One of the most important aspects of the Caribbean Association of Fire Chiefs is their focus on formal training. Perhaps their most impressive achievement has been the development of the Junior Officers Leadership Academy, or JOLA, which is the brain child of CAFC President, Chief Gregory N. Richards and Fire Chief Officer Reginald Freeman of the Freeman Group, LLC, a well established consulting and training group in the Fire Science Industry.

JOLA has been evolving for several years with Training Events hosted during the 2009 and 2010 CAFC Annual Conferences as well as independently as hosted events by member nations.

The JOLA course is designed to train fire and emergency service officers in modern concepts of management, and by developing technical skills and professional knowledge. The topics covered in the course are diverse and relevant to current fire and emergency medical service issues.

This year’s program included, Fire Ground Incident Management, Personnel Management, Fire Department Administrative Responsibilities, Inter-Personal Motivating Factors, Group Activities, Communication Skills, Customer Service, Developing Authentic Leaders, Disciplinary Action and Grievance Management, Organizational Survival, Recognizing the Signs of Stress, and Shaping the Future of Your Fire Department. The program faculty comprised of an outstanding group of presenters who are nationally recognized and on the cutting edge in their respective fields.


The Junior Fire Officers Leadership Academy (JOLA) is a high-intensity, concentrated program designed to involve the student in various peer group activities. The successful completion of the course requires attendance at all sessions and student participation in all class activities. IFE continuing professional development (CPDs) credit hours and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available to all students who successfully complete the program. Upon successful completion of the course participants will receive a JOLA Certificate of Completion and ICS-100, ICS-200, and ICS-300 Certificates from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency.