Understanding the Promotional Process

Jim Silvernail, a second generation firefighter, is a battalion chief with the Metro West Fire Protection District of St. Louis County, MO. He is the author of Suburban Fire Tactics (Fire Engineering Books and Videos, 2013). Jim has over 15 years of operational experience and is a lead instructor at the St. Louis County Fire Academy, specializing in truck company operations. He is also a member of MO-TF 1 (a FEMA Urban Search & Rescue team) and recently deployed to Hurricane Sandy in New York, NY (2012) as a planning team manager. Chief Silvernail’s formal education includes: an AAS in Fire Protection Technology, a BA in Business Administration, and an MS in Human Resource Management. In addition to Suburban Fire Tactics, Jim has written numerous articles for Fire Engineering magazine. He is a workshop instructor at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) and presents at various regional events.