Use This Week
How many firefighters does it take to staff one seat?
Building next year's apparatus budget?
Desk Reference Library
One-page desk references for fire service leaders. Download, print and keep them at your desk. Each card lists its sources and its revision date.
Administration and Governance
- Strategic Planning on One Page
- Writing Your First Policy
- Budget Basics for Fire Chiefs
- Strategic Plan Implementation
- Policy Manual Review and Document Control
- Recruitment and Retention
- Managing a Training Program
- Communicating Budget Trade-Offs
Leadership and Communication
- Annual Report Essentials
- Media Interview Card
- Difficult Conversations
- Briefing Elected Officials and the Governing Body
- After Action Review
- Writing a Decision Memo or Staff Report
- Running Effective Meetings
- Officer Development, Training Versus Development
- Building a Defensible Promotional Process
- Structured Interviews and Assessment Centers
- Building a Leadership Academy
- Succession Management
- Stakeholder Engagement Planning
- Labor-Management Relations
- Preparing for Negotiations
- Negotiating Strategies, Tips and Rules
Command and Operations
- ICS Quick Reference
- Size-Up and Radio Reports
- Mayday and RIT
- Fireground Benchmarks and Time Checks
- Hazmat First 15 Minutes
- MCI and Triage
- Special Events Planning
Health and Safety
- Cancer Prevention and Decon
- Behavioral Health and Peer Support
- Rehab and Heat Stress
- Building a Health and Safety Program
- Vehicle Accident Prevention
- Injury and Accident Investigation
NFPA and Standards
- NFPA Consolidation Crosswalk
- Equipment Testing and Retirement Intervals
- NERIS Reporting
- Community Risk Assessment Basics
AI for the Fire Service
- AI Prompt Starters for the Fire Chief
- Prompt Formula and Refinement
- Copilot in Microsoft 365
- Elements of a Fire Department AI Policy
Microsoft Office and Windows
- Excel Keyboard Shortcuts
- Excel Formulas for Fire Administration
- Excel Pivot Tables and Charts
- Word Keyboard Shortcuts
- Word for Policies and Long Documents
- PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts
- PowerPoint for Governing Body and Public Presentations
- Outlook Shortcuts and Rules
- Teams and Meetings
- SharePoint and OneDrive Sharing
- Windows Shortcuts and Screen Tools
Personal Productivity
Tools and Templates
Excel workbooks for recurring fire administration work. Enter your data in the gold cells and the results, charts and dashboards update on their own. Your department name carries to every sheet from the Setup tab. Each one opens with sample data from a fictional department so you can see how it works before you replace it.
Versions branded for your department, and custom tools built to your operation, are available on request at cedric@chiefced.com.
- Staffing and Relief Factor Calculator
- Overtime Analyzer
- Apparatus Replacement and Reserve Planner
- Response Performance Dashboard
- Strategic Plan Tracker
- Resume Review Workbook
- Rater Scoring Workbook
- PPE and Equipment Replacement Planner
- Special Event Staffing Planner
- ICS Incident Action Plan Workbook
- ICS Forms, Blank Printable Set
- Sample Incident Action Plan, Air Show
- Hire or Overtime Calculator
General reference only. Confirm with your state law, department policy and legal counsel before acting. Revised October 2026.