to be able to provide career and leadership development
opportunities to the individuals selected for the program thanks to the generous support
of the Motorola Solutions Foundation,” said Chief Thomas Jenkins, IAFC president and
chairman of the board. “The program has become the premier development piece for
chief officers transitioning to fire chief roles. Many officers from the previous programs
have been successful in achieving fire chief positions and effectively leading their
departments.”
