07 March 2023- The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) announced that Battalion Chief Adam Hopkins of the City of Hagerstown Fire Department has been accepted into the Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI). Battalion Chief Hopkins competed with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country and Canada to become a member of the 2023 cohort program.
Battalion Chief Hopkins has served with the HFD since January 2004. During his tenure, he has served as a Fire Apparatus Operator, Captain, and as a Battalion Chief for the last 7 1/2 years. In addition to the many ancillary duties he performs, he has also served as the HFD’s training officer since March 2009. Battalion Chief Hopkins is also credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) and Chief Training Officer (CTO) with the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Additionally, he is currently enrolled as an active student in the Executive Fire Officer (EFO) program at the National Fire Academy.
This is the 11th year that the Motorola Solutions Foundation has provided the IAFC with a grant to fund the program.
The Fire Service Executive Development Institute is a year-long leadership-development program. It was created and implemented by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have successful and productive tenures. The members of the cohort will meet four times in the coming year. One of the meetings will take place at the Fire Rescue International conference in Kansas City, MO. Between onsite sessions the cohort group will communicate using an online community. They will meet for their first session at the National Conference Center, Leesburg, VA. during the week March 11 – 17.
“The acceptance of Chief Hopkins into this prestigious executive development program by the internationally recognized IAFC is testament to Chief Hopkins’ accomplishments to date. Moreover, his anticipated completion of this program will arm the City of Hagerstown and the fire service with a professionally trained and certified chief officer who is uniquely qualified to advance our service into the future,” Hagerstown Fire Chief Steven E. Lohr said.
The IAFC’s Fire Service Executive Development Program has become the premier career- and leadership-development program in the fire and rescue services thanks to the generous support of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. Numerous chief officers from the previous cohort programs have been successful in achieving fire chief positions and serving as officer in several fire service organizations.
