FULLY INVOLVED
Choose to Mentor & Perpetuate Positive Outcomes Submitted by Deputy Chief Dwayne Penn Sr., MFRD Support
Mentorship and leadership can be defined in several different ways and concepts. One of the purest ways of defining leadership is mentorship. Unlike parenting, leadership and mentorship can be quite similar and at times one in the same. Parenting most often is assumed by birthright and can be considered more of a responsibility or perhaps an obligation. Moreover, good parenting can be a direct correlation to the child (mentee) and to the parent (mentor ). Mentorship is something slightly different in that mentoring is providing leadership, supervision, or companionship to someone who has nothing to offer the mentor. True mentorship is to provide someone with assistance and the mentor knows that the mentee has no way of repaying the mentor. The reward to the mentor is simply seeing the success of the mentee. Mentorship is paying it forward and giving someone your time, your talent, your expertise, and
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your unique in-depth perspective of years of experience. “I thought advancement was based entirely on competence. I later found out it was more about taking someone under your wing and demystifying the path of leadership,” said Gerald Simon, Oakland Fire Chief who is an Executive Development Institute instructor. As a youth, many have never seen or became affiliated with a fire truck or the fire service. Mentorship can never be overstated in the Fire Service. It begs to offer the importance of mentors being needed today more than ever before throughout the industry. Community Risk Reduction (CRR) chooses to mentor. CRR specialist Captain D.Y. Smith provides mentorship to the Boys and Girls Club of South America.
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