KTIV NewsChannel 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsNew York City Fire Chief shares lessons on leadership from September 11th

New York City Fire Chief shares lessons on leadership from September 11th

Sioux City, Iowa (KTIV) - New York Fire Department Chief John Salka shared his leadership lessons from 9-11 with Sioux City business leaders at Friday morning's Business for Breakfast Event.

A 30-year veteran of the New York City fire department, Salka responded to the attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11th.

He's a nationally recognized speaker and specializes in leadership, problem solving and decision making. Salka says leadership is important in all walks of life and all professions.

"Everywhere I go we talk about leadership and we talk about how important leadership is and leadership is the spark. Leadership is the element that makes everything else work well," says John Salka.

Salka says the leadership displayed during 9-11 was important in getting the nation through such a historic tragedy. However, that same type of leadership is important in local communities as well.

"September 11 was like the ultimate event as far as the size and the mass and the tragedy element, but we do that and the fire fighters that were here today and the military people that were here today, we do it everyday. Ya know whether its just your house on fire with one room and one person trapped or whether its the World Trade Center it doesn't matter," says Salka.

The Sioux City Economic Development Department hosted Salka and the Business for Breakfast event.