Ascent FD ACT

26/09/2026

Does your firefighter evaluation process feel like you’re just checking boxes?
Is the annual review something your officers—and your firefighters—cringe at every year?
Or maybe your department has simply stopped doing meaningful employee evaluations altogether.
Then you’re doing it WRONG.
Performance evaluations shouldn’t be paperwork completed once a year and filed away. They should be one of your officers’ MOST effective leadership tools.
ASCENT’s Performance Evaluations that Matter is a focused, 3-hour interactive program designed specifically for company and chief officers who evaluate personnel.
We address the things that actually make evaluations valuable: observation and documentation, evaluator bias, meaningful feedback and coaching, measurable goal setting, accountability, and Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs).

Stop checking boxes. Start developing people.
Bring Performance Evaluations that Matter to your department and give your officers a practical process for turning employee evaluations into meaningful conversations that improve individual and organizational performance.
Learn more or request a department class
ASCENT FD ACT — Developing Leaders. Strengthening Organizations. The RIGHT Results!

fire department performance evaluation training, firefighter performance evaluations, fire officer training, employee performance evaluations, firefighter performance appraisal, fire department leadership training, company officer training, chief officer training, performance improvement plans, fire...

23/09/2026

🔥 Week 1 of Fire Officer I is underway!

Sixteen current and future leaders from the Middletown Division of Fire are investing in their professional development and preparing for the responsibilities of first-line leadership.

Throughout the course, these fire officers are sharpening their leadership skills, expanding their technical knowledge, and putting what they learn into practice through hands-on exercises and real-world applications.

It’s about more than earning a certification—it’s about building the depth, confidence, and leadership capability needed to help guide the Division into the future.

ASCENT FD ACT is proud to be part of their development.

19/09/2026

FIRST TIME IN THE AREA — NFPA 1026 INCIDENT COMMAND!

We’re excited to announce that ASCENT’s 40-Hour NFPA 1026 Incident Command Course is coming to Woodlawn, Ohio, November 16–20, 2026!
🔥 This is the first time we’ve offered this program in the Cincinnati area, and enrollment is limited to just 20 students. (ONLY 8 SEATS REMAIN!)

This isn’t a sit-and-listen incident command class.

Over five days, students will combine classroom instruction with realistic, progressively challenging incident simulations designed to put command principles into practice. Participants will make decisions, manage resources, develop strategies, coordinate operations, and strengthen the skills needed to lead incidents with confidence.

Whether you’re preparing to assume command or already sitting in the command seat, this course is designed to sharpen your skills and keep them sharp.

📅 November 16–20, 2026
📍 Woodlawn Community Center | Cincinnati, Ohio
⏰ 0800–1630 daily
💲 $550 per student
🚒 ONLY 8 SEATS AVAILABLE
⏳ Registration Deadline: October 17

Taught by Chiefs. Built on Experience. Lead with Confidence.

👉 Scan the QR code on the flyer to secure your seat.

PLAN. LEAD. COORDINATE. SUCCEED.
The Right Training. The Right Assessment. The RIGHT Results!

17/09/2026

Great fire officers understand that employee performance evaluations should be more than an annual form completed to satisfy an organizational requirement.

When conducted effectively, the evaluation process becomes one of an officer’s most valuable tools for recognizing strong performance, addressing concerns, establishing expectations, coaching personnel, and developing future leaders.

ASCENT’s Performance Evaluations That Matter is a three-hour fire officer leadership program designed to help officers:

✅ Establish clear performance expectations
✅ Document performance objectively
✅ Provide meaningful positive and corrective feedback
✅ Recognize and reduce evaluator bias
✅ Conduct constructive evaluation meetings
✅ Create employee-development goals that produce measurable progress

The annual evaluation should summarize a year of leadership and coaching—not be the first time an employee hears how they are performing.

Bring this course to your department.

Learn more at:
https://www.ascent-fd-act.com/training/leadership-and-officer-development/performance-evaluation-training

01/09/2026

LAST CALL — FIRE OFFICER II!

Only a few seats remain for our Fire Officer II course at Englewood Fire Department, and the registration deadline is September 13th!

Quality, in-person Fire Officer II training is becoming harder to find as distance-learning options continue to permeate our profession. ASCENT FD ACT believes officer development deserves more than simply completing coursework online.

This 40-hour, in-person program puts students in the classroom with experienced Ohio fire chiefs and incorporates real-world case studies, practical exercises, leadership discussions, and live incident simulation exercises designed to challenge future officers to think, communicate, make decisions, and lead.

October 12–16, 2026 | Englewood, Ohio
$550 per student | Maximum 24 students

If you're ready to take the next step in your leadership development, don't wait—registration closes September 13th. The registration portal is open online at www.ascent-fd-act.com

Taught by Chiefs. Built on Experience. Lead with Confidence.

The Right Assessment. The Right Training. The Right Results.

28/08/2026

Is your promotional process identifying the right leaders—or simply the best test-takers?

ASCENT FD ACT provides complete promotional testing and assessment services designed specifically for the fire service.

From department-specific written examinations to scenario-based assessment centers, our processes go beyond a single test score. Candidates are evaluated across 12 critical dimensions of leadership and performance, providing departments with a comprehensive view of each candidate’s knowledge, judgment, communication, decision-making, leadership, and readiness for promotion.

Our goal is simple: help your department implement a professional, objective, consistent, and legally defensible promotional process that identifies the individuals best prepared to lead your organization.

Written Promotional Testing — Starting at $900
Basic Assessment Centers — Starting at $4,800 for up to 6 candidates
Comprehensive Assessment Centers — Starting at $5,900 for up to 6 candidates

Whether you’re selecting your next Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, or Chief Officer, ASCENT can develop a promotional process tailored to your department, your positions, and your organizational needs.

Departments can also bundle written promotional testing and assessment center services to create a complete promotional system while reducing overall costs.

Your next promotion is too important to leave to chance.

Stop Gambling on Leadership. Start Proving It.

The Right Assessment. The Right Training. The Right Results.

📞 513-402-2479
🌐 ascent-fd-act.com
📧 [email protected]

22/08/2026

ONLY 8 SEATS LEFT!

ASCENT FD ACT’s Fire Officer II course goes beyond the textbook. This 40-hour program is built around real-world leadership, decision-making, personnel management, command, and organizational challenges facing today’s fire officers.

FO II, 2025 Edition
Englewood, OH
October 12-16, 2026
0800-1630 Daily
$550
Only 8 of 24 seats remain

Must provide proof of Fire Officer I completion.

Taught by Chiefs. Built on Experience. Lead with Confidence.

Registration deadline is September 13th!

20/08/2026

WHO WILL LEAD YOUR DEPARTMENT NEXT?

The future of your fire department depends on the leaders you select, develop, and prepare today.

ASCENT FD ACT provides fire departments across Ohio with a comprehensive approach to building stronger leadership:

SELECT THEM.
Department-specific promotional testing and assessment centers designed to identify the right leaders—not just the best test takers.

DEVELOP THEM.
Fire Officer and leadership programs that challenge your people, strengthen decision-making, and give them practical tools they can use immediately.

PREPARE THEM.
Interactive, scenario-based training that builds confidence, capability, and readiness for the challenges of leading in today's fire service.

From promotional testing and assessment centers to Fire Officer, Incident Command, Incident Safety Officer, simulation, and leadership training, ASCENT can help you build a complete leadership-development pipeline.

Now scheduling for late 2026 and early 2027.

Don't wait until you have a vacancy to start developing your next leader.

THE RIGHT ASSESSMENT. | THE RIGHT TRAINING. | THE RIGHT RESULTS.

📞 513-402-2479
🌐 www.ascent-fd-act.com
✉️ [email protected]