John Salka

The Bravest Seminars Team Leader, Chief , John Salka, 25 year veteran of the New York City Fire Department who rose from rookie to battalion Chief, knows first hand the importance of effectively employing these fundamental techniques and the power of the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. He now has compiled the leadership strategies of the New York City Fire Department into a practical, battle tested, book of leaders in any field entitled "First In, Last Out" Leadership Lessons Learned From the New York City Fire Department. His book has received praise from many big business CEO’s such as Ivan Seidenberg of Verizon and Hank McKinnell of Pfizer.

"First In Last Out offers straight-talking insights in an engaging blend of history, heart and heads-up focus on leadership."

Ivan Siedenberg,
CEO, Verizon
"A fast-paced, highly valuable book on leadership, from the point of view of one of the nations’s most effective organizations. A ’must read’ for anyone who plans to be at the forefront when the going gets hot."

Hank McKinnell
Chairman &CEO, Pfizer Inc.
"First In Last Out offers a compelling distillation of what’s essential to lead when the heat is tangible and the stakes are high. For the fundamentals of leadership, whether for a ladder company or business enterprise, this is the read!"

Michael Useem,
Professor of Management,
Wharton School

In Chief Salka’s book, he emphasizes the importance of leadership. The Bravest Seminars will focus on leadership, efficiency, and team building. For instance they will cover topics such as:


  • Fueling the leadership fire:
How do you take your leadership to the next level?


  • Know their names before you send them into the flames:
How do you create strong connections with your people?


  • No one goes home until the fire goes out:
How do you lead for an execution?

The Bravest Seminars will focus on this importance of efficiency and how to successfully implement consistent organization throughout all the basic levels of your business. For instance:

  • Don’t waste your water on smoke:
How do you get your people to focus on the things that matter?


  • Making the right call when the heat is on:
How do you make the right decisions?

The Bravest Seminars will also focus on these effective methods of team building:

  • Fire up your peoples performance:
How do you get your people to be fully engaged in their work?

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