Being considered a professional firefighter has nothing to do with earning a paycheck but everything to do with character, competence, and commitment. Participants will learn how successfully creating and maintaining a professional image can improve membership recruitment and retention, aid with fundraising, and enhance community as well as political support. Today's volunteer firefighters need to understand that it is unacceptable to say "I am just a volunteer" and use that as an excuse for a dysfunctional organization; poor performance; being unprepared; making poor judgments; or participating in unethical, immoral, or even illegal behavior. We are living in a different world today. It's a different world for the volunteer fire service as well, as it is confronted with unprecedented challenges. No matter the challenges, community residents still expect professional service.