Lead the Role 

Develop strong leadership habits and real-world decision-making skills that go beyond test prep. This section will help you think, act, and communicate like a company officer before you ever get promoted. From setting expectations to earning trust, you'll learn how to lead your crew, influence firehouse culture, and build the command presence that defines great officers. This is where leadership begins.

Real-World Simulations

In this section, you’ll build the mindset and tools to tackle any role-play, in-basket, or real-world challenge you face as a company officer. From making quick, clear decisions to managing tough conversations. This program is designed to you help you learn how to prioritize, communicate, and lead under pressure — no matter what the scenario throws at you.

Interview Preparation

Go beyond rehearsed answers. Speak with purpose, presence, and confidence. Learn how to control your tone. Be clear in your message. Connect with your panel. This section gives you the tools to structure your responses and highlight real leadership experience. It helps you communicate like a professional. It prepares you to sound like the officer you are becoming.

About the Course

This isn’t just another prep course. I built this for firefighters who are serious about getting promoted and doing the job the right way. We’re going to prepare for the test, no question. You’ll learn how to handle interviews, role play scenarios, in basket problems, essay writing, and tactical simulations. You’ll learn how to play the game and perform when it matters. But we’re not cutting corners to get there. Everything in this course is built on real leadership. The same expectations, standards, and mindset you’ll need in the seat. No shortcuts. No fake answers. Just a way to prepare for the process while respecting the craft. This puts you in a position to succeed. Not just on test day, but in real situations where it actually counts. Enroll now.

Meet Your Insructor

My name is Mike. I’m a company officer and the founder of Front Seat Academy. I built this course because I believe in access and opportunity. There are too many firefighters who are ready to step into the front seat but never get the chance because of the process. I believe in the firefighter more than I believe in the test. That’s what drove me to create this. This course, along with the social media content and monthly workshops, is built to give you real access to information, structure, and guidance that isn’t always easy to find. It’s about leveling the playing field and giving you a real shot. At the end of the day, this is about putting good people in a position to succeed and making sure that when the opportunity comes you’re ready to execute.

Course Curriculum

16 Chapters · 183 Lessons

  1. 1

    Welcome to Owning the Front Seat: Your Officer Prep Course

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome!

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Front Seat Academy LLC — Terms of Use

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Legal & Copyright Disclaimer

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Owning the Front Seat

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Before You Start: What You’ll Need for This Course

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      The Promotional Blueprint — My Full System

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Reflection: Why Are You Here?

  2. 2

    Lead the Role, Not the Rank

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Lead the Role, Not the Rank

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Understanding Leadership Styles

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Leadership Isn’t One Size Fits All

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Setting Expectations & Building Trust

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Experience & The Leadership Gap

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Reflection: Applying Your Expectations

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      The Environment You Create

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Creating the Right Environment Pt.2

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      The First 30 Seconds of Leadership

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Accountability & Discipline

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Accountability Scenario: Practice Coaching

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      The Leadership Mindset: Growth vs. Fixed

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      The Circle of Safety: Protecting Your Crew

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Command Presence: Leadership They Can See

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Tough Conversations and Feedback

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Radical Transparency

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Reflection: Your time as a Firefighter

  3. 3

    Preparing for the Assessment

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Preparing for the Assessment

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      A Finite Game

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Study Habits vs Study Discipline

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Study Discipline Planner

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      The Mindset of Reps

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Understanding What They're Really Grading

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Reflection: Understanding Your Strength and Weaknesses

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      The Promotional Playbook

  4. 4

    Commanding the Interview

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Commanding the Interview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Revisiting your Why?

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Mindset — Walk In Like an Officer

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Reflection – Write Like an Officer

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Know Your City and Department

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Point-Capture vs Differentiator Questions

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      The Psychology of Connection in the Promotional Interview

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      CLEAR Framework

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Working Sample of a CLEAR Framework

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Analyzing Who You’re Speaking To: Know Your Panel

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Your Panel

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      What They’re Actually Grading You On

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Study Themes, Not Just Questions

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Identify Interview Themes

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Theme Exercises

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Emotion Creates Memory

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Tell Your Story — With Emotion, But Always Professional

  5. 5

    Interviews Topics You Should Own

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Topics You Should Own

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      What Have You Done to Prepare?

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Customer Service: Building Trust Through Leadership

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Leadership’s Responsibility to the People

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Defining Diversity, Equity, Inclusion- Example

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      What is Your Leadership Style

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Defining Your Leadership Style Example

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Self Reflection on Leadership

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Supporting Mental Health

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Recruitment in the Modern Fire Service

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Recruitment Example

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Reimagining of Service

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Risk Management On & Off the Fireground

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Interview Practice with Worksheets

  6. 6

    Commanding the Room: Role Play Prep

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Commanding the Room: Role Play Prep

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Understanding the Role Play

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Common Role Play Formats

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Phased Information Delivery

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Live/In-Person Example

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Video Example

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Pressure Injections

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      The Undercurrent- Finding What's Beneath the Reaction

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      The Inflection Point

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      The Honest Truth

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Breaking Down Common Role Play Scenarios

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      The F.O.C.U.S. Framework

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Breaking Down Communication Tactics

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Role Play Worksheet

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Downloadable FOCUS Script

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      California-Understanding FBOR & Firefighter Rights

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Due Process for Firefighters – If You’re Not in California

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Role Play Practice with Worksheets

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice Role Play Simulations with Panel Points

  7. 7

    The In-Basket Exercise

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      The In-Basket Exercise

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      What Is the In-Basket Exercise?

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      The Three Loads

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Approach an In-Basket Exercise

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Group Before You Prioritize

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Breaking Down: Time, Effort, & Impact

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      High-Medium-Low

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      High Priority

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Medium Priority

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Low Priority

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Recognize What Matters and Prioritize Correctly

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      How the In-Basket may appear- Crew Talk Example

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      In-Basket Exercises- Role Play Exercises

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      The Administrative In-Basket

  8. 8

    Officer-Level Essay Writing

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Officer-Level Essay Writing

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Understanding the Essay

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Real Example – Scoring Breakdown

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Write Like You Belong to the Organization

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Mind Mapping Before You Write

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Mind Mapping- Worksheet

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Mind Mapping Example

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Write the Body First — Masterful Essay Structure

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Some Common Essay Topics to Expect

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice Under Pressure

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Essay Question Examples with Mind Mapping

  9. 9

    Commanding an Emergency

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      The Tactical Sim

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Static Vs. Dynamic

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Ground Yourself in Reality

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Knowing Your Department

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Mastering the 13-Point Size-Up (COAL WAS WEALTH)

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      What's your 13-Point Size Up?

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      RECEO-VS vs. SLICERS

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Lip It & Bag It

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Seeing the Fireground

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      What is Blue Card Command & Where Did It Come From?

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Blue Card- Arrival Report

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Blue Card- The Follow Up Report

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      What's Your Follow Up? CAN Report

  10. 10

    Tactical Role-Play Scenarios

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Tactical Role Play Scenarios

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Approach Tactical Role-Play Scenarios

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Tactical Role Play Example

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice Your Tactical Role Plays

  11. 11

    Managing the Incident

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Managing the Incident

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Breaking Down the Tactical Worksheet

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Front Seat Academy Tactical Worksheet - Emergency Simulation

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      En-Route Considerations

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      IRONS-En Route Considerations

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Tactical Worksheet - Arrival Report

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      The Arrival Report

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice Your Size up & Arrival Report

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      F.L.A.S.H Getting a 360

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice Your Arrival - Units on Scene

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice a Follow Up Report- The CAN Report

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Declaring an Initial Operation Strategy

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Tactical Worksheet-Assigning your Alarms

    14. (Included in full purchase)

      Divisions and Groups

    15. (Included in full purchase)

      Assign Your First Alarm

    16. (Included in full purchase)

      Filling Out Your Tactical Boxes

    17. (Included in full purchase)

      Make Your Notifications

    18. (Included in full purchase)

      Expect an Incident Within an Incident

    19. (Included in full purchase)

      Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) / Rapid Intervention Team (RIT)

    20. (Included in full purchase)

      Mayday-Emergency Simulation

    21. (Included in full purchase)

      Turning Over Command

    22. (Included in full purchase)

      Incident Turnover Checklist

  12. 12

    Managing the WUI (Wild and Urban Interface)

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Managing the Wildland Urban Interface

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Wildland and WUI Fires

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Size Fuels Rapid Terrain And Exposures

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      WUI Tactical Worksheet

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Assigning Resources

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Car Fire into Vegetation Scenario

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      L.C.E.S

  13. 13

    Practice Simulations

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice Simulations

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction to Practice Simulations

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Simulation Review Worksheet- Critical Command Touchpoints

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Residential

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Town Home Fire

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Multi-Family Fire

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Multi-Family Defensive

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Balloon Frame Multi-Family

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Commercial #1

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Commercial #2

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Defensive Operations

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Commercial Parking Lot

  14. 14

    Building Up For The Assessment

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Practice Questions

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Training Material Disclaimer

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Foundational Interview Questions

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Advanced Interview Questions

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      In Basket Exercises-Itemized List

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      In Basket-Dynamic

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Role Play Exercises-Static

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Role Play-Dynamic

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Test Your Policy Knowledge

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Mind Mapping Exercises

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Essay Topic Exercises

  15. 15

    Build Your Statement of Qualifications & Personal Mission Statement

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Building Personal Mission Statement

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Build Your Own

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      A Statement of Qualifications

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Statement Of Qualifications Example

  16. 16

    The Foundation Is Built — Now Lead

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Beyond the Course

Ready to Lead with Confidence?

Enroll now and embark on your journey to become a proficient company officer.

$249.00

Enroll Now