The problem the Wilmette Fire Department (WFD) faced was a significant decrease in the amount of organizational experience and knowledge within the firefighter rank due to an influx of new department members, multiple internal promotions occurring within a short time span, and a large number of retirements. Mentoring was identified as a useful professional development tool to help prepare these less experienced firefighters for increased responsibilities and critical operational roles. The purpose of the research was to identify successful strategies and integral components of mentoring programs to assist in the development of leadership and management skills of WFD members as they prepared to transition to the role of company officer.Procedures included a literature review, an external survey of chief officers from accredited fire service organizations, and an internal survey conducted within the WFD. Descriptive and action research methods were used to answer the following research questions: a) what types of mentoring would be appropriate for fire service personnel, b) who should participate in a mentoring program, c) what leadership and management skills are important for fire service organizations to develop in their personnel through mentoring, and d) how can the Wilmette Fire Department expect to benefit from a formal mentoring program? The results of the research indicated mentoring was an important component relating to the growth and development of personnel within successful organizations. Several strategies exist outside the traditional one-on-one relationships that may benefit all types of organizations.Recommendations included implementation of a mentoring program to include all levels of personnel within the organization, focusing on experiential learning, utilizing reverse mentoring to educate the experienced members and to help bridge generational differences, and regularly evaluating program effectiveness. A draft mentoring program guideline for the WFD was created as a result of this research.