The Fire Department Exchange (FDX) Program is a three-day, in-person learning experience that connects fire service professionals from across the country to share knowledge, solve challenges, and strengthen wildfire preparedness in their communities.
Through facilitated discussions, hands-on exercises, and peer-to-peer collaboration, you’ll explore what’s working in other departments, gain new perspectives on your own programs, and identify practical strategies you can put into action when you return home.
Whether your department is just beginning its wildfire preparedness efforts or has an established program, FDX provides the tools, connections, and support to help you take the next step.
Course Topics
- Crisis Leadership & Decentralized Command
- Decision Making Strategies for Tactical Leaders
- Relationship Opportunities and Strategies
- Case Studies and Lessons Learned
- Applications of the Incident Command System
- Agency Training Programs
- Evacuation Planning and Management
- Response for Law Enforcement
- Response for Fire Service
- Application to Other Disasters
- Two interactive tabletop exercises
Why Participate in FDX?
- Gain Practical Strategies
Learn from the experiences, successes, and challenges of other fire departments and identify approaches you can adapt for your own community. - Learn at Any Program Stage
Building a new program? Gain a roadmap for moving forward. Already have an established program? Get a fresh perspective and identify opportunities to strengthen your efforts. - Build a National Peer Network
Connect with fire service professionals from across the United States and Canada. The relationships built during FDX extend beyond the exchange, creating an ongoing network for sharing ideas, resources, and solutions. - Leave With an Action Plan
Turn what you learn into meaningful next steps. You’ll develop a customized Post-Exchange Action Plan to help your department prioritize improvements and put new strategies into practice.
What to Expect
FDX is designed to be collaborative, interactive, and focused on real-world application. During the three-day exchange, you will:
- Participate in facilitated discussions, interactive exercises, and small-group sessions.
- Exchange lessons learned, challenges, and successes with other fire service professionals.
- Explore approaches and solutions that can be adapted to your department and community.
- Build professional relationships with peers facing similar wildfire challenges.
- Develop a Post-Exchange Action Plan with clear steps for putting what you learn into practice.
Who Participates?
Each FDX cohort brings together five fire departments representing different regions and levels of wildland-urban interface (WUI) experience. Three FDX Steering Group members facilitate the exchange and guide participants through discussions, exercises, and action planning.