WEBVTT
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This is Frontline Voices.
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Conversations with our local heroes.
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Here's your host, Matthew Blake.
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Eric, thank you for stopping by, taking some time out of your much very, very busy schedule to sit down and tell us some stories about your experience in the fire service and some of the things that you've got going on.
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Yeah, it's a pleasure.
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So starting off, tell us who Eric Kennedy is and what inspired him to become a firefighter.
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I'm just another human being.
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Just another guy out there just doing something he enjoys.
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I was 17 years old running around with some guys around Corona.
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One of them, his dad, uh, was on the fire department for years, and his grandfather was the fire chief forever back in the 80s, uh 70s, 80s, and I think even into the 90s a bit.
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And one day he said, Hey, what do you think about going to be fireman?
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I said, Well, I don't know, I've never been a fireman.
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So I we went ahead and you know put in some applications, and uh those two got got we turned they turned in their stuff, and I kind of held on to mine an extra minute, and uh my first application got lost.
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Um, so I checked back up and reapplied and all that, and I became a corona firefighter in May of 2008.
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Uh 17 years old.
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And I don't know, something just hooked, something just clicked, and I've done it ever since.
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Uh just what I do.
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I don't know.
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I don't know much more about it.
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It's other than it's what I enjoy, it's what I do.
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So, really, from the time that you you got to the working age, that's all you've really known is the fire service getting in and uh yeah, from a volunteer standpoint, really.
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Um uh my goal in high school, you know, I wanted to do agriculture, I wanted to wanted to farm, um, but I didn't come from the right family uh to inherit, you know, farming opportunities, or I didn't have enough money to buy it.
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So I worked uh worked close with a good friend of mine and and did dairy farming and helped him on the farm um till I was about 23 and then uh obviously decided needed to do something different, and so the next option was plumbing.
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My father was a plumber, my grandfather was a plumber, so I did a plumbing apprenticeship, and all while still being a volunteer firefighter, and never really thought.
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I thought once about full-time, you know, back in my younger years.
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I called down the Fort Wayne because your options was Fort Wayne.
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Um, and you know, they said, Well, we're not gonna do an academy for a few years, you gotta be 21.
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And then I, you know, heard the stories of you know, thousand people going for 15 jobs and you know, big written exams at the Coliseum, and I said, Well, uh, that's not me.
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They're not gonna they're not gonna pick me out of all those other people.
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So I just was content and enjoyed being a volunteer until the opportunity came to in 2018, uh 2017, Kendaville opened up their first outside hiring process, and I had some guys from over that way from Kendaville that kind of, hey, you ought to try this, you ought to do it.
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And I talked to my wife about it, and she ultimately said I didn't think I stood a chance.
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Uh she ultimately kind of pushed me into going to do it.
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And then so I've been doing that now as a career.
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So I wouldn't say uh it's all I've ever known, but it's been everything I've ate, breathed, and slept for the last eight years now.
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Taking it back to those first days in the firehouse, what was that like walking in and like you know, big eyes?
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What did you experience?
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Yeah, I was a little nervous, uh, for sure.
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You know, you don't know all these people, and there's so many different age ranges.
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Uh, there were some guys that were I was the youngest one there.
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Uh the two buddies that I got on the fire department with, in the time it took me with the lost application, they kind of lost interest a bit and kind of went and did different things.
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So I was now in there with myself and a couple people that were a few years older than me, but also some people in their 30s and 40s.
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Um, but just a great group of guys that kind of they were just excited to see someone young coming in the door wanting to work and wanting to do it, and I just molded real quick, you know.
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Guys were helpful.
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Uh my my assistant chief at the time, Mike Wiley.
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You know, he brought me in right away.
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You know, hey, let's go find you some gear, let's get you some stuff, get me got me some gear, got first training, you know, show me how to work the nozzle, all of this.
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I didn't know any of this stuff, didn't grow up anywhere around it.
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And then, you know, when we had truck check nights, Mike would take me out driving, you know, drive the truck a little bit.
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He'd set his, we had this whole tanker and it had just a regular like plywood center council, and he'd set a styrofoam cup of coffee on it and say, if you spill my coffee, you failed the trip.
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You know, a little pressure.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Yeah.
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Uh, but it was just it was just really, you know, the guys really took me in and immersed me in it.
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And yeah.
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So going back to that, you you know, you'd mentioned your buddies that had gotten into it and then they kind of fell out of it.
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What has kept you committed all these years to stay with the fire service?
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I'm too dumb to quit.
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I I don't know.
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I mean, so if I don't do it, who's going to?
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Like, obviously, it became a career, and I love the job.
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I love the career side of it.
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I love the guys I work with, I love going to work, um, and being in that atmosphere.
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But on the volunteer side of it, I mean, it is if I'm not gonna answer the call, who is?
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You know, who's gonna show up or who's gonna help out?
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And I know what the department and the fire service did for me growing up, so it's I'd want to give something back to it, you know.
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My wife has a saying, you know, leave it better than you found it, and I kind of embod I want to embody that.
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Um, just try to make the Corona Fire Department better, you know, try to make the town people better and help out however we can.
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Going into that, which you've kind of touched on, with the many years that you spent serving your community through the Corona Volunteer Fire Department, what does volunteer firefighting mean to you?
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So the reality of it is budgets are tight, money's tight, staffing isn't a realistic option for a lot of areas and agencies.
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Uh, there's a lot of volunteer fire departments that are still fundraising just to provide the essentials they need for their services.
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So volunteers are a way that we can get quality fire protection, quality uh rescue, EMS services in a shorter amount of time to our communities that are underfunded, that don't have the ability to do that.
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Um, but it's it's a it's also kind of a way of life thing, and it becomes kind of a family, at least in our department, you know, where these are now the people you yeah, you see them when the pager goes off, but then you, you know, they call you if they need a hand moving something, or if you need, you know, to borrow a tool, or you just got a question or whatever.
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I mean, then they they become a family to you, and it builds in that environment where these people are, I mean, they're like your second family.
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Speaking about that, so you made that transition from volunteer to career firefighter.
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What makes Corona so special that you you wanted to maintain that relationship there?
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What what sets Corona apart?
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Uh, it's the people.
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I mean, it's the town, it's the people, it's I mean, some of the some of the firefighters and and officers that I work with there are some of the best salt of earth people I know.
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Uh Dennis Triesch was the fire chief when I started as a fire chief for 30 plus years.
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Dennis has talked to me at good times and you know, given me praise, and he's also corrected me and steered me on the right path um and helped to shape me into a better human being.
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And you know, Sean, our fire chief now, and uh you know, same way uh Mike tell us he's the he's our treasurer.
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If I need any, if I got any kind of financial quit, I call him.
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I mean, these are just the people that I I want to be with.
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I mean, it's fun, it's enjoyable to be there.
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And if it's not enjoyable, I don't know 100% why I would want to be there, but it is an enjoyable place to be.
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Uh, the people make it great to be there, and we're also doing work and serving a purpose and making a difference, uh, whether that be emergency calls.
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But in Corona, uh, we kind of we try to do a lot more commute, we do community-oriented stuff too.
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You know, we do our kids' day in the park where we spray the kids down and hand out backpacks, and I got some younger neighbor kids that live next to me, and every year them kids start asking about April, you know, once the weather breaks and they're outside, hey, you guys gonna do the park thing?
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You guys gonna do the park thing?
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And I feel like we're kind of one of the backbones of the community, it kind of helps hold together.
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And I like being part of that.
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I like interacting with the people.
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That's really cool because yeah, community involvement is such a huge thing, and and you know, not trying to throw shade at more of the career departments, but it seems like kind of that that touch starts to fade away once you once you get into that aspect a little bit, not as not as much.
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Um so taking it back from your experiences from 17 till now, how has Corona changed?
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Oh, well, so obviously we changed fire chiefs somewhere in there, which was a huge thing.
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I know in the volunteer fire service that's not that's not a rarity.
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Some departments will you know, they change chiefs every three, four, five, six years.
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Uh, but for us to change fire chiefs was a huge deal.
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Um, so that's been a big change for us.
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Uh I've seen a lot of faces come, a lot of faces go.
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Um, seen kind of a little bit of a change in the guard.
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Guys like Mike Wiley, like I talked about, Mike.
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You know, Mike's not been with us for a number of years.
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Life changed, kids grew up, you know, job and moving.
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And I mean, Mike, he still stops stops by sometimes, but some of the guys that I come on with, they're gone now.
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Uh, but we're also bringing in some new guys, and that shoot, we've replaced uh like half the truck since I've been there, you know.
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You know, we've we've re you know, a lot of things have had have changed, but overall, I wouldn't the quality of people is still there.
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We still have a great quality of people.
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Um, you know, we're probably a little shorter on quantity than we'd like to be some days, um, but I think that's a that's a national problem, not just a corona problem, but I don't know.
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I don't know that a ton has really overly changed as far as the feel of it.
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Just some faces, some some things, and obviously techniques.
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You know, we've progressed with the fire service, replaced a lot of our older equipment and you know, battery-powered jaws versus the other, you know, smooth board nozzles and low pressure hose versus our old, you know, cheap hose and you know, fog nozzles and stuff.
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So, I mean, we've evolved with the fire service, but the department still has that same homey feel to me.
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That's and that that's that's true.
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The fire service continues to evolve.
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If you stop, you're falling behind.
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You gotta stay, you gotta stay with it.
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So in 2025, you were named Corona Firefighter of the Year.
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What did that recognition mean to you coming from your peers?
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Oh, so I'm I'm not big on recognition, to be honest with you.
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Um like I said earlier, I'm just another guy doing a job that anyone else would do.
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If I didn't do it, somebody else would probably pick up the slack.
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Um, it was nice, it was well appreciated, uh, appreciated, you know, to know that the people that I try to work for and work with, you know, saw something and appreciated it for sure.
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But uh I'm also, you know, that also with Corona, that puts me on a committee for the next three years to try to pick the next three.
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And for me, that's more of the excitement is more just being able to now pick three more people and have you know help recognize three more people that are doing something extraordinary for the next three years.
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That's really cool.
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That's that's cool how that process works.
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That you get to be a part of that next that next selection cycle and and so on and so forth.
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Um you're good.
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So I you already kind of touched on it, but I wanted to ask you as a firefighter, did you have a mentor who shaped your career?
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And what advice did they give you that still sticks with you today?
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Oh I've had a lot.
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Obviously, I've kind of mentioned a few of them, you know, Wiley kind of getting me into it, and Sean and Dennis, and you know, then they've just I don't know that I have one specific piece of advice per se.
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Um just kind of emulating them.
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You know, I kind of I tell people this find successful people and just kind of emulate what they do, watch how they handle certain certain situations and react to things, and you just kind of do the same thing they're doing, and it really isn't that difficult.
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I mean, to make yourself better.
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Um I I like I said, I don't necessarily have one specific piece, but I know there's multiple things where you know different sit-downs with Dennis, where he, you know, where I was a young, cocky, kind of even arrogant, um, you know, young man that thought he really had was something special.
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And Dennis would he would sit you down, he would talk to you, and you know, a lot of times a fire chief or a boss or an employer will yell at you, and you can walk away and say, Oh, that guy's a jerk.
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But Dennis would sit there and when he would talk to you, he would make you, it would be like your dad talking to you, and you would he would you oh I'm just I'm disappointed.
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And you really felt like a piece of crap, like a real piece of work, because you really let down this guy.
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Um, this mountain of a man is now disappointed in your actions or something you said, or the way you handled something, and it it really did it, it was very formulative towards me, like it helped form me.
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I didn't ever walk away going, uh, this guy's a jerk.
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I'm like, I always walked away going, oh man, I need to do better.
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You know, when and when there might be a bulk address, you know, like we would have he might, and during a business meeting, but hey, you know, I noticed last training or work detail we had, you know, attendance was a little light or something, something you know, kind of getting on us a little bit, like trying to push us.
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You might have been at that training and you still walked away feeling like, oh man, I I should have done better.
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I was there, but I still feel bad, right?
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And you would and I would go up and say, Hey, I'm sorry, Chief.
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I I you were there.
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I know, but I'm sorry.
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No, don't you're fine.
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You know, he just he had that way about him.
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Uh it still does, still does carry that same weight, even in with me.
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I mean, so I I still look to him for advice on different things, um, even though he's not fire chief anymore.
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Don't want to disappoint the old man.
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No, no, he's he's a mountain of a man, for sure.
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So now, as assistant chief, what leadership lessons have you learned?
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Oh boy.
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So, leadership over the last several years has been probably one of the biggest things I've tried to better myself in.
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Because leadership, I the more I found in it, it's about relationships with people and building relationships and building trust and rapport and trying to leadership isn't trying to get things to people to do things, it's trying to build people to do things on their own.
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Um so become an assistant chief, though, the biggest thing I've you know, come being a company officer in the city and even in can in Corona, it's the political side of things.
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It's now trying to work with not only the firefighters, they're easy.
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I mean, we can talk with them like firefighters and we can interact and all that, but it's a different political personalities and the different uh circles you run in, you know, you go to and building relationships outside of the department with other agencies, you know, like with uh with you know, Chief Brand or you know, go to the chief's meeting and talk to other people there, or you know, running into a township trustee or a town board member, and just building those relationships outside of the four walls of the Corona Fire Department has been that's been the biggest adaptation for sure.
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Now that you're in that administrative role, I have to ask you, what keeps volunteers motivated when balancing jobs, family, and emergency response?
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They gotta have there's gotta be something there for them.
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So I don't believe the volunteer fire service is uh dying due to money.
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Uh we changed the policy, uh, worked with the town, Dennis and Sean did, and they began paying us to go to runs uh a nominal amount.
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That didn't change run attendance.
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Uh they pay us to uh you know do some certain things.
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That didn't really change anything.
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You didn't see anyone come out of the woodwork all of a sudden.
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The same people did the same things.
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So I don't think it's money that motivates them.
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I think there has to be, like I said, it's gotta be in fun.
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There's gotta be something in it for them.
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Uh what that is, you know, it it varies from person to person.
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Some people are join a volunteer fire department, they have a career goal in mind, and they're working through to try to get to that job, get their training, get experience, all those things.
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Uh some people, it's a bad thing.
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Maybe they don't have a great home life.
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You know, they're younger, maybe they don't have great, you know, role models.
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So they get in with some people and they get a fat balance of things, and that changes for them.
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There's just there's gotta be, and it's it's different for everyone, like I said, but there's gotta be something that makes it enjoyable, something to why they want to come back.
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And it's to feel like they're part of something bigger than just themselves.
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I think that's what we all want.
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We're humans naturally, we want we want to be part of something other than just us.
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So we want to be around people we want to be around, we want to enjoy the people we're around.
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And yeah, be honest, they don't mind doing work when they're around people they like, right?
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You know, the work isn't bad when you like the people you're with, when you have that connection.
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So I think I think that's a big thing is you know, building connections with people and figuring out what motivates them, what makes them want to be here.
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Right on.
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Yes, absolutely.
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I I 100% agree with you on that.
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This next one, I need you to switch hats.
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So take off the white hat.
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Great, put on the I'm assuming it's red.
00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:40.640
Your lieutenant hat.
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:42.559
Yeah, yeah, it's it was red at one point.
00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:42.799
Okay.
00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.359
The guy's joke, it's a little more burgundy now.
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:49.519
So you're a lieutenant with the Kennethville Fire Department.
00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:49.759
Yeah.
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.039
What does that mean for people that aren't familiar with the fire service?
00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:57.519
Well, so within our organization, so I'm the company officer.
00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:02.720
So typically that would be a person in charge of an apparatus or a sh for a station.
00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:05.200
Uh, for us, we have one officer per shift.
00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:08.799
So I am the officer for the C shift.
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:13.920
Uh anyone that knows C shift is the greatest shift, okay, or do that with any other career person.
00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:14.559
No.
00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:51.920
Uh, so I oversee kind of the day-to-day with the guys, you know, making sure they got what they need, helping them get the things that they need, and it just, you know, getting the things done, our trainings, our truck checks, our emergency runs, uh, you know, pre-plans, inspections, all the things, station projects, and just kind of being that that middleman, you know, taking trying to take their issues from the bottom, um, looking for a solution to take to the top, and then taking the the solutions that the top wants fixed and trying to implement them to the bottom.
00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:55.279
Kind of that middleman a little bit, and the buffer.
00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:55.839
Okay.
00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:57.039
I like that the buffer.
00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:58.880
The buffer that works good.
00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:05.359
Okay, going back, your first major fire with the Kennelville Fire Department was the McRae refrigerator complex fire in 2018.
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:07.519
What do you remember about that incident?
00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:11.279
Oh, I can close my eyes and go back through a lot of that.
00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:18.240
So I started April 16th of 2008, which is or 2018.
00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:20.480
I don't know why I can remember that date, but I can.
00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:25.359
Um, and I started on a day shift, uh, as all the career guys did.
00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:30.319
At that time, the staffing for the Kentville Fire Department was uh 24 hours a day.
00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:32.880
We kept one person in each firehouse.
00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:41.039
And then during the day, we would have three chiefs and a day, one or two-day personnel when we were fully staffed.
00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:47.519
So at night you were by yourself and you were the operator of the truck and all that kind of stuff.
00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:49.759
So that's why we started everyone on days.
00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:56.799
Well, I come in with quite a bit of driving and pumping and operating experience, and there were some things we were trying to move around.
00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:59.599
So I had started my 24.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.720
Our shifts about four shifts prior to that Sunday.
00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:08.799
And I say it's Sunday, I always remember it's Sunday, it's actually Monday morning.
00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:17.039
So they did we did that just so I had those first four shifts with people around during the day if I had questions and and you know things.
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:23.440
And we had chiefs that showed up after hours, and we had our our volunteer and our part-time staff that showed up frequently.
00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:35.200
So it wasn't really a big deal to be by yourself, but there were times where you were by yourself, and so trying to figure out how to be a Kendall firefighter and how they work that was a bit of a challenge.
00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:37.839
So we were pretty slow back then.
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:41.119
Uh the administration we had, we didn't do a lot of medic assist calls.
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:46.160
There was some uh budgetary reasons and some things that they cut back on some of our responses.
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:56.960
So I had slept every night, went to bed at 10, 11, woke up 5:36, cleaned up, went home.
00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:58.799
Slept every first four nights.
00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:01.200
That Sunday, same thing.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:05.599
It was a slower day, you know, by yourself, still kind of figuring out that element, right?
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:12.480
Um Sundays I said were solitary confinement because you just there was no one around 24 hours.
00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:28.160
And I went to bed that night, and I remember waking up, and it's the first time we had we had a buzzer, like a factory loud buzzer in the hallway and a bell in the bedroom, and it was very loud, and it would startle you a little bit, but you kind of heard the pre-alert on the pager.
00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:31.599
And this is the first time I'd ever heard this thing from a dead sleep.
00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:36.960
And I sat straight up in bed screaming, it scared the ever living bejesus out of me.
00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:52.000
And I just remember hearing a possible fire in the area of uh the old Calwell building, which Calwell had moved in there for a period in the 90s or so, uh prior or after McCrae had left.
00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:59.839
And I honestly, in my head, I was thinking like a shed fire or like a burn barrel.
00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:02.079
I wasn't thinking much of a building fire.
00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:06.880
I misheard the page, probably of my startledness, whatever.
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:08.720
Um, so I took the wrong truck.
00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:12.799
Uh, that should have been a ladder truck response, but I I took the engine.
00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:20.160
I I still get uh harassed about that to this day, but I took the wrong truck to the biggest fire of the city as I've seen.
00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:26.559
And I remember rolling out of the station, kind of listening to it, and I remember turning on Main Street off Drake Road.
00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:28.000
I was working on it once.
00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:32.880
And when you got to Main Street, is when you could when I really saw the glow.
00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:45.440
And as I came down Main Street, it was kind of like one of those videos you see of the California wildfires where that's just raining the big embers and and all that's raining down, and it was it was raining fire.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:48.640
It was one of the most bizarre things I'd ever seen.
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:53.200
And I I kind of went the memory goes a little blank from there.
00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:55.119
I don't remember clearing the intersections.
00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:57.680
Um, I remember we were we were moving in.
00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:06.240
Uh the chief at the time had called the first alarm, and then within five seconds of letting the radio up, called for a second.
00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:14.480
Uh, and I showed up behind engine 12, the truck out of twos, and he was unlocking the gate to go into the complex.
00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:17.680
And this thing's heavily involved in fire, a ton of fire.
00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:20.319
And there's no, there's not a chief there yet.
00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:26.640
You know, there's just there's volunteers uh showing up, and they're getting their personal vehicles and getting stuff.
00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:30.880
And and Doug he was focused on his hydrant, and I said, Where do you want me to go?
00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:32.319
as he drove away.
00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:35.680
And I had no idea what what I really was supposed to do.
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:45.599
Um, so I went down, I found a hydrant, and we started spraying water on uh there's a a storage building and an old abandoned building, a little pawn shop right there.
00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:50.079
We started you know setting up for defensive uh protection on those.
00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:55.279
And yeah, I just it was a long, long day spraying a lot of water.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:07.599
Uh they obviously set up a lot of uh defensive operations or exposure protection downtown, all those embers raining down on all you know historical Main Street, all those hundred-year-old plus buildings.
00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:09.839
Uh, it could have gone really sideways on us.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:14.319
They had a couple small spot fires on roofs that they were able to contain and put out.
00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:19.279
Um, and then it was just a long, long, long day.
00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:25.200
Uh as more aerial devices showed up, the fire at that end of the building had died down.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:30.000
Some I remember hooking up to a different hydrant about another block down.
00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:36.880
Um, and I sat there and pumped, I don't know, probably a couple million gallons through Huntertown's ladder truck.
00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:45.839
And then we finally moved into the courtyard and worked on overhaul and and cleaning it up and trying to get in some more, and then we were even there the next day.
00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:54.079
Uh the day after that, we were there for a few hours in the afternoon on some hot spots, um, and then right back to shift on Wednesday.
00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:56.559
Unfortunately, Wednesday we didn't go back out there.
00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:04.240
We did not have to go back out there Wednesday, but then the rest of the summer, uh, we ended up in and out of there at different times during the cleanup project.
00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:18.400
Um, whether they needed just some water soaked on some things as they were, you know, cleaning up or dust control, or obviously hot spots were done by then, but it was a very long process for the whole fire department for the whole year.
00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:20.160
But yeah, it was a lot.
00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:25.680
Uh, I remember guys coming up to me ask, you know, what what do you want?
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:29.599
I I don't really know what we're gonna do here, you know.
00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:32.079
Uh it was organized chaos.
00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:37.680
But I will say I talked with Lumpy, we call him Chris Smith, he was our deputy chief.
00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:43.359
Then um I I remember talking with him afterwards, I'm like, man, that really went really well.
00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.119
Like, really, really well.
00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:46.319
And he goes, Well, it should.
00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:48.160
We've been planning for this for a long time.
00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:58.240
So I think a lot of the pre-planning that you know Chris and and Bobby Combs and uh had done working with the fire chief Mike Green, they kind of really had a good plan for this thing.
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:07.359
So when it did happen, it really I mean, yeah, we we literally I I tell people we burnt four city square blocks and only four city square blocks.
00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:10.880
Uh nothing that was unattached was armed.
00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:13.039
That's really wow.
00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:19.759
Yeah, that's not talking about having your pre pre-plans ready, ready to go, and and being able to execute.
00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.559
How did that experience shape you as a firefighter?
00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:36.480
Oh well, I think it kind of helped drive home some of the emphasis of pre-incident planning with me a little bit, you know, like making sure you've got your ducks in a row.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:42.400
Um and helping to make sure that guys kind of knew the pre-planning a little bit.
00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:44.880
Like I was so green and new into this thing.
00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:55.200
And honestly, at that point, I think we were a little bit letting our guard down on that building because they were already starting the process of removal of the building.
00:28:55.359 --> 00:29:15.039
So they had been getting the asbestos remediation done, and the city had purchased it and was in the process of uh they were selling the brick, the hardwood uh timber, because it was a lot of hardwood, you know, old style heavy timber building in there that they had were selling for reclaim.
00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.480
So I think in my head, I kind of didn't think much of it.
00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:24.640
So I think that's another kind of not letting your guard down a little bit, um for sure.
00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:33.200
And then just under I don't ever um I don't ever not throw some type of secondary shoes in the truck to a fire now.
00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:44.880
I mean I had rubber boots on that day, and I remember begging someone to go back to the station to get me something better than rubber boots because they were I had shorts on and they were just chafing my legs, terrible.
00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:47.839
Um, so I try to remember to throw my boots in the truck once.
00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:51.759
That doesn't always happen, but be prepared for the worst.
00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:53.119
Being a little prepared, yeah.
00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:55.599
You don't know what you're gonna get into when you leave.
00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:06.799
So you are heavily involved in firefighter training.
00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:09.759
What drew you towards the teaching element?
00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:14.960
Um, so it started as a requirement.
00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:18.240
Um when I became a lieutenant, I had to get my instructor one.
00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:21.119
Okay, that's fine.
00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:24.319
And then I kind of I just kind of enjoyed it.
00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:39.599
You got a got a little bit of enjoyment out of it, you know, teaching and learning, and it became the betterment of other people that really kind of drew me into it and watching people progress and move and do better, um, and helping with classes.
00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:41.839
I helped out a little bit with some classes.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:31:02.799
I actually took my instructor one here in Ashley with Mike Miller back in the day, and and he was big into the district stuff, so he gave me a couple opportunities to go help with some classes, and I found that it helped make me a little bit better, uh, made me a better firefighter because I was having to go through and keep myself updated on some of the curriculum, some of the changes.
00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:11.200
Um having to demonstrate the skills obviously means you had to be proficient at them, so makes you drives you to be a better firefighter.
00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:22.640
But then just the more into it I got, the more getting to watch people, the betterment of other people has been has been what's the drive for it.
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:32.880
You know, seeing things that we train on and watching people do the things we train on and execute them with uh good outcomes.
00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:46.640
With I wouldn't say flawlessly, we're never none of us are flawless, but watching them execute them, those skills, it just makes you feel like man, we're making a difference and we're we're doing better for the community and and for ourselves.
00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:52.400
With that, how has training changed over the years?
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:54.240
Oh boy.
00:31:54.559 --> 00:32:01.759
So the fire services changed so much, and I think we're so much more data-driven now.
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:15.440
When I come into things, you learned about what the guys in your firehouse did, and you would read a fire engineering article here and there, but there wasn't a big social media presence.
00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:20.960
I mean, Facebook was just hitting the market, but people didn't have it on their phones.
00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:23.759
You would, if you wanted to go on Facebook, you would read it at night.
00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:26.480
Right, you know, you would get on the computer and read it at night.
00:32:26.799 --> 00:32:31.039
So um you didn't have a lot of information out there.
00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:35.200
There wasn't the big groups and all that kind of stuff.
00:32:35.519 --> 00:32:43.279
So, in the last, I would say five to ten years, we've had more change and more understanding of things than we have in the last 20.
00:32:44.079 --> 00:33:02.559
So we now have more understanding with UL and with FSRI on fire behavior and how technique and how our water mapping works and how fires behave and how how things react, um, air entrainment and hose streams and all these different things.
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:24.559
So we've learned so much more about the suppression, and then out came the guys with the firefighter rescue survey, and they brought in now they're up to 5,000 uh surveys of data from actual real-world rescues of where they're finding people, times of days, conditions, how they're removing them, and all this information.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:30.799
So it's no longer as much opinion as it is there's so much more data to it.
00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:38.799
We can drive it home with data rather than just Matt Latham says that the smooth board nozzle is the nozzle you need to use, right?
00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:44.400
Or uh, you know, Chief Brand says most victims are found in their bedroom.
00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:46.480
Why are you sure?
00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:50.400
Like, you know, Chief Brand, well, you pulled out five people, right?
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:53.039
You know, I mean, we're not making grabs all the time.
00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:59.359
So now we can say, no, no, no, out of 5,000 people, most were found in here.
00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:08.880
Or the smooth board nozzle reacts like this and has you know, holds larger droplets and less air entrainment and does XYZ.
00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:14.800
Not because Matt or Dave or I said so, but because data and science says so.
00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:18.880
So it allows us to present things in a more data-driven manner.
00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:23.599
And I think the newer, younger generation, they they eat that up a bit.
00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:27.599
I I think I mean millennials got picked on for years.
00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:31.199
Now it's Gen X or Gen Z, sorry, that everyone picks on.
00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:36.719
And I'm a millennial and I and I know I like numbers, I like data.
00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:41.119
You give me data of a why behind it, I can sit there and eat into that.
00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:44.960
And I think the younger generation does just as much.
00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:51.760
So everything's now data driven, and our tactics have evolved and changed with it.
00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:54.559
Um, it hasn't replaced the hands-on element.
00:34:54.960 --> 00:35:12.400
I mean, there's still uh you can bore them to death with target solutions and uh, you know, fire fire rescue, fire rescue one academy stuff and online LMS trainings and all that, but it's we still gotta get out and do the hands-on.
00:35:13.039 --> 00:35:18.800
You know, you you can't no computer can put the muscle memory into throwing a ladder or stretching a line.
00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:23.679
Um so I think I think it's a blunder there, for sure.
00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:27.679
Uh the science is good, but I think we still gotta get hands-on.
00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:36.480
Now that you've put on several academies, what are some of the missteps that that the young, inexperienced firefighters are making?
00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:49.199
Um so this year's been a little bit challenging uh with this year's academy.
00:35:49.440 --> 00:35:52.800
Some we've had some different personalities and stuff.
00:35:53.039 --> 00:36:17.280
I think sometimes the students they don't take it as serious as they should, or they just kind of blindly go through it a little bit, or they got a little bit of I don't want to say arrogance, but a little bit of cockiness to it, to where they they think they're pretty good, they think they've got it, and I don't think they understand the muscle memory things that have to come from it.
00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:21.519
Just because you can do it once right on the training ground doesn't mean you've conquered it.
00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:29.119
Um so I I I kind of tell each academy there's three things that make it a bad firefighter.
00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:33.760
Uh, three traits it's incompetence, arrogance, and laziness.
00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:38.960
And if you have any of those, any two of those three, you'll never progress to be a good firefighter.
00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:43.599
You know, if you're arrogant and you're lazy, you're never gonna want to do better.
00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:44.000
Right.
00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:46.079
You know, incompetence is fixable.
00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:47.840
There's nothing wrong with being incompetent.
00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:49.599
I'm incompetent in certain things.
00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:52.960
I guarantee you there's things I don't know, but I could do better at.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:59.519
Uh, but if you're incompetent and lazy or arrogant, you'll never have the drive to be better.
00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:14.000
So I think it's avoiding those three things, you know, making sure we're not being lazy, we're not being arrogant, and we're understanding our incompetence to be and and knowing where we're falling short and doing better to be better.
00:37:15.280 --> 00:37:18.800
I see, yeah, that's that yes, that makes a lot of sense.
00:37:19.119 --> 00:37:28.320
Um, so with that, I have to ask you, what is more important, skill or attitude for these students going into attitude, 100%.
00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:30.320
I tell students this every day.
00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:43.840
I your ma, your mother and father raised you to be a person and and raised you with uh initiative and integrity and you know having a good attitude.
00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:47.119
Those are all personality traits.
00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:50.639
Um skills, skills can be taught.
00:37:51.039 --> 00:38:00.159
We can teach people how to stretch lines, we can teach people how to throw ladders, how to search buildings, how to operate a pump, to drive a truck.
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:06.320
I mean, all those are things that are are doable if they have the right attitude.
00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:18.639
If they don't have the right attitude, the right you know, mindset, they'll never want to learn it, they'll never want to do it, they'll never really progress beyond just being mediocre at best.
00:38:19.519 --> 00:38:22.480
Um attitude 100%.
00:38:22.960 --> 00:38:31.039
You know, when I look at an individual, I want someone who who's motivated, who has initiative, who wants to be there, who wants to do better.
00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:35.280
I'll I can invest in that person and we can teach them all the things in the world.
00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:39.920
But if you got someone that doesn't, you're just spinning your wheels.
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:40.960
Right on.
00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:42.000
Right on.
00:38:43.199 --> 00:38:50.000
So I have to ask you what did it mean to you to receive District 3 instructor of the year then?
00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:54.559
Oh so that one was a little bit of a blind side.
00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:58.880
Um first off, they'd never done any awards like that.
00:38:59.199 --> 00:39:07.199
Uh I just got a call from uh from TR or or Director Schaefer.
00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:14.800
I don't remember which one, but it was basically a hey, can you be here this day at Indy, uh Plainfield?
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:16.400
Um, we're having lunch.
00:39:16.559 --> 00:39:17.920
We want you to come down.
00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:21.840
And I'm looking at my schedule, trying to figure this whole thing out.
00:39:22.159 --> 00:39:23.519
They wanted me there at 8 a.m.
00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:29.039
I didn't get off shift till seven, and uh, I have no idea what the heck's going on.
00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.320
And it was, it was Director Schaefer because I remember talking to TR.
00:39:32.480 --> 00:39:34.159
I'm like, Whoa, whoa, what am I getting into here?
00:39:34.239 --> 00:39:35.119
What the heck's going on?
00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:37.519
And he said, Well, do you have anything going on?
00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:38.800
I said, Well, I don't think so.
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:42.000
No, I well then just go, just do it.
00:39:42.639 --> 00:40:04.239
Um, so Joel and I, uh Joel Updike, our district coordinator, we we you know carpooled down there because he had to go down for the same meeting, and yeah, they started handing out awards, and then obviously it became as a we're district three, so as they handed out a couple, it started to become a little bit obvious maybe what I was there for because they you know, guys, you know, TR, Joel, they kept looking at me a little bit, you know.
00:40:04.800 --> 00:40:06.480
But it it did mean something.
00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:15.119
Obviously, there's uh when I started doing the district stuff, you know, we still had the council, and I became the county rep for Noble County.
00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:29.199
I remember the first we just started onboarding employees, and there was 50 people that got onboarded as state contract employees in district three that that year at that time, and there's a lot of people there.
00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:32.639
And I really I'm just a guy doing a job.
00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:36.320
I really don't look for the recognition.
00:40:36.480 --> 00:40:38.880
Don't I say I don't care about it, it's appreciated.
00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:39.679
Don't get me wrong.
00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:41.679
I the plaque hangs on the wall.
00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:58.400
You know, I do like someday my kids look at that and find pride in that, and I like that they find pride in that, but I'm just another guy doing a job, so I didn't really see it coming, didn't really think of myself as being deserving, I guess.
00:41:00.480 --> 00:41:13.199
Well, it it seems that the education is very important to you because uh aside from teaching the future generations of firefighters, you also spend a lot of time teaching children and community members about fire safety.
00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:15.679
Why is prevention so important?
00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:22.320
Well, so the fire service is the only business, you know, out there.
00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:26.239
We're not really a business, but we're only we're only a group out there trying to put ourselves out of a job.
00:41:26.800 --> 00:41:38.400
You know, law enforcement to a to an extent, but the plumber doesn't come to your house to check for leaks to make sure that he doesn't have to fix a a bigger leak, you know, or or you pay him to do it, you know.
00:41:39.519 --> 00:41:41.840
So we're we're just out there trying to do that.
00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:43.679
And I got kids.
00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:49.039
I I don't want to see anything bad happen to my kids, nor do I want to see anything bad happen to other kids.
00:41:49.280 --> 00:41:52.880
Um so it kind of just kind of fell into it a little bit.
00:41:53.039 --> 00:42:03.440
I a lot of people don't like they're timid, they don't want to go up and talk in front of the group of of kids or adults or anything like that.
00:42:03.679 --> 00:42:11.440
So I just one we went and did a presentation and I started talking, and and I don't remember who was there that day.
00:42:11.519 --> 00:42:23.920
They're like, hey, you did great, you should just you just keep doing them, and I just kind of built in a little routine in that, and it's not really it's it comes natural, a little bit more natural for me where it doesn't for others.
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:56.559
So that's one area where I enjoy it because it's not really overly difficult, but then I like interacting with the children, the kids, and getting them to understand what we do and and watching the the enjoyment they get out of you know, seeing the trucks and going out and doing that kind of stuff, and knowing that they actually retain the stuff, and that really made a big difference because when my oldest she started going to preschool, she went come home one day and they did fire prevention.
00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:07.360
I don't remember the fire department there had come in and done some fire prevention stuff, and she came home and she can rattle off all these things and remembered them very well.
00:43:08.400 --> 00:43:12.639
And I was like, holy cow, these kids actually pay attention.
00:43:12.800 --> 00:43:16.400
Like, we're this is make this is really, really making a difference.
00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:24.639
So then that was like cemented it in like whole, like now, this isn't just you know fun and frills and getting to go out and play with children.
00:43:24.800 --> 00:43:28.800
This is like they actually get it, they understand it.
00:43:29.280 --> 00:43:33.679
Um and then giving them some assignments and some stuff, you know.
00:43:33.760 --> 00:43:37.920
Like I every year when we do fire prevention, I tell them, you know, they need to do three things.
00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:41.039
They need to one, they need to go home and have their parents help them check the smoke arm.
00:43:41.599 --> 00:43:48.559
Uh they need to number two plan their their evacuate escape route, and they need number three have an escape, have a meeting place.
00:43:48.719 --> 00:43:55.599
And the one year we did it, my we did it at Country Meadows and came home and I had to do all three of those things.
00:43:55.679 --> 00:43:56.639
I forgot all about 'em.
00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:59.760
Um and we had to do all three of those things that night, and I said, Well.
00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:05.039
I mean if my you know five, six year olds are doing it, maybe there's other kids.
00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:07.039
Maybe we are making a little bit of a difference.
00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:21.039
These interactions with children, what is one thing that you hope that they take away after meeting the fire department, after after seeing the guys in their gear and stuff like that?
00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:24.320
What what do you hope is the thing that sticks with them the most?
00:44:24.719 --> 00:44:26.800
Uh that we're better than cops.
00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:48.639
No, um, that that we're that they want to be around us, that they trust us, that they know that no matter the situation, that they can come to a firehouse or a fire station or talk to a firefighter, know that we'll find a solution or work on a for their problem.
00:44:49.360 --> 00:44:51.440
They know that we're the good guys.
00:44:51.599 --> 00:44:53.519
And it doesn't, it could be anything.
00:44:53.679 --> 00:44:59.679
Yeah, I mean, obviously, if your house is on fire, your your mom's sick or whatever, yeah, we're gonna show up and do the things.
00:44:59.760 --> 00:45:07.039
But you know, if you if you have a chain pop off your bike, we'll we'll help you put it back on.
00:45:07.440 --> 00:45:13.599
You know, we we do we working at once there, we're on Drake Road, we get all the middle school traffic coming back and forth.
00:45:13.920 --> 00:45:22.239
We've bandaged skin knees, we've put air in bike tires, we put chains back on, we fixed uh a few bikes every year.
00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:30.000
We yeah, like I said, little things, but knowing that that's a place of refuge, a safe place that it doesn't matter what you need.
00:45:30.239 --> 00:45:31.119
Need to get a drink?
00:45:31.199 --> 00:45:32.480
Yeah, there's a drinking fountain there.
00:45:32.639 --> 00:45:35.039
Yeah, we'll get you a bottle of water, great.
00:45:35.199 --> 00:45:37.679
You know, we're just we're there to help people.
00:45:38.880 --> 00:45:42.400
Whether that's a fire or something minor.
00:45:42.639 --> 00:45:44.800
Right, right, absolutely, yes.
00:45:45.039 --> 00:45:49.679
Uh so for this this this question, it's more of a PSA for the public.
00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:57.519
What's something families can do today that helps make tomorrow safer?
00:45:58.400 --> 00:45:59.840
Um, smoke alarms.
00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:05.599
Smoke alarms are are one of the biggest things, but I think we see it all too often.
00:46:05.760 --> 00:46:12.159
Um they get forgotten about, they either don't get installed or they don't get maintained, they don't get checked.
00:46:12.320 --> 00:46:22.400
Uh we jokingly, not jokingly, but I we try to remember back how many different times we've gone to fires and you don't hear the smoke alarm going off in the background of the house.
00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:28.719
You know, and and I can think I can't think of one in the I can think of one, honestly, off the top of my head.
00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:36.400
Um, and it was a commercial apartment building where I can remember the smoke alarm going off in the background during the fire, but there's a lot of times we don't hear that.
00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:41.360
Um, so it seems like that's something that's very underutilized.
00:46:41.519 --> 00:46:43.920
Uh, and then just good communication.
00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:54.800
Talk to your kids about you know closing doors and staying low and you know, having two ways out, and then the meeting place, you know, those those three things.
00:46:54.960 --> 00:47:02.320
Plan ahead a little bit, you know, you don't go on vacation without you know packing your bags and making sure you got all your stuff, right?
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:06.480
You know, have a little bit of a plan for your family.
00:47:07.519 --> 00:47:15.920
So continuing on with the education aspect, you've helped coordinate farm rescue, grain bin training, and large-scale auto extrication training.
00:47:16.079 --> 00:47:19.519
Why is that so important for rural Indiana?
00:47:20.480 --> 00:47:25.440
So these were all kind of just some little niche things that we talked about.
00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:30.480
They were some pipe dreams, and they were also areas of opportunity.
00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:36.960
So uh the first extrication training we did was a school bus extrication class.
00:47:37.280 --> 00:47:48.079
That came to me because we had uh one of our volunteers in Kendaville work for East Noble, and he said, Hey, we got a school bus that I think we could give you guys for extrication.
00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:56.159
And as much as the Kendaville guys and gals would be excited about that, we looked at what's that mean beyond Kendaville, right?
00:47:56.239 --> 00:47:59.599
Because we're not the only one with school buses, every community has a school bus.
00:48:00.079 --> 00:48:04.320
So then it just kind of took off and and brought into a bigger thing.
00:48:04.639 --> 00:48:15.760
Um, and we ended up purchasing a couple more school buses um from the school system at a very, very at scrap price because we were able to turn around and scrap and we had no money into it.
00:48:15.840 --> 00:48:23.199
We had to we had to exchange some dollars, and Chief McKinley was real helpful in in executing that and and figuring that out.
00:48:24.079 --> 00:48:27.119
And I saw how well received it was.
00:48:27.440 --> 00:48:30.960
So the grain bin thing came about uh the next year.
00:48:31.039 --> 00:48:32.880
I wanted to do something ag related.
00:48:33.039 --> 00:48:35.440
Obviously, I had an agricultural back background.
00:48:36.079 --> 00:48:49.119
Um, one of the guys on my shift, uh, he's he's got an agricultural background, he's worked for different farmers, he worked for grain facilities, so he really likes that kind of and we got to talk in a little bit.
00:48:49.519 --> 00:49:01.599
And someone got me hook uh in with uh farm bureau, and I got in with the local farm bureau, and they're the ones that kind of suggested these couple paths, and so that's where the green bin class came from.
00:49:01.679 --> 00:49:10.719
We we worked with uh Mark Baker from Stateline Farm Rescue and myself and then uh Tyler Terry, the chief from Stro.
00:49:11.039 --> 00:49:19.599
He they've got some equipment, um, they were able to purchase it and they got some training when they got it, but he said, Man, we haven't got a lot of training in in years either.
00:49:19.760 --> 00:49:28.719
And it was important to him because they have multiple facilities in his first two, and he works full-time for the city, so we got to collaborate on this project and go out and find the money.
00:49:28.800 --> 00:49:40.880
We had to find like$10,000 um and put that together, and once again, just seeing the the result of it, and it kind of became something that now all of a sudden we have to do it.
00:49:41.039 --> 00:49:45.360
Like we set the bar for 20, we did bus extrication at 21.
00:49:45.440 --> 00:49:50.239
We did the the grain bin class, and then it's just kind of evolved into that.
00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:54.239
Uh, I know the last what two years we've done an extrication class up here.
00:49:54.639 --> 00:49:57.679
You know, Chief Brand got a hold of me and said, Hey, what do you think about this?
00:49:57.760 --> 00:50:14.480
And I said, Well, I think we got some options, and that formed into a great relationship with McQueen and their instructors, and uh, I've learned so much just from those guys on auto extrication, um, and and their one guy, Carl.
00:50:14.639 --> 00:50:19.840
Uh, Carl taught me more about a four by four piece of cribbing than I ever thought I ever needed to know.
00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:43.679
Um, putting debunked so many myths, and so then I'm learning stuff from it, and now we're getting more people together from smaller areas, working together, interacting together, we're having fun, we're building camaraderie, but we're also learning stuff, we're getting skills, and I and then you get to see people do their skills, you know.
00:50:43.760 --> 00:50:47.519
You get to see departments every once in a while talk about an extrication or something.
00:50:47.599 --> 00:50:50.320
You know, oh wow, there's a couple guys from that class.
00:50:50.480 --> 00:50:51.840
Hopefully they were there, you know.
00:50:51.920 --> 00:50:55.679
Hopefully they may were able to help with some of their new techniques and stuff.
00:50:55.840 --> 00:51:00.400
I know we've seen it with some of the guys uh in our department, you know, different things.
00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:11.840
And I I think both Corona and Kendall, I think we're pretty darn good at auto extrication, and I think we train on it regularly, both agencies, and I I mean we're pretty darn good.
00:51:13.280 --> 00:51:30.719
Yeah, I have to say, I was I was uh one of the students in that first that first year of that big auto extrication class down here, and and the amount of education that is bestowed upon you is is kind of mind-blowing, and there's so much, I mean, that's just a a sliver of of the knowledge that the instructors have and stuff like that.
00:51:30.800 --> 00:51:33.599
So, I mean, yeah, you could spend days learning from them.
00:51:33.679 --> 00:51:41.039
So I I very much appreciate that class because it for me personally it expanded my horizons and and what I know about auto education.
00:51:41.360 --> 00:51:42.719
And it's almost overwhelming.
00:51:42.880 --> 00:51:56.079
So I would say, like, we've gotten I've seen some people that have come once and then they've come the following year, and I'd encourage that because I guarantee you didn't pick up on everything that was taught in that eight-hour day.
00:51:56.320 --> 00:52:06.000
No, I guarantee if you come back, you'll find something new, you'll pick up some piece of the puzzle that didn't quite click or you didn't even think about.
00:52:06.159 --> 00:52:10.960
Like I said, two years of teaching it, I learned more last year than I think I did the first year.
00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:14.320
Uh, just because of I got to work one-on-one with Carl.
00:52:14.400 --> 00:52:18.719
And and I I've made sure of that because Carl retired after that, after that class.
00:52:18.880 --> 00:52:23.360
Okay, you know, that was a guy that had seen more, done more than I ever could have imagined.
00:52:23.440 --> 00:52:29.360
So I've I won't work with Carl because the guy that worked with him last year was like, oh yeah, he's great.
00:52:29.599 --> 00:52:38.400
And I did, I learned more about underrides and cribbing and stabilization and all those types of things we take for granted.
00:52:39.039 --> 00:52:44.400
We always talk about cutting a car out, but all the other stuff, it's fascinating.
00:52:44.639 --> 00:52:48.559
So there's take the same class a couple times, even.
00:52:48.800 --> 00:52:51.119
You know, you'll pick something up, right?
00:52:51.280 --> 00:52:52.400
Yes, yes.
00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:59.199
All right, so we've talked about a little bit about the career, we've talked about the education aspect.
00:52:59.360 --> 00:53:02.559
Now let's let's delve a little bit into the family aspect.
00:53:02.880 --> 00:53:09.760
Your wife, Katie, is also heavily involved in fire and EMS in the in the fire and EMS profession.
00:53:10.000 --> 00:53:12.559
How has that influenced your family life?
00:53:13.599 --> 00:53:20.400
Well, so when I met my wife, she was a senior in high school, and she was gonna go out to be an RN, and that was her goal.
00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:28.239
She was gonna go be a nurse and all that kind of stuff, and financially, I sure wish she would have.
00:53:29.599 --> 00:53:50.239
But she got into the fire department a little bit, and she's obviously going up to the station with me a little bit, she took an interest in the people up there, and then she got, you know, okay, so she wants to do paramedicine instead, and evolving into that, it can be a little hectic with our schedules now.
00:53:50.400 --> 00:54:01.440
Uh, fortunately, you know, she took in 2020, she took the EMS training coordinator position at Fort Wayne Fire, which puts her on a Monday through Friday 8-4 schedule, which is not common for EMS.
00:54:01.760 --> 00:54:09.920
Um, that that's helpful in in some regards, but she also is a pretty pivotal part of the Corona Fire Department.
00:54:10.079 --> 00:54:14.320
I mean, obviously, we have two young children, so we can't both go to calls.
00:54:14.400 --> 00:54:18.000
You know, we have to make that work, however, that does.
00:54:18.239 --> 00:54:24.719
Um, but she is our secretary and she puts on a lot of the different EMR classes.
00:54:24.800 --> 00:54:30.400
Her and Melissa McCann put on EMT classes, and now they're doing an EMR class, which still has some seats open.
00:54:30.639 --> 00:54:32.400
Uh, shameless plug there.
00:54:33.920 --> 00:54:37.440
But but so she does that and working with all that kind of stuff.
00:54:37.599 --> 00:54:49.599
And so between the academy schedule and the fire department schedule and the EMR class schedule, it makes it a little bit challenging juggling the family life side of things.
00:54:49.920 --> 00:54:57.360
Um, but I there's no way I could do you know half of what I'm able to do in the fire service if it wasn't for her.
00:54:57.519 --> 00:55:02.079
You know, she's the rock in our household that kind of keeps everything organized going.
00:55:02.400 --> 00:55:12.159
Um, I come home with a check and do the thing she asks, and she's got it all figured out, and I couldn't do any of this without her for sure.
00:55:12.400 --> 00:55:15.920
Uh and it's nice when I'm able to reciprocate it, you know.
00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:23.199
They do have the EMR class coming up, so she'll have some nights where she'll be teaching, which is great because now I get to have some one-on-one nights with the girls.
00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:24.960
It's my slower time of the year.
00:55:25.119 --> 00:55:31.280
I get to go have some nights with them, and you know, we can do enjoyable things.
00:55:31.519 --> 00:55:37.519
Uh they like hanging out with dad, and I feel like I don't get they don't get enough of it sometimes.
00:55:37.599 --> 00:55:39.519
So I look forward to that a bit.
00:55:39.679 --> 00:55:48.320
It's a balance, it is a balance, it makes our marriage challenging some days, um, for sure, especially with the 24-hour shifts.
00:55:48.400 --> 00:55:50.880
You know, I'm gone every third day for 24 hours.
00:55:51.599 --> 00:55:54.400
Um, but there's no way I could do it without her.
00:55:54.559 --> 00:55:56.880
She's she's a rock, she's a saint.
00:55:57.760 --> 00:55:58.559
For sure.
00:55:58.800 --> 00:56:00.880
She's the backbone of it all.
00:56:01.599 --> 00:56:03.199
That's really cool.
00:56:04.480 --> 00:56:06.239
And you've you've kind of touched on this.
00:56:06.480 --> 00:56:09.679
How important is family support in the fire service?
00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:10.960
Holy cow.
00:56:11.039 --> 00:56:12.239
Uh it is important.
00:56:13.039 --> 00:56:18.400
Um especially, you know, on the in the career side of it, it it's easier.
00:56:18.480 --> 00:56:19.519
It's it's a job, right?
00:56:19.599 --> 00:56:20.480
It's a paycheck.
00:56:20.559 --> 00:56:23.440
You go, you go out, you get paid, you come home.
00:56:23.599 --> 00:56:31.280
Um, and and the the wife has to deal with all the things for those three days, for those, you know, 24 hours every third day.
00:56:32.079 --> 00:56:35.039
But and back that up a little bit.
00:56:35.199 --> 00:56:38.239
If it's gonna go wrong, it's gonna happen on your shift day.
00:56:38.400 --> 00:56:40.000
Every single time, okay.
00:56:40.159 --> 00:56:45.760
If you're gonna have if the furnace is gonna go out, the water heater's gonna fail, the tire's gonna blow on the car.
00:56:45.840 --> 00:56:47.840
I guarantee it's gonna be the day you're on shift.
00:56:48.079 --> 00:56:48.400
Okay.
00:56:49.360 --> 00:56:53.199
Um, so that that side of it, yeah.
00:56:53.440 --> 00:57:06.079
I mean, there is there's support there, but on the volunteer side, it's so hard because you'll have plans, um, you'll have things you're getting ready to go do, and sometimes those get derailed a little bit.
00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:14.239
So to have a spouse that's understanding and gets it and is able to help with that is great.
00:57:14.480 --> 00:57:22.639
I think one area maybe we fall short in a little bit in the fire service and the volunteer side is maybe we need more family involvement.
00:57:22.880 --> 00:57:37.760
It might be easier to go to that work detail or that training or other things if there was a way that maybe the family was incorporated a little bit, or you know, I had our fish fry work details.
00:57:37.920 --> 00:57:50.320
It's nothing to show up there on a Thursday night and four or five kids playing tag in the bay, and husbands and wives are you know making tartar sauce and breaking fish and doing all the things.
00:57:50.559 --> 00:57:54.000
That makes it a lot easier because my kids eat that up.
00:57:54.320 --> 00:58:01.440
My girls love going to the fire station if I if they know it's Thursday, they know they've heard talk, you know.
00:58:01.519 --> 00:58:03.280
She's my oldest is seven now.
00:58:03.440 --> 00:58:09.840
She kind of understands a little bit about time and relevancy, and you know, she'll hear us talk, oh yeah, fish fries Friday.
00:58:09.920 --> 00:58:13.280
She'll are we going to fish fries prep, and they love it.
00:58:13.519 --> 00:58:21.840
So I think as a fire department, if we can make more opportunities for that, and I get it, we can't have kids playing tag at fire scenes, you know.
00:58:21.920 --> 00:58:25.920
We're doing training, we can't have kids running around the training ground.
00:58:26.000 --> 00:58:45.360
It's it's not a safe atmosphere, but um, you know, maybe ways that the wives could, you know, build in together a little bit, you know, to where maybe they could go do some events together and with the children while the firefighters are out doing stuff, or husbands or whatever that may be.
00:58:47.519 --> 00:58:57.760
So this next this next section, I'm gonna ask you to put on that white helmet again and and talk about some of the things that affect affect the firehouse.
00:58:58.960 --> 00:59:03.679
So what qualities define a strong fire service leader?
00:59:05.039 --> 00:59:14.480
Um servant leadership, first and foremost, like a good leader is there for we, not not he or I or her or whatever.
00:59:14.719 --> 00:59:25.679
Um, so having a leader that a person that wants to build other people, invest in other people, and put people in places to do things.
00:59:26.000 --> 00:59:34.639
Um delegation, I think, sometimes is is is given a negative connotation, like we're delegating tasks out because we don't want to do them.
00:59:34.880 --> 00:59:37.760
Well, that's not that's not what we're that's not it.
00:59:37.920 --> 00:59:51.039
Uh sometimes we can delegate things out to people so that they can have a purpose, they can have something to do, something to make into their own a little bit, which does happen regularly, but it's how that delegation takes place.
00:59:51.360 --> 01:00:01.039
And remembering that just because it's not the way that I would do it or you would do it or anyone else would do it, doesn't mean it's the wrong way.
01:00:01.760 --> 01:00:16.000
Um so I think I think giving people room to grow and giving them the tools to grow and betterment are are definitely things that help foster strong relationships and better firefighters.
01:00:16.159 --> 01:00:19.440
And it's an area I struggle with a little bit uh in some regards.
01:00:19.599 --> 01:00:25.039
Like I like giving people things to do, I like I love watching people take on tasks of their own.
01:00:25.280 --> 01:00:30.159
Uh, but I'm sometimes I get I get it's not the way I would do it.
01:00:30.239 --> 01:00:35.840
And it's not that I think that I'm better than you, it's just hey, listen, I've developed a way of doing this.
01:00:36.000 --> 01:00:40.400
It it's not that your way's bad, but I've done this, it works really well.
01:00:41.199 --> 01:00:49.119
And it's not that I had lose faith in them or I don't think they can do it their own way, it's just sometimes I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter.
01:00:49.599 --> 01:00:51.360
You know, let them do it.
01:00:52.000 --> 01:00:56.639
If they start to fall short, or they do fall short, we'll pick them up and let them learn from it.
01:00:57.199 --> 01:01:01.199
But maybe uh not that no micromanaging, right?
01:01:01.360 --> 01:01:01.599
Right.
01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:04.559
You know, not let them let them go down a path for a little bit.
01:01:04.800 --> 01:01:05.840
Don't let them go too far.
01:01:06.320 --> 01:01:07.199
Let them go down the path.
01:01:07.920 --> 01:01:08.880
See how it works out.
01:01:09.440 --> 01:01:13.920
And I found the more that I do that, the different re the better the results are.
01:01:15.119 --> 01:01:15.679
Right on.
01:01:16.000 --> 01:01:16.639
Yes.
01:01:18.239 --> 01:01:21.760
So we've talked about leadership.
01:01:22.719 --> 01:01:26.719
I want to know how do you create a culture where firefighters want to stay and grow?
01:01:27.280 --> 01:01:30.480
How do you build that culture in in the firehouse?
01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:36.480
You gotta invest in the people, you gotta you gotta invest in them.
01:01:36.639 --> 01:01:39.039
Not not necessarily monetarily.
01:01:39.519 --> 01:01:42.559
Um like I said, most people aren't driven.
01:01:42.800 --> 01:01:46.480
There's not an amount of money that's really gonna monetarily make them stay.
01:01:46.639 --> 01:01:48.079
Not not that we can afford.
01:01:48.239 --> 01:01:48.400
Right.
01:01:48.719 --> 01:01:55.519
I mean, sure, if we if we paid them, you know, sixty thousand dollars a year, we'd they'd stay and show up for their shifts just like anyone else.
01:01:55.840 --> 01:01:59.599
But we're finding that even that doesn't always in the career side of it.
01:01:59.679 --> 01:02:01.119
You're seeing a lot of jumping around.
01:02:01.280 --> 01:02:07.840
Guys are going to different departments because they can make more money or they feel like they have better opportunities or this and that.
01:02:07.920 --> 01:02:10.320
So it's really not always money.
01:02:10.559 --> 01:02:15.119
I I think it's it's you just gotta believe in people and invest in them.
01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:18.559
You gotta talk with them, you gotta build relationships.
01:02:19.519 --> 01:02:24.719
Like I said with Dennis, like one of the big things with Dennis, I don't ever want to let the guy down.
01:02:25.840 --> 01:02:32.079
I want to, I want to always feel like he can count on me, like I'm doing the things I need to do.
01:02:32.480 --> 01:02:36.079
And it's building those relationships with people.
01:02:36.400 --> 01:02:43.599
So the new guy comes in or gal, we gotta have someone that they really build that relationship with.
01:02:43.679 --> 01:02:46.320
And it's not always gonna be the same person.
01:02:46.639 --> 01:02:48.880
Personalities click and they don't click.
01:02:49.119 --> 01:02:54.960
There's some people that I'm not gonna click off with, but someone else will, and vice versa.
01:02:55.360 --> 01:03:06.000
So I think if we can build those relationships and just get people to believe in other people and have those bonds, and it it'll it'll it'll grow.
01:03:06.159 --> 01:03:07.119
It really, really will.
01:03:07.199 --> 01:03:08.400
But we gotta be open to those.
01:03:08.480 --> 01:03:18.159
We gotta be open to those conversations and not just you know bringing them on and expecting them to understand, but maybe taking some time to take them in under your wing, invest in them.
01:03:18.239 --> 01:03:21.440
You gotta invest in the new people as they come in a bit.
01:03:21.599 --> 01:03:28.719
Uh, recruitment is important, but good retention fixes recruitment.
01:03:29.280 --> 01:03:34.239
If I I we I did a survey and I asked guys why who who brought you here?
01:03:34.400 --> 01:03:36.000
What brought you into the firehouse?
01:03:36.079 --> 01:03:42.400
And most people will tell you in the fire service that someone else on the fire department is what drew them in there.
01:03:42.639 --> 01:03:44.400
I would say 70% of them.
01:03:44.559 --> 01:03:48.400
So if we have a group of people that really, if it's a great thing, right?
01:03:48.559 --> 01:03:52.639
You go to you go to the local burger joint and you go, that's the best hamburger I ever had.
01:03:52.800 --> 01:03:53.599
What are you gonna do?
01:03:53.679 --> 01:03:56.960
You're gonna go back and say, hey man, let's go grab a burger down here at Billy's.
01:03:57.199 --> 01:03:58.880
Bill's has got the best burger.
01:03:59.599 --> 01:04:05.360
If you go to the firehouse and you go, this is one of the freaking coolest things I've ever been a part of in my life.
01:04:05.519 --> 01:04:07.920
You're gonna go back to your buddy and go, hey, let's go down to the firehouse.
01:04:08.000 --> 01:04:09.360
You gotta beat these guys again.
01:04:09.920 --> 01:04:11.039
You're gonna love it.
01:04:12.079 --> 01:04:19.199
And if we can do more of that, our recruitment starts to starts to kind of fix itself a little bit, I think.
01:04:20.159 --> 01:04:21.280
Goes hand in hand.
01:04:21.519 --> 01:04:21.840
Right?
01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:28.239
But it's a balance, it's a balance between we ask a lot out of the firefighters.
01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:32.880
Um I know in our department, we bring a new guy or gal on.
01:04:33.119 --> 01:04:35.199
You know, we got fish fry prep.
01:04:35.360 --> 01:04:44.159
Um, and we got meeting training nights, and then they're going to classes, and boy, we just we load them up really, really hard.
01:04:44.960 --> 01:04:48.159
And it gets I think it can be a little overwhelming.
01:04:48.239 --> 01:04:59.039
I I know if I was to go back through it now at 35, there's no way I would I would go back in and go through all the classes and and all that with the wife and kids and balance and all that.
01:04:59.119 --> 01:05:02.480
It's a way of life now, but to make that change, it would be hard.
01:05:02.719 --> 01:05:03.360
Right, yes.
01:05:03.519 --> 01:05:15.039
Yeah so it's a balance, and I don't know what the right answer is because we you know we're not funded to the ways that we cannot fundraise, and we gotta have our training and we gotta make calls.
01:05:15.280 --> 01:05:18.960
So I don't I don't exactly know what the right answer that is.
01:05:20.559 --> 01:05:24.800
The way you finished up that last question, it might stem into this next one.
01:05:25.119 --> 01:05:28.480
What concerns you most about the future of the fire service?
01:05:29.760 --> 01:05:34.719
Um obviously volunteer numbers are dropping.
01:05:35.679 --> 01:05:43.039
So we gotta look at how we're funding this thing and how how can we sustain it?
01:05:43.360 --> 01:05:51.199
Because I would say most volunteer fire departments are not on a great trajectory for success.
01:05:51.360 --> 01:05:59.760
They'll make it work, they'll continue to get by and they'll continue to do it, but they're not fostering an environment for a great.
01:06:00.159 --> 01:06:04.800
Growth of the fire department, their environment are fostering an environment of getting by.
01:06:05.039 --> 01:06:08.559
But on the same token, more money means more taxes.
01:06:09.119 --> 01:06:21.679
So to take more taxes from you know fixed income people, we all know money's not exactly just flowing out of out of trees to in today's environment, day and age.
01:06:21.840 --> 01:06:22.960
Inflation's high.
01:06:23.039 --> 01:06:37.840
And so I don't know where that is, but I think we got it, we really got to look at a fundamental way of how we're gonna fund this thing and continue to foster these departments because there's a lot of them scraping by.
01:06:38.320 --> 01:06:44.719
And a lot of them we do a really good job of not letting anyone know that either, as the public.
01:06:45.199 --> 01:07:13.519
Um, we do a really good job of talking about, hey, we had this fish fry, hey, we bought this piece of equipment, hey, we're we're doing this, this, and this, but we're never telling the stories about how, hey, we put in uh you know 50 some hours, you know, last year uh per person uh fish fries and all the man hours we're putting into doing and acquiring the monies and all those types of things.
01:07:14.000 --> 01:07:23.199
I know that's what I know that's what people in Corona love about the fire department is they see our our community some of the best patrons around.
01:07:23.599 --> 01:07:42.239
Um I've not hardly run across a single person in our two townships or town that doesn't just love the fire department because they see the tenacity we have to go out and and make it happen and make it work, but I don't know how long that's sustainable realistically.
01:07:43.519 --> 01:07:44.800
Right, yes.
01:07:46.960 --> 01:07:52.960
So what advice would you give to someone considering joining the fire service today?
01:07:53.599 --> 01:07:57.119
Do it just just go do it, give it a try.
01:07:58.000 --> 01:08:02.480
Uh don't be lose the timidness, lose the fear of it.
01:08:02.639 --> 01:08:05.920
Just go outside of your comfort zone and go try it.
01:08:06.159 --> 01:08:09.599
Go see what it's about and give it a good, honest effort.
01:08:09.679 --> 01:08:12.000
Don't show up once and go, ah, I don't know about this.
01:08:12.159 --> 01:08:17.359
No, if there's something that completely you know turns you off from it, okay, that's fine.
01:08:17.439 --> 01:08:19.840
But give it a good, honest try.
01:08:20.079 --> 01:08:23.840
You're gonna find something in the volunteer fire service.
01:08:23.920 --> 01:08:35.520
There's a niche for every single person: old, young, male, female, physically fit, ripped, too, maybe not as in great a shape.
01:08:35.680 --> 01:08:42.079
There's a job or an area or a niche, niche, niche, however you want to say that, that we can find for everyone.
01:08:42.880 --> 01:08:45.359
Um, just go see what it is.
01:08:45.600 --> 01:08:47.520
Spend a little time looking for it.
01:08:47.680 --> 01:08:51.359
You know, I've met people that they have they don't like fire.
01:08:53.600 --> 01:08:55.600
I got a guy in the fire academy right now.
01:08:55.680 --> 01:08:57.680
He's he's a great firefighter.
01:08:57.840 --> 01:08:59.199
He does really good in skills.
01:08:59.279 --> 01:09:02.479
He's the hardest working guy, one of the hardest working guys there.
01:09:02.640 --> 01:09:10.640
He had a toothpoline, an emergency extraction, uh, four hours, three hours before our last skills day, and showed up and put a mask on.
01:09:10.720 --> 01:09:12.399
And I had to physically tell him to sit down.
01:09:12.479 --> 01:09:13.199
I said, You're done.
01:09:13.279 --> 01:09:15.920
You you you you're good, you've you've completed your stuff.
01:09:16.159 --> 01:09:16.960
Sit down.
01:09:17.520 --> 01:09:23.920
But we're talking, and he says to me, they say 1070 building, you know, house fire.
01:09:25.439 --> 01:09:28.479
Okay, I don't really get too excited, you know.
01:09:28.720 --> 01:09:35.359
But I like those medical calls, you know, car accident, medical calls, and I'm looking at him like, are you nuts?
01:09:35.600 --> 01:09:39.760
Like, like, okay, but that's his thing.
01:09:40.399 --> 01:09:42.000
That's what he likes.
01:09:42.560 --> 01:09:48.399
All right, let's let's find ways that we can make him more useful.
01:09:48.560 --> 01:09:49.760
So just go try it.
01:09:50.079 --> 01:09:51.199
Find your niche.
01:09:51.680 --> 01:09:52.239
It's there.
01:09:52.399 --> 01:09:53.199
Guarantee it.
01:09:53.680 --> 01:09:57.600
Just yeah, just open the door and and give it a shot.
01:09:58.239 --> 01:09:58.800
All right.
01:09:59.039 --> 01:10:12.560
So as we're coming to a close here with the podcast, this next section, and I tell everybody this, when I first asked this question in the very first podcast, it was more of a self-evaluation tool to see, you know, what your thoughts were about yourself.
01:10:12.720 --> 01:10:23.439
But then as time has progressed over the last several podcasts, I've found out how important it is in the event that something does happen.
01:10:23.600 --> 01:10:23.920
Okay.
01:10:24.479 --> 01:10:33.680
So at the end of the day, when it's time for you to take the helmet off and hang up the bunker gear and and all that, how do you want Eric Kennedy to be remembered?
01:10:33.840 --> 01:10:39.279
Not only in the fire service, but by your family, by your by the public.
01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:42.319
What what do you want people to remember about you?
01:10:43.520 --> 01:10:44.800
Just that I cared.
01:10:44.960 --> 01:10:47.439
I I tried, I did the best I could.
01:10:47.600 --> 01:10:49.760
I I cared about people.
01:10:50.159 --> 01:10:53.199
Um I want my kids to know I love them.
01:10:53.840 --> 01:10:57.680
My wife to know that I my wife and kids both that I love them dearly.
01:10:58.000 --> 01:11:01.439
Um I just want people to look back and go, you know what?
01:11:01.520 --> 01:11:03.680
That was a guy that was he was reliable.
01:11:04.640 --> 01:11:05.359
He cared.
01:11:05.840 --> 01:11:07.600
He showed up, he gave a crap.
01:11:07.920 --> 01:11:10.399
You know, he he cared enough to try.
01:11:10.640 --> 01:11:16.000
I don't care if anyone knows any accolades or even if I have any accolades.
01:11:16.560 --> 01:11:25.439
I just want people to look at me and say that that's a guy that that devoted his life to something and tried and really, really cared.
01:11:26.399 --> 01:11:29.359
Um yeah, yeah, that's really it.
01:11:29.520 --> 01:11:31.840
I mean well said.
01:11:32.159 --> 01:11:32.880
Well said.
01:11:33.119 --> 01:11:34.560
Alright, last question.
01:11:34.640 --> 01:11:37.119
We'll take off the heaviness of the last question.
01:11:37.359 --> 01:11:46.239
If there is any one person or milk multiple people that you would recommend to sit in that seat for the Frontline Voices podcast, who would it be and why?
01:11:47.039 --> 01:11:54.560
Um, I I'm telling you, probably one of my favorite guys I've got to know and work with the last handful of years, Mike Adams.
01:11:54.720 --> 01:11:57.439
He Mike is a salt of the earth firefighter.
01:11:57.520 --> 01:12:11.359
He's he is that blend of that old school get it done, hard charging with that new understanding of modern, you know, fire service.
01:12:11.520 --> 01:12:24.640
You know, you you it's hard to find a guy that was fighting fire in the 90s that'll advocate for the firefighter rescue or the smooth bore or the data behind it.
01:12:25.199 --> 01:12:32.399
Uh Mike was Mike's a guy that's seen more, done more than I'll ever understand um or ever learn from.
01:12:32.720 --> 01:12:36.960
I love to just sit there and talk with the guy about anything.
01:12:37.199 --> 01:12:44.239
We we can tell stories and talk shop, and there's the guy's just a wealth and knowledge that he really underplays for himself.
01:12:44.479 --> 01:12:45.279
Um, for sure.
01:12:45.359 --> 01:12:53.680
He's one of probably one of my favorite uh firefighters out there right now, as far as his the way he helps out uh with our academy.
01:12:53.760 --> 01:12:58.000
You know, he's there every skills day, uh, one of the first ones to show up.
01:12:58.319 --> 01:13:03.199
Just really, really just assault of the youth kind of guy, for sure.
01:13:03.680 --> 01:13:06.880
Mike Adams, adding you to the list, my friend.
01:13:07.920 --> 01:13:11.359
Well, Chief, Lieutenant, instructor.
01:13:11.760 --> 01:13:12.399
Eric's good.
01:13:12.640 --> 01:13:20.640
Eric, thank you once again for stopping by and sharing a little bit of knowledge about what you've got going on and and you know your your story.
01:13:20.800 --> 01:13:22.800
I very much appreciate you coming by.
01:13:23.119 --> 01:13:24.079
It was a pleasure.
01:13:24.319 --> 01:13:25.359
Thank you, sir.
01:13:29.199 --> 01:13:33.439
This has been Frontline Voices, conversations with our local heroes.
01:13:33.600 --> 01:13:35.359
Brought to you by Matthew Latin.
01:13:35.520 --> 01:13:39.840
We're proud to share the stories of those who serve, protect, and answer the call.
01:13:40.079 --> 01:13:43.439
Stay ready, stay safe, and we'll catch you next time.
00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:06.400
This is Frontline Voices.
00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:08.960
Conversations with our local heroes.
00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.039
Here's your host, Matthew Blake.
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:22.879
Eric, thank you for stopping by, taking some time out of your much very, very busy schedule to sit down and tell us some stories about your experience in the fire service and some of the things that you've got going on.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:24.960
Yeah, it's a pleasure.
00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:33.359
So starting off, tell us who Eric Kennedy is and what inspired him to become a firefighter.
00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:36.159
I'm just another human being.
00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:39.840
Just another guy out there just doing something he enjoys.
00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:45.600
I was 17 years old running around with some guys around Corona.
00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:57.520
One of them, his dad, uh, was on the fire department for years, and his grandfather was the fire chief forever back in the 80s, uh 70s, 80s, and I think even into the 90s a bit.
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:01.119
And one day he said, Hey, what do you think about going to be fireman?
00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:04.239
I said, Well, I don't know, I've never been a fireman.
00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:17.840
So I we went ahead and you know put in some applications, and uh those two got got we turned they turned in their stuff, and I kind of held on to mine an extra minute, and uh my first application got lost.
00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:29.439
Um, so I checked back up and reapplied and all that, and I became a corona firefighter in May of 2008.
00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:31.599
Uh 17 years old.
00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:37.280
And I don't know, something just hooked, something just clicked, and I've done it ever since.
00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:39.519
Uh just what I do.
00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:40.000
I don't know.
00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:41.280
I don't know much more about it.
00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:43.519
It's other than it's what I enjoy, it's what I do.
00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:52.560
So, really, from the time that you you got to the working age, that's all you've really known is the fire service getting in and uh yeah, from a volunteer standpoint, really.
00:01:52.719 --> 00:02:07.760
Um uh my goal in high school, you know, I wanted to do agriculture, I wanted to wanted to farm, um, but I didn't come from the right family uh to inherit, you know, farming opportunities, or I didn't have enough money to buy it.
00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:22.960
So I worked uh worked close with a good friend of mine and and did dairy farming and helped him on the farm um till I was about 23 and then uh obviously decided needed to do something different, and so the next option was plumbing.
00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:33.840
My father was a plumber, my grandfather was a plumber, so I did a plumbing apprenticeship, and all while still being a volunteer firefighter, and never really thought.
00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:36.960
I thought once about full-time, you know, back in my younger years.
00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:40.560
I called down the Fort Wayne because your options was Fort Wayne.
00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:46.240
Um, and you know, they said, Well, we're not gonna do an academy for a few years, you gotta be 21.
00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:58.319
And then I, you know, heard the stories of you know, thousand people going for 15 jobs and you know, big written exams at the Coliseum, and I said, Well, uh, that's not me.
00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:01.360
They're not gonna they're not gonna pick me out of all those other people.
00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:19.919
So I just was content and enjoyed being a volunteer until the opportunity came to in 2018, uh 2017, Kendaville opened up their first outside hiring process, and I had some guys from over that way from Kendaville that kind of, hey, you ought to try this, you ought to do it.
00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:25.840
And I talked to my wife about it, and she ultimately said I didn't think I stood a chance.
00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.680
Uh she ultimately kind of pushed me into going to do it.
00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:32.560
And then so I've been doing that now as a career.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:41.520
So I wouldn't say uh it's all I've ever known, but it's been everything I've ate, breathed, and slept for the last eight years now.
00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:50.080
Taking it back to those first days in the firehouse, what was that like walking in and like you know, big eyes?
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:51.599
What did you experience?
00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:54.719
Yeah, I was a little nervous, uh, for sure.
00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:58.719
You know, you don't know all these people, and there's so many different age ranges.
00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:01.599
Uh, there were some guys that were I was the youngest one there.
00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:12.080
Uh the two buddies that I got on the fire department with, in the time it took me with the lost application, they kind of lost interest a bit and kind of went and did different things.
00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:20.399
So I was now in there with myself and a couple people that were a few years older than me, but also some people in their 30s and 40s.
00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:33.600
Um, but just a great group of guys that kind of they were just excited to see someone young coming in the door wanting to work and wanting to do it, and I just molded real quick, you know.
00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:35.120
Guys were helpful.
00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.800
Uh my my assistant chief at the time, Mike Wiley.
00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:40.800
You know, he brought me in right away.
00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:48.879
You know, hey, let's go find you some gear, let's get you some stuff, get me got me some gear, got first training, you know, show me how to work the nozzle, all of this.
00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:51.839
I didn't know any of this stuff, didn't grow up anywhere around it.
00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:57.360
And then, you know, when we had truck check nights, Mike would take me out driving, you know, drive the truck a little bit.
00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:07.600
He'd set his, we had this whole tanker and it had just a regular like plywood center council, and he'd set a styrofoam cup of coffee on it and say, if you spill my coffee, you failed the trip.
00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:09.439
You know, a little pressure.
00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:09.759
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:11.040
Yeah.
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:17.040
Uh, but it was just it was just really, you know, the guys really took me in and immersed me in it.
00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:18.800
And yeah.
00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:24.319
So going back to that, you you know, you'd mentioned your buddies that had gotten into it and then they kind of fell out of it.
00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:27.839
What has kept you committed all these years to stay with the fire service?
00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:29.759
I'm too dumb to quit.
00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:31.759
I I don't know.
00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:34.720
I mean, so if I don't do it, who's going to?
00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:37.839
Like, obviously, it became a career, and I love the job.
00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:39.360
I love the career side of it.
00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:45.600
I love the guys I work with, I love going to work, um, and being in that atmosphere.
00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:51.519
But on the volunteer side of it, I mean, it is if I'm not gonna answer the call, who is?
00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:54.480
You know, who's gonna show up or who's gonna help out?
00:05:54.720 --> 00:06:02.720
And I know what the department and the fire service did for me growing up, so it's I'd want to give something back to it, you know.
00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:08.639
My wife has a saying, you know, leave it better than you found it, and I kind of embod I want to embody that.
00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:16.800
Um, just try to make the Corona Fire Department better, you know, try to make the town people better and help out however we can.
00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:28.480
Going into that, which you've kind of touched on, with the many years that you spent serving your community through the Corona Volunteer Fire Department, what does volunteer firefighting mean to you?
00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:41.839
So the reality of it is budgets are tight, money's tight, staffing isn't a realistic option for a lot of areas and agencies.
00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:49.759
Uh, there's a lot of volunteer fire departments that are still fundraising just to provide the essentials they need for their services.
00:06:50.399 --> 00:07:04.879
So volunteers are a way that we can get quality fire protection, quality uh rescue, EMS services in a shorter amount of time to our communities that are underfunded, that don't have the ability to do that.
00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:26.240
Um, but it's it's a it's also kind of a way of life thing, and it becomes kind of a family, at least in our department, you know, where these are now the people you yeah, you see them when the pager goes off, but then you, you know, they call you if they need a hand moving something, or if you need, you know, to borrow a tool, or you just got a question or whatever.
00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:34.639
I mean, then they they become a family to you, and it builds in that environment where these people are, I mean, they're like your second family.
00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:40.879
Speaking about that, so you made that transition from volunteer to career firefighter.
00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:46.560
What makes Corona so special that you you wanted to maintain that relationship there?
00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:48.959
What what sets Corona apart?
00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:51.199
Uh, it's the people.
00:07:51.360 --> 00:08:01.759
I mean, it's the town, it's the people, it's I mean, some of the some of the firefighters and and officers that I work with there are some of the best salt of earth people I know.
00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:07.839
Uh Dennis Triesch was the fire chief when I started as a fire chief for 30 plus years.
00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:22.639
Dennis has talked to me at good times and you know, given me praise, and he's also corrected me and steered me on the right path um and helped to shape me into a better human being.
00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:29.600
And you know, Sean, our fire chief now, and uh you know, same way uh Mike tell us he's the he's our treasurer.
00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:34.240
If I need any, if I got any kind of financial quit, I call him.
00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:38.080
I mean, these are just the people that I I want to be with.
00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:41.679
I mean, it's fun, it's enjoyable to be there.
00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:48.720
And if it's not enjoyable, I don't know 100% why I would want to be there, but it is an enjoyable place to be.
00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:59.200
Uh, the people make it great to be there, and we're also doing work and serving a purpose and making a difference, uh, whether that be emergency calls.
00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:05.039
But in Corona, uh, we kind of we try to do a lot more commute, we do community-oriented stuff too.
00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:21.840
You know, we do our kids' day in the park where we spray the kids down and hand out backpacks, and I got some younger neighbor kids that live next to me, and every year them kids start asking about April, you know, once the weather breaks and they're outside, hey, you guys gonna do the park thing?
00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:23.279
You guys gonna do the park thing?
00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:27.519
And I feel like we're kind of one of the backbones of the community, it kind of helps hold together.
00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:28.960
And I like being part of that.
00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:31.120
I like interacting with the people.
00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:47.039
That's really cool because yeah, community involvement is such a huge thing, and and you know, not trying to throw shade at more of the career departments, but it seems like kind of that that touch starts to fade away once you once you get into that aspect a little bit, not as not as much.
00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:54.639
Um so taking it back from your experiences from 17 till now, how has Corona changed?
00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:59.919
Oh, well, so obviously we changed fire chiefs somewhere in there, which was a huge thing.
00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:03.840
I know in the volunteer fire service that's not that's not a rarity.
00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:09.360
Some departments will you know, they change chiefs every three, four, five, six years.
00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:12.879
Uh, but for us to change fire chiefs was a huge deal.
00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.000
Um, so that's been a big change for us.
00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:19.840
Uh I've seen a lot of faces come, a lot of faces go.
00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:23.120
Um, seen kind of a little bit of a change in the guard.
00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:25.440
Guys like Mike Wiley, like I talked about, Mike.
00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:27.519
You know, Mike's not been with us for a number of years.
00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:32.080
Life changed, kids grew up, you know, job and moving.
00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:39.039
And I mean, Mike, he still stops stops by sometimes, but some of the guys that I come on with, they're gone now.
00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:47.840
Uh, but we're also bringing in some new guys, and that shoot, we've replaced uh like half the truck since I've been there, you know.
00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:56.000
You know, we've we've re you know, a lot of things have had have changed, but overall, I wouldn't the quality of people is still there.
00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:58.159
We still have a great quality of people.
00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:08.320
Um, you know, we're probably a little shorter on quantity than we'd like to be some days, um, but I think that's a that's a national problem, not just a corona problem, but I don't know.
00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:11.840
I don't know that a ton has really overly changed as far as the feel of it.
00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:15.679
Just some faces, some some things, and obviously techniques.
00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:32.320
You know, we've progressed with the fire service, replaced a lot of our older equipment and you know, battery-powered jaws versus the other, you know, smooth board nozzles and low pressure hose versus our old, you know, cheap hose and you know, fog nozzles and stuff.
00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:37.840
So, I mean, we've evolved with the fire service, but the department still has that same homey feel to me.
00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:39.759
That's and that that's that's true.
00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:41.519
The fire service continues to evolve.
00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:43.679
If you stop, you're falling behind.
00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:45.759
You gotta stay, you gotta stay with it.
00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:50.159
So in 2025, you were named Corona Firefighter of the Year.
00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:53.600
What did that recognition mean to you coming from your peers?
00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.679
Oh, so I'm I'm not big on recognition, to be honest with you.
00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:03.039
Um like I said earlier, I'm just another guy doing a job that anyone else would do.
00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:06.080
If I didn't do it, somebody else would probably pick up the slack.
00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:19.600
Um, it was nice, it was well appreciated, uh, appreciated, you know, to know that the people that I try to work for and work with, you know, saw something and appreciated it for sure.
00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:27.279
But uh I'm also, you know, that also with Corona, that puts me on a committee for the next three years to try to pick the next three.
00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:40.000
And for me, that's more of the excitement is more just being able to now pick three more people and have you know help recognize three more people that are doing something extraordinary for the next three years.
00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:41.120
That's really cool.
00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:42.960
That's that's cool how that process works.
00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:48.639
That you get to be a part of that next that next selection cycle and and so on and so forth.
00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:58.320
Um you're good.
00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:06.240
So I you already kind of touched on it, but I wanted to ask you as a firefighter, did you have a mentor who shaped your career?
00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:09.600
And what advice did they give you that still sticks with you today?
00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:14.720
Oh I've had a lot.
00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:29.360
Obviously, I've kind of mentioned a few of them, you know, Wiley kind of getting me into it, and Sean and Dennis, and you know, then they've just I don't know that I have one specific piece of advice per se.
00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.200
Um just kind of emulating them.
00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:49.360
You know, I kind of I tell people this find successful people and just kind of emulate what they do, watch how they handle certain certain situations and react to things, and you just kind of do the same thing they're doing, and it really isn't that difficult.
00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:51.679
I mean, to make yourself better.
00:13:52.480 --> 00:14:11.120
Um I I like I said, I don't necessarily have one specific piece, but I know there's multiple things where you know different sit-downs with Dennis, where he, you know, where I was a young, cocky, kind of even arrogant, um, you know, young man that thought he really had was something special.
00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:23.360
And Dennis would he would sit you down, he would talk to you, and you know, a lot of times a fire chief or a boss or an employer will yell at you, and you can walk away and say, Oh, that guy's a jerk.
00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:34.159
But Dennis would sit there and when he would talk to you, he would make you, it would be like your dad talking to you, and you would he would you oh I'm just I'm disappointed.
00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:41.600
And you really felt like a piece of crap, like a real piece of work, because you really let down this guy.
00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:54.080
Um, this mountain of a man is now disappointed in your actions or something you said, or the way you handled something, and it it really did it, it was very formulative towards me, like it helped form me.
00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:57.360
I didn't ever walk away going, uh, this guy's a jerk.
00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:02.000
I'm like, I always walked away going, oh man, I need to do better.
00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:17.600
You know, when and when there might be a bulk address, you know, like we would have he might, and during a business meeting, but hey, you know, I noticed last training or work detail we had, you know, attendance was a little light or something, something you know, kind of getting on us a little bit, like trying to push us.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:23.919
You might have been at that training and you still walked away feeling like, oh man, I I should have done better.
00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.240
I was there, but I still feel bad, right?
00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.200
And you would and I would go up and say, Hey, I'm sorry, Chief.
00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:30.639
I I you were there.
00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:31.840
I know, but I'm sorry.
00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:33.360
No, don't you're fine.
00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:35.519
You know, he just he had that way about him.
00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:39.440
Uh it still does, still does carry that same weight, even in with me.
00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:46.960
I mean, so I I still look to him for advice on different things, um, even though he's not fire chief anymore.
00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.960
Don't want to disappoint the old man.
00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:54.399
No, no, he's he's a mountain of a man, for sure.
00:15:54.720 --> 00:16:00.159
So now, as assistant chief, what leadership lessons have you learned?
00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:02.000
Oh boy.
00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:08.879
So, leadership over the last several years has been probably one of the biggest things I've tried to better myself in.
00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:23.519
Because leadership, I the more I found in it, it's about relationships with people and building relationships and building trust and rapport and trying to leadership isn't trying to get things to people to do things, it's trying to build people to do things on their own.
00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:38.879
Um so become an assistant chief, though, the biggest thing I've you know, come being a company officer in the city and even in can in Corona, it's the political side of things.
00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:45.200
It's now trying to work with not only the firefighters, they're easy.
00:16:45.600 --> 00:17:21.920
I mean, we can talk with them like firefighters and we can interact and all that, but it's a different political personalities and the different uh circles you run in, you know, you go to and building relationships outside of the department with other agencies, you know, like with uh with you know, Chief Brand or you know, go to the chief's meeting and talk to other people there, or you know, running into a township trustee or a town board member, and just building those relationships outside of the four walls of the Corona Fire Department has been that's been the biggest adaptation for sure.
00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:32.240
Now that you're in that administrative role, I have to ask you, what keeps volunteers motivated when balancing jobs, family, and emergency response?
00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:35.599
They gotta have there's gotta be something there for them.
00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:43.200
So I don't believe the volunteer fire service is uh dying due to money.
00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:53.759
Uh we changed the policy, uh, worked with the town, Dennis and Sean did, and they began paying us to go to runs uh a nominal amount.
00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:56.160
That didn't change run attendance.
00:17:56.480 --> 00:18:00.720
Uh they pay us to uh you know do some certain things.
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:02.559
That didn't really change anything.
00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.119
You didn't see anyone come out of the woodwork all of a sudden.
00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:07.200
The same people did the same things.
00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:09.519
So I don't think it's money that motivates them.
00:18:09.599 --> 00:18:13.279
I think there has to be, like I said, it's gotta be in fun.
00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:15.279
There's gotta be something in it for them.
00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:19.599
Uh what that is, you know, it it varies from person to person.
00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:30.000
Some people are join a volunteer fire department, they have a career goal in mind, and they're working through to try to get to that job, get their training, get experience, all those things.
00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:33.279
Uh some people, it's a bad thing.
00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:34.880
Maybe they don't have a great home life.
00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:39.440
You know, they're younger, maybe they don't have great, you know, role models.
00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:44.400
So they get in with some people and they get a fat balance of things, and that changes for them.
00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:53.200
There's just there's gotta be, and it's it's different for everyone, like I said, but there's gotta be something that makes it enjoyable, something to why they want to come back.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:59.359
And it's to feel like they're part of something bigger than just themselves.
00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:00.720
I think that's what we all want.
00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:04.960
We're humans naturally, we want we want to be part of something other than just us.
00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:10.319
So we want to be around people we want to be around, we want to enjoy the people we're around.
00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:14.880
And yeah, be honest, they don't mind doing work when they're around people they like, right?
00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:21.200
You know, the work isn't bad when you like the people you're with, when you have that connection.
00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:29.119
So I think I think that's a big thing is you know, building connections with people and figuring out what motivates them, what makes them want to be here.
00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:29.920
Right on.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:30.640
Yes, absolutely.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:32.640
I I 100% agree with you on that.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.799
This next one, I need you to switch hats.
00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:36.480
So take off the white hat.
00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.519
Great, put on the I'm assuming it's red.
00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:40.640
Your lieutenant hat.
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:42.559
Yeah, yeah, it's it was red at one point.
00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:42.799
Okay.
00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.359
The guy's joke, it's a little more burgundy now.
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:49.519
So you're a lieutenant with the Kennethville Fire Department.
00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:49.759
Yeah.
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.039
What does that mean for people that aren't familiar with the fire service?
00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:57.519
Well, so within our organization, so I'm the company officer.
00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:02.720
So typically that would be a person in charge of an apparatus or a sh for a station.
00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:05.200
Uh, for us, we have one officer per shift.
00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:08.799
So I am the officer for the C shift.
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:13.920
Uh anyone that knows C shift is the greatest shift, okay, or do that with any other career person.
00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:14.559
No.
00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:51.920
Uh, so I oversee kind of the day-to-day with the guys, you know, making sure they got what they need, helping them get the things that they need, and it just, you know, getting the things done, our trainings, our truck checks, our emergency runs, uh, you know, pre-plans, inspections, all the things, station projects, and just kind of being that that middleman, you know, taking trying to take their issues from the bottom, um, looking for a solution to take to the top, and then taking the the solutions that the top wants fixed and trying to implement them to the bottom.
00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:55.279
Kind of that middleman a little bit, and the buffer.
00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:55.839
Okay.
00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:57.039
I like that the buffer.
00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:58.880
The buffer that works good.
00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:05.359
Okay, going back, your first major fire with the Kennelville Fire Department was the McRae refrigerator complex fire in 2018.
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:07.519
What do you remember about that incident?
00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:11.279
Oh, I can close my eyes and go back through a lot of that.
00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:18.240
So I started April 16th of 2008, which is or 2018.
00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:20.480
I don't know why I can remember that date, but I can.
00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:25.359
Um, and I started on a day shift, uh, as all the career guys did.
00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:30.319
At that time, the staffing for the Kentville Fire Department was uh 24 hours a day.
00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:32.880
We kept one person in each firehouse.
00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:41.039
And then during the day, we would have three chiefs and a day, one or two-day personnel when we were fully staffed.
00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:47.519
So at night you were by yourself and you were the operator of the truck and all that kind of stuff.
00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:49.759
So that's why we started everyone on days.
00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:56.799
Well, I come in with quite a bit of driving and pumping and operating experience, and there were some things we were trying to move around.
00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:59.599
So I had started my 24.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.720
Our shifts about four shifts prior to that Sunday.
00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:08.799
And I say it's Sunday, I always remember it's Sunday, it's actually Monday morning.
00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:17.039
So they did we did that just so I had those first four shifts with people around during the day if I had questions and and you know things.
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:23.440
And we had chiefs that showed up after hours, and we had our our volunteer and our part-time staff that showed up frequently.
00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:35.200
So it wasn't really a big deal to be by yourself, but there were times where you were by yourself, and so trying to figure out how to be a Kendall firefighter and how they work that was a bit of a challenge.
00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:37.839
So we were pretty slow back then.
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:41.119
Uh the administration we had, we didn't do a lot of medic assist calls.
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:46.160
There was some uh budgetary reasons and some things that they cut back on some of our responses.
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:56.960
So I had slept every night, went to bed at 10, 11, woke up 5:36, cleaned up, went home.
00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:58.799
Slept every first four nights.
00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:01.200
That Sunday, same thing.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:05.599
It was a slower day, you know, by yourself, still kind of figuring out that element, right?
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:12.480
Um Sundays I said were solitary confinement because you just there was no one around 24 hours.
00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:28.160
And I went to bed that night, and I remember waking up, and it's the first time we had we had a buzzer, like a factory loud buzzer in the hallway and a bell in the bedroom, and it was very loud, and it would startle you a little bit, but you kind of heard the pre-alert on the pager.
00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:31.599
And this is the first time I'd ever heard this thing from a dead sleep.
00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:36.960
And I sat straight up in bed screaming, it scared the ever living bejesus out of me.
00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:52.000
And I just remember hearing a possible fire in the area of uh the old Calwell building, which Calwell had moved in there for a period in the 90s or so, uh prior or after McCrae had left.
00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:59.839
And I honestly, in my head, I was thinking like a shed fire or like a burn barrel.
00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:02.079
I wasn't thinking much of a building fire.
00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:06.880
I misheard the page, probably of my startledness, whatever.
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:08.720
Um, so I took the wrong truck.
00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:12.799
Uh, that should have been a ladder truck response, but I I took the engine.
00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:20.160
I I still get uh harassed about that to this day, but I took the wrong truck to the biggest fire of the city as I've seen.
00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:26.559
And I remember rolling out of the station, kind of listening to it, and I remember turning on Main Street off Drake Road.
00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:28.000
I was working on it once.
00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:32.880
And when you got to Main Street, is when you could when I really saw the glow.
00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:45.440
And as I came down Main Street, it was kind of like one of those videos you see of the California wildfires where that's just raining the big embers and and all that's raining down, and it was it was raining fire.
00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:48.640
It was one of the most bizarre things I'd ever seen.
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:53.200
And I I kind of went the memory goes a little blank from there.
00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:55.119
I don't remember clearing the intersections.
00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:57.680
Um, I remember we were we were moving in.
00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:06.240
Uh the chief at the time had called the first alarm, and then within five seconds of letting the radio up, called for a second.
00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:14.480
Uh, and I showed up behind engine 12, the truck out of twos, and he was unlocking the gate to go into the complex.
00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:17.680
And this thing's heavily involved in fire, a ton of fire.
00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:20.319
And there's no, there's not a chief there yet.
00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:26.640
You know, there's just there's volunteers uh showing up, and they're getting their personal vehicles and getting stuff.
00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:30.880
And and Doug he was focused on his hydrant, and I said, Where do you want me to go?
00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:32.319
as he drove away.
00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:35.680
And I had no idea what what I really was supposed to do.
00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:45.599
Um, so I went down, I found a hydrant, and we started spraying water on uh there's a a storage building and an old abandoned building, a little pawn shop right there.
00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:50.079
We started you know setting up for defensive uh protection on those.
00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:55.279
And yeah, I just it was a long, long day spraying a lot of water.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:07.599
Uh they obviously set up a lot of uh defensive operations or exposure protection downtown, all those embers raining down on all you know historical Main Street, all those hundred-year-old plus buildings.
00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:09.839
Uh, it could have gone really sideways on us.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:14.319
They had a couple small spot fires on roofs that they were able to contain and put out.
00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:19.279
Um, and then it was just a long, long, long day.
00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:25.200
Uh as more aerial devices showed up, the fire at that end of the building had died down.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:30.000
Some I remember hooking up to a different hydrant about another block down.
00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:36.880
Um, and I sat there and pumped, I don't know, probably a couple million gallons through Huntertown's ladder truck.
00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:45.839
And then we finally moved into the courtyard and worked on overhaul and and cleaning it up and trying to get in some more, and then we were even there the next day.
00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:54.079
Uh the day after that, we were there for a few hours in the afternoon on some hot spots, um, and then right back to shift on Wednesday.
00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:56.559
Unfortunately, Wednesday we didn't go back out there.
00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:04.240
We did not have to go back out there Wednesday, but then the rest of the summer, uh, we ended up in and out of there at different times during the cleanup project.
00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:18.400
Um, whether they needed just some water soaked on some things as they were, you know, cleaning up or dust control, or obviously hot spots were done by then, but it was a very long process for the whole fire department for the whole year.
00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:20.160
But yeah, it was a lot.
00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:25.680
Uh, I remember guys coming up to me ask, you know, what what do you want?
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:29.599
I I don't really know what we're gonna do here, you know.
00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:32.079
Uh it was organized chaos.
00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:37.680
But I will say I talked with Lumpy, we call him Chris Smith, he was our deputy chief.
00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:43.359
Then um I I remember talking with him afterwards, I'm like, man, that really went really well.
00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.119
Like, really, really well.
00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:46.319
And he goes, Well, it should.
00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:48.160
We've been planning for this for a long time.
00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:58.240
So I think a lot of the pre-planning that you know Chris and and Bobby Combs and uh had done working with the fire chief Mike Green, they kind of really had a good plan for this thing.
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:07.359
So when it did happen, it really I mean, yeah, we we literally I I tell people we burnt four city square blocks and only four city square blocks.
00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:10.880
Uh nothing that was unattached was armed.
00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:13.039
That's really wow.
00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:19.759
Yeah, that's not talking about having your pre pre-plans ready, ready to go, and and being able to execute.
00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.559
How did that experience shape you as a firefighter?
00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:36.480
Oh well, I think it kind of helped drive home some of the emphasis of pre-incident planning with me a little bit, you know, like making sure you've got your ducks in a row.
00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:42.400
Um and helping to make sure that guys kind of knew the pre-planning a little bit.
00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:44.880
Like I was so green and new into this thing.
00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:55.200
And honestly, at that point, I think we were a little bit letting our guard down on that building because they were already starting the process of removal of the building.
00:28:55.359 --> 00:29:15.039
So they had been getting the asbestos remediation done, and the city had purchased it and was in the process of uh they were selling the brick, the hardwood uh timber, because it was a lot of hardwood, you know, old style heavy timber building in there that they had were selling for reclaim.
00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:18.480
So I think in my head, I kind of didn't think much of it.
00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:24.640
So I think that's another kind of not letting your guard down a little bit, um for sure.
00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:33.200
And then just under I don't ever um I don't ever not throw some type of secondary shoes in the truck to a fire now.
00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:44.880
I mean I had rubber boots on that day, and I remember begging someone to go back to the station to get me something better than rubber boots because they were I had shorts on and they were just chafing my legs, terrible.
00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:47.839
Um, so I try to remember to throw my boots in the truck once.
00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:51.759
That doesn't always happen, but be prepared for the worst.
00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:53.119
Being a little prepared, yeah.
00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:55.599
You don't know what you're gonna get into when you leave.
00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:06.799
So you are heavily involved in firefighter training.
00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:09.759
What drew you towards the teaching element?
00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:14.960
Um, so it started as a requirement.
00:30:15.279 --> 00:30:18.240
Um when I became a lieutenant, I had to get my instructor one.
00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:21.119
Okay, that's fine.
00:30:21.440 --> 00:30:24.319
And then I kind of I just kind of enjoyed it.
00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:39.599
You got a got a little bit of enjoyment out of it, you know, teaching and learning, and it became the betterment of other people that really kind of drew me into it and watching people progress and move and do better, um, and helping with classes.
00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:41.839
I helped out a little bit with some classes.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:31:02.799
I actually took my instructor one here in Ashley with Mike Miller back in the day, and and he was big into the district stuff, so he gave me a couple opportunities to go help with some classes, and I found that it helped make me a little bit better, uh, made me a better firefighter because I was having to go through and keep myself updated on some of the curriculum, some of the changes.
00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:11.200
Um having to demonstrate the skills obviously means you had to be proficient at them, so makes you drives you to be a better firefighter.
00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:22.640
But then just the more into it I got, the more getting to watch people, the betterment of other people has been has been what's the drive for it.
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:32.880
You know, seeing things that we train on and watching people do the things we train on and execute them with uh good outcomes.
00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:46.640
With I wouldn't say flawlessly, we're never none of us are flawless, but watching them execute them, those skills, it just makes you feel like man, we're making a difference and we're we're doing better for the community and and for ourselves.
00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:52.400
With that, how has training changed over the years?
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:54.240
Oh boy.
00:31:54.559 --> 00:32:01.759
So the fire services changed so much, and I think we're so much more data-driven now.
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:15.440
When I come into things, you learned about what the guys in your firehouse did, and you would read a fire engineering article here and there, but there wasn't a big social media presence.
00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:20.960
I mean, Facebook was just hitting the market, but people didn't have it on their phones.
00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:23.759
You would, if you wanted to go on Facebook, you would read it at night.
00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:26.480
Right, you know, you would get on the computer and read it at night.
00:32:26.799 --> 00:32:31.039
So um you didn't have a lot of information out there.
00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:35.200
There wasn't the big groups and all that kind of stuff.
00:32:35.519 --> 00:32:43.279
So, in the last, I would say five to ten years, we've had more change and more understanding of things than we have in the last 20.
00:32:44.079 --> 00:33:02.559
So we now have more understanding with UL and with FSRI on fire behavior and how technique and how our water mapping works and how fires behave and how how things react, um, air entrainment and hose streams and all these different things.
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:24.559
So we've learned so much more about the suppression, and then out came the guys with the firefighter rescue survey, and they brought in now they're up to 5,000 uh surveys of data from actual real-world rescues of where they're finding people, times of days, conditions, how they're removing them, and all this information.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:30.799
So it's no longer as much opinion as it is there's so much more data to it.
00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:38.799
We can drive it home with data rather than just Matt Latham says that the smooth board nozzle is the nozzle you need to use, right?
00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:44.400
Or uh, you know, Chief Brand says most victims are found in their bedroom.
00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:46.480
Why are you sure?
00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:50.400
Like, you know, Chief Brand, well, you pulled out five people, right?
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:53.039
You know, I mean, we're not making grabs all the time.
00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:59.359
So now we can say, no, no, no, out of 5,000 people, most were found in here.
00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:08.880
Or the smooth board nozzle reacts like this and has you know, holds larger droplets and less air entrainment and does XYZ.
00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:14.800
Not because Matt or Dave or I said so, but because data and science says so.
00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:18.880
So it allows us to present things in a more data-driven manner.
00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:23.599
And I think the newer, younger generation, they they eat that up a bit.
00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:27.599
I I think I mean millennials got picked on for years.
00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:31.199
Now it's Gen X or Gen Z, sorry, that everyone picks on.
00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:36.719
And I'm a millennial and I and I know I like numbers, I like data.
00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:41.119
You give me data of a why behind it, I can sit there and eat into that.
00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:44.960
And I think the younger generation does just as much.
00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:51.760
So everything's now data driven, and our tactics have evolved and changed with it.
00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:54.559
Um, it hasn't replaced the hands-on element.
00:34:54.960 --> 00:35:12.400
I mean, there's still uh you can bore them to death with target solutions and uh, you know, fire fire rescue, fire rescue one academy stuff and online LMS trainings and all that, but it's we still gotta get out and do the hands-on.
00:35:13.039 --> 00:35:18.800
You know, you you can't no computer can put the muscle memory into throwing a ladder or stretching a line.
00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:23.679
Um so I think I think it's a blunder there, for sure.
00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:27.679
Uh the science is good, but I think we still gotta get hands-on.
00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:36.480
Now that you've put on several academies, what are some of the missteps that that the young, inexperienced firefighters are making?
00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:49.199
Um so this year's been a little bit challenging uh with this year's academy.
00:35:49.440 --> 00:35:52.800
Some we've had some different personalities and stuff.
00:35:53.039 --> 00:36:17.280
I think sometimes the students they don't take it as serious as they should, or they just kind of blindly go through it a little bit, or they got a little bit of I don't want to say arrogance, but a little bit of cockiness to it, to where they they think they're pretty good, they think they've got it, and I don't think they understand the muscle memory things that have to come from it.
00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:21.519
Just because you can do it once right on the training ground doesn't mean you've conquered it.
00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:29.119
Um so I I I kind of tell each academy there's three things that make it a bad firefighter.
00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:33.760
Uh, three traits it's incompetence, arrogance, and laziness.
00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:38.960
And if you have any of those, any two of those three, you'll never progress to be a good firefighter.
00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:43.599
You know, if you're arrogant and you're lazy, you're never gonna want to do better.
00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:44.000
Right.
00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:46.079
You know, incompetence is fixable.
00:36:46.159 --> 00:36:47.840
There's nothing wrong with being incompetent.
00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:49.599
I'm incompetent in certain things.
00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:52.960
I guarantee you there's things I don't know, but I could do better at.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:59.519
Uh, but if you're incompetent and lazy or arrogant, you'll never have the drive to be better.
00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:14.000
So I think it's avoiding those three things, you know, making sure we're not being lazy, we're not being arrogant, and we're understanding our incompetence to be and and knowing where we're falling short and doing better to be better.
00:37:15.280 --> 00:37:18.800
I see, yeah, that's that yes, that makes a lot of sense.
00:37:19.119 --> 00:37:28.320
Um, so with that, I have to ask you, what is more important, skill or attitude for these students going into attitude, 100%.
00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:30.320
I tell students this every day.
00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:43.840
I your ma, your mother and father raised you to be a person and and raised you with uh initiative and integrity and you know having a good attitude.
00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:47.119
Those are all personality traits.
00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:50.639
Um skills, skills can be taught.
00:37:51.039 --> 00:38:00.159
We can teach people how to stretch lines, we can teach people how to throw ladders, how to search buildings, how to operate a pump, to drive a truck.
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:06.320
I mean, all those are things that are are doable if they have the right attitude.
00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:18.639
If they don't have the right attitude, the right you know, mindset, they'll never want to learn it, they'll never want to do it, they'll never really progress beyond just being mediocre at best.
00:38:19.519 --> 00:38:22.480
Um attitude 100%.
00:38:22.960 --> 00:38:31.039
You know, when I look at an individual, I want someone who who's motivated, who has initiative, who wants to be there, who wants to do better.
00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:35.280
I'll I can invest in that person and we can teach them all the things in the world.
00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:39.920
But if you got someone that doesn't, you're just spinning your wheels.
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:40.960
Right on.
00:38:41.119 --> 00:38:42.000
Right on.
00:38:43.199 --> 00:38:50.000
So I have to ask you what did it mean to you to receive District 3 instructor of the year then?
00:38:50.880 --> 00:38:54.559
Oh so that one was a little bit of a blind side.
00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:58.880
Um first off, they'd never done any awards like that.
00:38:59.199 --> 00:39:07.199
Uh I just got a call from uh from TR or or Director Schaefer.
00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:14.800
I don't remember which one, but it was basically a hey, can you be here this day at Indy, uh Plainfield?
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:16.400
Um, we're having lunch.
00:39:16.559 --> 00:39:17.920
We want you to come down.
00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:21.840
And I'm looking at my schedule, trying to figure this whole thing out.
00:39:22.159 --> 00:39:23.519
They wanted me there at 8 a.m.
00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:29.039
I didn't get off shift till seven, and uh, I have no idea what the heck's going on.
00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.320
And it was, it was Director Schaefer because I remember talking to TR.
00:39:32.480 --> 00:39:34.159
I'm like, Whoa, whoa, what am I getting into here?
00:39:34.239 --> 00:39:35.119
What the heck's going on?
00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:37.519
And he said, Well, do you have anything going on?
00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:38.800
I said, Well, I don't think so.
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:42.000
No, I well then just go, just do it.
00:39:42.639 --> 00:40:04.239
Um, so Joel and I, uh Joel Updike, our district coordinator, we we you know carpooled down there because he had to go down for the same meeting, and yeah, they started handing out awards, and then obviously it became as a we're district three, so as they handed out a couple, it started to become a little bit obvious maybe what I was there for because they you know, guys, you know, TR, Joel, they kept looking at me a little bit, you know.
00:40:04.800 --> 00:40:06.480
But it it did mean something.
00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:15.119
Obviously, there's uh when I started doing the district stuff, you know, we still had the council, and I became the county rep for Noble County.
00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:29.199
I remember the first we just started onboarding employees, and there was 50 people that got onboarded as state contract employees in district three that that year at that time, and there's a lot of people there.
00:40:29.519 --> 00:40:32.639
And I really I'm just a guy doing a job.
00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:36.320
I really don't look for the recognition.
00:40:36.480 --> 00:40:38.880
Don't I say I don't care about it, it's appreciated.
00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:39.679
Don't get me wrong.
00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:41.679
I the plaque hangs on the wall.
00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:58.400
You know, I do like someday my kids look at that and find pride in that, and I like that they find pride in that, but I'm just another guy doing a job, so I didn't really see it coming, didn't really think of myself as being deserving, I guess.
00:41:00.480 --> 00:41:13.199
Well, it it seems that the education is very important to you because uh aside from teaching the future generations of firefighters, you also spend a lot of time teaching children and community members about fire safety.
00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:15.679
Why is prevention so important?
00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:22.320
Well, so the fire service is the only business, you know, out there.
00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:26.239
We're not really a business, but we're only we're only a group out there trying to put ourselves out of a job.
00:41:26.800 --> 00:41:38.400
You know, law enforcement to a to an extent, but the plumber doesn't come to your house to check for leaks to make sure that he doesn't have to fix a a bigger leak, you know, or or you pay him to do it, you know.
00:41:39.519 --> 00:41:41.840
So we're we're just out there trying to do that.
00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:43.679
And I got kids.
00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:49.039
I I don't want to see anything bad happen to my kids, nor do I want to see anything bad happen to other kids.
00:41:49.280 --> 00:41:52.880
Um so it kind of just kind of fell into it a little bit.
00:41:53.039 --> 00:42:03.440
I a lot of people don't like they're timid, they don't want to go up and talk in front of the group of of kids or adults or anything like that.
00:42:03.679 --> 00:42:11.440
So I just one we went and did a presentation and I started talking, and and I don't remember who was there that day.
00:42:11.519 --> 00:42:23.920
They're like, hey, you did great, you should just you just keep doing them, and I just kind of built in a little routine in that, and it's not really it's it comes natural, a little bit more natural for me where it doesn't for others.
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:56.559
So that's one area where I enjoy it because it's not really overly difficult, but then I like interacting with the children, the kids, and getting them to understand what we do and and watching the the enjoyment they get out of you know, seeing the trucks and going out and doing that kind of stuff, and knowing that they actually retain the stuff, and that really made a big difference because when my oldest she started going to preschool, she went come home one day and they did fire prevention.
00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:07.360
I don't remember the fire department there had come in and done some fire prevention stuff, and she came home and she can rattle off all these things and remembered them very well.
00:43:08.400 --> 00:43:12.639
And I was like, holy cow, these kids actually pay attention.
00:43:12.800 --> 00:43:16.400
Like, we're this is make this is really, really making a difference.
00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:24.639
So then that was like cemented it in like whole, like now, this isn't just you know fun and frills and getting to go out and play with children.
00:43:24.800 --> 00:43:28.800
This is like they actually get it, they understand it.
00:43:29.280 --> 00:43:33.679
Um and then giving them some assignments and some stuff, you know.
00:43:33.760 --> 00:43:37.920
Like I every year when we do fire prevention, I tell them, you know, they need to do three things.
00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:41.039
They need to one, they need to go home and have their parents help them check the smoke arm.
00:43:41.599 --> 00:43:48.559
Uh they need to number two plan their their evacuate escape route, and they need number three have an escape, have a meeting place.
00:43:48.719 --> 00:43:55.599
And the one year we did it, my we did it at Country Meadows and came home and I had to do all three of those things.
00:43:55.679 --> 00:43:56.639
I forgot all about 'em.
00:43:56.880 --> 00:43:59.760
Um and we had to do all three of those things that night, and I said, Well.
00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:05.039
I mean if my you know five, six year olds are doing it, maybe there's other kids.
00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:07.039
Maybe we are making a little bit of a difference.
00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:21.039
These interactions with children, what is one thing that you hope that they take away after meeting the fire department, after after seeing the guys in their gear and stuff like that?
00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:24.320
What what do you hope is the thing that sticks with them the most?
00:44:24.719 --> 00:44:26.800
Uh that we're better than cops.
00:44:27.599 --> 00:44:48.639
No, um, that that we're that they want to be around us, that they trust us, that they know that no matter the situation, that they can come to a firehouse or a fire station or talk to a firefighter, know that we'll find a solution or work on a for their problem.
00:44:49.360 --> 00:44:51.440
They know that we're the good guys.
00:44:51.599 --> 00:44:53.519
And it doesn't, it could be anything.
00:44:53.679 --> 00:44:59.679
Yeah, I mean, obviously, if your house is on fire, your your mom's sick or whatever, yeah, we're gonna show up and do the things.
00:44:59.760 --> 00:45:07.039
But you know, if you if you have a chain pop off your bike, we'll we'll help you put it back on.
00:45:07.440 --> 00:45:13.599
You know, we we do we working at once there, we're on Drake Road, we get all the middle school traffic coming back and forth.
00:45:13.920 --> 00:45:22.239
We've bandaged skin knees, we've put air in bike tires, we put chains back on, we fixed uh a few bikes every year.
00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:30.000
We yeah, like I said, little things, but knowing that that's a place of refuge, a safe place that it doesn't matter what you need.
00:45:30.239 --> 00:45:31.119
Need to get a drink?
00:45:31.199 --> 00:45:32.480
Yeah, there's a drinking fountain there.
00:45:32.639 --> 00:45:35.039
Yeah, we'll get you a bottle of water, great.
00:45:35.199 --> 00:45:37.679
You know, we're just we're there to help people.
00:45:38.880 --> 00:45:42.400
Whether that's a fire or something minor.
00:45:42.639 --> 00:45:44.800
Right, right, absolutely, yes.
00:45:45.039 --> 00:45:49.679
Uh so for this this this question, it's more of a PSA for the public.
00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:57.519
What's something families can do today that helps make tomorrow safer?
00:45:58.400 --> 00:45:59.840
Um, smoke alarms.
00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:05.599
Smoke alarms are are one of the biggest things, but I think we see it all too often.
00:46:05.760 --> 00:46:12.159
Um they get forgotten about, they either don't get installed or they don't get maintained, they don't get checked.
00:46:12.320 --> 00:46:22.400
Uh we jokingly, not jokingly, but I we try to remember back how many different times we've gone to fires and you don't hear the smoke alarm going off in the background of the house.
00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:28.719
You know, and and I can think I can't think of one in the I can think of one, honestly, off the top of my head.
00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:36.400
Um, and it was a commercial apartment building where I can remember the smoke alarm going off in the background during the fire, but there's a lot of times we don't hear that.
00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:41.360
Um, so it seems like that's something that's very underutilized.
00:46:41.519 --> 00:46:43.920
Uh, and then just good communication.
00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:54.800
Talk to your kids about you know closing doors and staying low and you know, having two ways out, and then the meeting place, you know, those those three things.
00:46:54.960 --> 00:47:02.320
Plan ahead a little bit, you know, you don't go on vacation without you know packing your bags and making sure you got all your stuff, right?
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:06.480
You know, have a little bit of a plan for your family.
00:47:07.519 --> 00:47:15.920
So continuing on with the education aspect, you've helped coordinate farm rescue, grain bin training, and large-scale auto extrication training.
00:47:16.079 --> 00:47:19.519
Why is that so important for rural Indiana?
00:47:20.480 --> 00:47:25.440
So these were all kind of just some little niche things that we talked about.
00:47:25.519 --> 00:47:30.480
They were some pipe dreams, and they were also areas of opportunity.
00:47:31.440 --> 00:47:36.960
So uh the first extrication training we did was a school bus extrication class.
00:47:37.280 --> 00:47:48.079
That came to me because we had uh one of our volunteers in Kendaville work for East Noble, and he said, Hey, we got a school bus that I think we could give you guys for extrication.
00:47:48.480 --> 00:47:56.159
And as much as the Kendaville guys and gals would be excited about that, we looked at what's that mean beyond Kendaville, right?
00:47:56.239 --> 00:47:59.599
Because we're not the only one with school buses, every community has a school bus.
00:48:00.079 --> 00:48:04.320
So then it just kind of took off and and brought into a bigger thing.
00:48:04.639 --> 00:48:15.760
Um, and we ended up purchasing a couple more school buses um from the school system at a very, very at scrap price because we were able to turn around and scrap and we had no money into it.
00:48:15.840 --> 00:48:23.199
We had to we had to exchange some dollars, and Chief McKinley was real helpful in in executing that and and figuring that out.
00:48:24.079 --> 00:48:27.119
And I saw how well received it was.
00:48:27.440 --> 00:48:30.960
So the grain bin thing came about uh the next year.
00:48:31.039 --> 00:48:32.880
I wanted to do something ag related.
00:48:33.039 --> 00:48:35.440
Obviously, I had an agricultural back background.
00:48:36.079 --> 00:48:49.119
Um, one of the guys on my shift, uh, he's he's got an agricultural background, he's worked for different farmers, he worked for grain facilities, so he really likes that kind of and we got to talk in a little bit.
00:48:49.519 --> 00:49:01.599
And someone got me hook uh in with uh farm bureau, and I got in with the local farm bureau, and they're the ones that kind of suggested these couple paths, and so that's where the green bin class came from.
00:49:01.679 --> 00:49:10.719
We we worked with uh Mark Baker from Stateline Farm Rescue and myself and then uh Tyler Terry, the chief from Stro.
00:49:11.039 --> 00:49:19.599
He they've got some equipment, um, they were able to purchase it and they got some training when they got it, but he said, Man, we haven't got a lot of training in in years either.
00:49:19.760 --> 00:49:28.719
And it was important to him because they have multiple facilities in his first two, and he works full-time for the city, so we got to collaborate on this project and go out and find the money.
00:49:28.800 --> 00:49:40.880
We had to find like$10,000 um and put that together, and once again, just seeing the the result of it, and it kind of became something that now all of a sudden we have to do it.
00:49:41.039 --> 00:49:45.360
Like we set the bar for 20, we did bus extrication at 21.
00:49:45.440 --> 00:49:50.239
We did the the grain bin class, and then it's just kind of evolved into that.
00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:54.239
Uh, I know the last what two years we've done an extrication class up here.
00:49:54.639 --> 00:49:57.679
You know, Chief Brand got a hold of me and said, Hey, what do you think about this?
00:49:57.760 --> 00:50:14.480
And I said, Well, I think we got some options, and that formed into a great relationship with McQueen and their instructors, and uh, I've learned so much just from those guys on auto extrication, um, and and their one guy, Carl.
00:50:14.639 --> 00:50:19.840
Uh, Carl taught me more about a four by four piece of cribbing than I ever thought I ever needed to know.
00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:43.679
Um, putting debunked so many myths, and so then I'm learning stuff from it, and now we're getting more people together from smaller areas, working together, interacting together, we're having fun, we're building camaraderie, but we're also learning stuff, we're getting skills, and I and then you get to see people do their skills, you know.
00:50:43.760 --> 00:50:47.519
You get to see departments every once in a while talk about an extrication or something.
00:50:47.599 --> 00:50:50.320
You know, oh wow, there's a couple guys from that class.
00:50:50.480 --> 00:50:51.840
Hopefully they were there, you know.
00:50:51.920 --> 00:50:55.679
Hopefully they may were able to help with some of their new techniques and stuff.
00:50:55.840 --> 00:51:00.400
I know we've seen it with some of the guys uh in our department, you know, different things.
00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:11.840
And I I think both Corona and Kendall, I think we're pretty darn good at auto extrication, and I think we train on it regularly, both agencies, and I I mean we're pretty darn good.
00:51:13.280 --> 00:51:30.719
Yeah, I have to say, I was I was uh one of the students in that first that first year of that big auto extrication class down here, and and the amount of education that is bestowed upon you is is kind of mind-blowing, and there's so much, I mean, that's just a a sliver of of the knowledge that the instructors have and stuff like that.
00:51:30.800 --> 00:51:33.599
So, I mean, yeah, you could spend days learning from them.
00:51:33.679 --> 00:51:41.039
So I I very much appreciate that class because it for me personally it expanded my horizons and and what I know about auto education.
00:51:41.360 --> 00:51:42.719
And it's almost overwhelming.
00:51:42.880 --> 00:51:56.079
So I would say, like, we've gotten I've seen some people that have come once and then they've come the following year, and I'd encourage that because I guarantee you didn't pick up on everything that was taught in that eight-hour day.
00:51:56.320 --> 00:52:06.000
No, I guarantee if you come back, you'll find something new, you'll pick up some piece of the puzzle that didn't quite click or you didn't even think about.
00:52:06.159 --> 00:52:10.960
Like I said, two years of teaching it, I learned more last year than I think I did the first year.
00:52:11.039 --> 00:52:14.320
Uh, just because of I got to work one-on-one with Carl.
00:52:14.400 --> 00:52:18.719
And and I I've made sure of that because Carl retired after that, after that class.
00:52:18.880 --> 00:52:23.360
Okay, you know, that was a guy that had seen more, done more than I ever could have imagined.
00:52:23.440 --> 00:52:29.360
So I've I won't work with Carl because the guy that worked with him last year was like, oh yeah, he's great.
00:52:29.599 --> 00:52:38.400
And I did, I learned more about underrides and cribbing and stabilization and all those types of things we take for granted.
00:52:39.039 --> 00:52:44.400
We always talk about cutting a car out, but all the other stuff, it's fascinating.
00:52:44.639 --> 00:52:48.559
So there's take the same class a couple times, even.
00:52:48.800 --> 00:52:51.119
You know, you'll pick something up, right?
00:52:51.280 --> 00:52:52.400
Yes, yes.
00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:59.199
All right, so we've talked about a little bit about the career, we've talked about the education aspect.
00:52:59.360 --> 00:53:02.559
Now let's let's delve a little bit into the family aspect.
00:53:02.880 --> 00:53:09.760
Your wife, Katie, is also heavily involved in fire and EMS in the in the fire and EMS profession.
00:53:10.000 --> 00:53:12.559
How has that influenced your family life?
00:53:13.599 --> 00:53:20.400
Well, so when I met my wife, she was a senior in high school, and she was gonna go out to be an RN, and that was her goal.
00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:28.239
She was gonna go be a nurse and all that kind of stuff, and financially, I sure wish she would have.
00:53:29.599 --> 00:53:50.239
But she got into the fire department a little bit, and she's obviously going up to the station with me a little bit, she took an interest in the people up there, and then she got, you know, okay, so she wants to do paramedicine instead, and evolving into that, it can be a little hectic with our schedules now.
00:53:50.400 --> 00:54:01.440
Uh, fortunately, you know, she took in 2020, she took the EMS training coordinator position at Fort Wayne Fire, which puts her on a Monday through Friday 8-4 schedule, which is not common for EMS.
00:54:01.760 --> 00:54:09.920
Um, that that's helpful in in some regards, but she also is a pretty pivotal part of the Corona Fire Department.
00:54:10.079 --> 00:54:14.320
I mean, obviously, we have two young children, so we can't both go to calls.
00:54:14.400 --> 00:54:18.000
You know, we have to make that work, however, that does.
00:54:18.239 --> 00:54:24.719
Um, but she is our secretary and she puts on a lot of the different EMR classes.
00:54:24.800 --> 00:54:30.400
Her and Melissa McCann put on EMT classes, and now they're doing an EMR class, which still has some seats open.
00:54:30.639 --> 00:54:32.400
Uh, shameless plug there.
00:54:33.920 --> 00:54:37.440
But but so she does that and working with all that kind of stuff.
00:54:37.599 --> 00:54:49.599
And so between the academy schedule and the fire department schedule and the EMR class schedule, it makes it a little bit challenging juggling the family life side of things.
00:54:49.920 --> 00:54:57.360
Um, but I there's no way I could do you know half of what I'm able to do in the fire service if it wasn't for her.
00:54:57.519 --> 00:55:02.079
You know, she's the rock in our household that kind of keeps everything organized going.
00:55:02.400 --> 00:55:12.159
Um, I come home with a check and do the thing she asks, and she's got it all figured out, and I couldn't do any of this without her for sure.
00:55:12.400 --> 00:55:15.920
Uh and it's nice when I'm able to reciprocate it, you know.
00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:23.199
They do have the EMR class coming up, so she'll have some nights where she'll be teaching, which is great because now I get to have some one-on-one nights with the girls.
00:55:23.360 --> 00:55:24.960
It's my slower time of the year.
00:55:25.119 --> 00:55:31.280
I get to go have some nights with them, and you know, we can do enjoyable things.
00:55:31.519 --> 00:55:37.519
Uh they like hanging out with dad, and I feel like I don't get they don't get enough of it sometimes.
00:55:37.599 --> 00:55:39.519
So I look forward to that a bit.
00:55:39.679 --> 00:55:48.320
It's a balance, it is a balance, it makes our marriage challenging some days, um, for sure, especially with the 24-hour shifts.
00:55:48.400 --> 00:55:50.880
You know, I'm gone every third day for 24 hours.
00:55:51.599 --> 00:55:54.400
Um, but there's no way I could do it without her.
00:55:54.559 --> 00:55:56.880
She's she's a rock, she's a saint.
00:55:57.760 --> 00:55:58.559
For sure.
00:55:58.800 --> 00:56:00.880
She's the backbone of it all.
00:56:01.599 --> 00:56:03.199
That's really cool.
00:56:04.480 --> 00:56:06.239
And you've you've kind of touched on this.
00:56:06.480 --> 00:56:09.679
How important is family support in the fire service?
00:56:10.000 --> 00:56:10.960
Holy cow.
00:56:11.039 --> 00:56:12.239
Uh it is important.
00:56:13.039 --> 00:56:18.400
Um especially, you know, on the in the career side of it, it it's easier.
00:56:18.480 --> 00:56:19.519
It's it's a job, right?
00:56:19.599 --> 00:56:20.480
It's a paycheck.
00:56:20.559 --> 00:56:23.440
You go, you go out, you get paid, you come home.
00:56:23.599 --> 00:56:31.280
Um, and and the the wife has to deal with all the things for those three days, for those, you know, 24 hours every third day.
00:56:32.079 --> 00:56:35.039
But and back that up a little bit.
00:56:35.199 --> 00:56:38.239
If it's gonna go wrong, it's gonna happen on your shift day.
00:56:38.400 --> 00:56:40.000
Every single time, okay.
00:56:40.159 --> 00:56:45.760
If you're gonna have if the furnace is gonna go out, the water heater's gonna fail, the tire's gonna blow on the car.
00:56:45.840 --> 00:56:47.840
I guarantee it's gonna be the day you're on shift.
00:56:48.079 --> 00:56:48.400
Okay.
00:56:49.360 --> 00:56:53.199
Um, so that that side of it, yeah.
00:56:53.440 --> 00:57:06.079
I mean, there is there's support there, but on the volunteer side, it's so hard because you'll have plans, um, you'll have things you're getting ready to go do, and sometimes those get derailed a little bit.
00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:14.239
So to have a spouse that's understanding and gets it and is able to help with that is great.
00:57:14.480 --> 00:57:22.639
I think one area maybe we fall short in a little bit in the fire service and the volunteer side is maybe we need more family involvement.
00:57:22.880 --> 00:57:37.760
It might be easier to go to that work detail or that training or other things if there was a way that maybe the family was incorporated a little bit, or you know, I had our fish fry work details.
00:57:37.920 --> 00:57:50.320
It's nothing to show up there on a Thursday night and four or five kids playing tag in the bay, and husbands and wives are you know making tartar sauce and breaking fish and doing all the things.
00:57:50.559 --> 00:57:54.000
That makes it a lot easier because my kids eat that up.
00:57:54.320 --> 00:58:01.440
My girls love going to the fire station if I if they know it's Thursday, they know they've heard talk, you know.
00:58:01.519 --> 00:58:03.280
She's my oldest is seven now.
00:58:03.440 --> 00:58:09.840
She kind of understands a little bit about time and relevancy, and you know, she'll hear us talk, oh yeah, fish fries Friday.
00:58:09.920 --> 00:58:13.280
She'll are we going to fish fries prep, and they love it.
00:58:13.519 --> 00:58:21.840
So I think as a fire department, if we can make more opportunities for that, and I get it, we can't have kids playing tag at fire scenes, you know.
00:58:21.920 --> 00:58:25.920
We're doing training, we can't have kids running around the training ground.
00:58:26.000 --> 00:58:45.360
It's it's not a safe atmosphere, but um, you know, maybe ways that the wives could, you know, build in together a little bit, you know, to where maybe they could go do some events together and with the children while the firefighters are out doing stuff, or husbands or whatever that may be.
00:58:47.519 --> 00:58:57.760
So this next this next section, I'm gonna ask you to put on that white helmet again and and talk about some of the things that affect affect the firehouse.
00:58:58.960 --> 00:59:03.679
So what qualities define a strong fire service leader?
00:59:05.039 --> 00:59:14.480
Um servant leadership, first and foremost, like a good leader is there for we, not not he or I or her or whatever.
00:59:14.719 --> 00:59:25.679
Um, so having a leader that a person that wants to build other people, invest in other people, and put people in places to do things.
00:59:26.000 --> 00:59:34.639
Um delegation, I think, sometimes is is is given a negative connotation, like we're delegating tasks out because we don't want to do them.
00:59:34.880 --> 00:59:37.760
Well, that's not that's not what we're that's not it.
00:59:37.920 --> 00:59:51.039
Uh sometimes we can delegate things out to people so that they can have a purpose, they can have something to do, something to make into their own a little bit, which does happen regularly, but it's how that delegation takes place.
00:59:51.360 --> 01:00:01.039
And remembering that just because it's not the way that I would do it or you would do it or anyone else would do it, doesn't mean it's the wrong way.
01:00:01.760 --> 01:00:16.000
Um so I think I think giving people room to grow and giving them the tools to grow and betterment are are definitely things that help foster strong relationships and better firefighters.
01:00:16.159 --> 01:00:19.440
And it's an area I struggle with a little bit uh in some regards.
01:00:19.599 --> 01:00:25.039
Like I like giving people things to do, I like I love watching people take on tasks of their own.
01:00:25.280 --> 01:00:30.159
Uh, but I'm sometimes I get I get it's not the way I would do it.
01:00:30.239 --> 01:00:35.840
And it's not that I think that I'm better than you, it's just hey, listen, I've developed a way of doing this.
01:00:36.000 --> 01:00:40.400
It it's not that your way's bad, but I've done this, it works really well.
01:00:41.199 --> 01:00:49.119
And it's not that I had lose faith in them or I don't think they can do it their own way, it's just sometimes I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter.
01:00:49.599 --> 01:00:51.360
You know, let them do it.
01:00:52.000 --> 01:00:56.639
If they start to fall short, or they do fall short, we'll pick them up and let them learn from it.
01:00:57.199 --> 01:01:01.199
But maybe uh not that no micromanaging, right?
01:01:01.360 --> 01:01:01.599
Right.
01:01:01.760 --> 01:01:04.559
You know, not let them let them go down a path for a little bit.
01:01:04.800 --> 01:01:05.840
Don't let them go too far.
01:01:06.320 --> 01:01:07.199
Let them go down the path.
01:01:07.920 --> 01:01:08.880
See how it works out.
01:01:09.440 --> 01:01:13.920
And I found the more that I do that, the different re the better the results are.
01:01:15.119 --> 01:01:15.679
Right on.
01:01:16.000 --> 01:01:16.639
Yes.
01:01:18.239 --> 01:01:21.760
So we've talked about leadership.
01:01:22.719 --> 01:01:26.719
I want to know how do you create a culture where firefighters want to stay and grow?
01:01:27.280 --> 01:01:30.480
How do you build that culture in in the firehouse?
01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:36.480
You gotta invest in the people, you gotta you gotta invest in them.
01:01:36.639 --> 01:01:39.039
Not not necessarily monetarily.
01:01:39.519 --> 01:01:42.559
Um like I said, most people aren't driven.
01:01:42.800 --> 01:01:46.480
There's not an amount of money that's really gonna monetarily make them stay.
01:01:46.639 --> 01:01:48.079
Not not that we can afford.
01:01:48.239 --> 01:01:48.400
Right.
01:01:48.719 --> 01:01:55.519
I mean, sure, if we if we paid them, you know, sixty thousand dollars a year, we'd they'd stay and show up for their shifts just like anyone else.
01:01:55.840 --> 01:01:59.599
But we're finding that even that doesn't always in the career side of it.
01:01:59.679 --> 01:02:01.119
You're seeing a lot of jumping around.
01:02:01.280 --> 01:02:07.840
Guys are going to different departments because they can make more money or they feel like they have better opportunities or this and that.
01:02:07.920 --> 01:02:10.320
So it's really not always money.
01:02:10.559 --> 01:02:15.119
I I think it's it's you just gotta believe in people and invest in them.
01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:18.559
You gotta talk with them, you gotta build relationships.
01:02:19.519 --> 01:02:24.719
Like I said with Dennis, like one of the big things with Dennis, I don't ever want to let the guy down.
01:02:25.840 --> 01:02:32.079
I want to, I want to always feel like he can count on me, like I'm doing the things I need to do.
01:02:32.480 --> 01:02:36.079
And it's building those relationships with people.
01:02:36.400 --> 01:02:43.599
So the new guy comes in or gal, we gotta have someone that they really build that relationship with.
01:02:43.679 --> 01:02:46.320
And it's not always gonna be the same person.
01:02:46.639 --> 01:02:48.880
Personalities click and they don't click.
01:02:49.119 --> 01:02:54.960
There's some people that I'm not gonna click off with, but someone else will, and vice versa.
01:02:55.360 --> 01:03:06.000
So I think if we can build those relationships and just get people to believe in other people and have those bonds, and it it'll it'll it'll grow.
01:03:06.159 --> 01:03:07.119
It really, really will.
01:03:07.199 --> 01:03:08.400
But we gotta be open to those.
01:03:08.480 --> 01:03:18.159
We gotta be open to those conversations and not just you know bringing them on and expecting them to understand, but maybe taking some time to take them in under your wing, invest in them.
01:03:18.239 --> 01:03:21.440
You gotta invest in the new people as they come in a bit.
01:03:21.599 --> 01:03:28.719
Uh, recruitment is important, but good retention fixes recruitment.
01:03:29.280 --> 01:03:34.239
If I I we I did a survey and I asked guys why who who brought you here?
01:03:34.400 --> 01:03:36.000
What brought you into the firehouse?
01:03:36.079 --> 01:03:42.400
And most people will tell you in the fire service that someone else on the fire department is what drew them in there.
01:03:42.639 --> 01:03:44.400
I would say 70% of them.
01:03:44.559 --> 01:03:48.400
So if we have a group of people that really, if it's a great thing, right?
01:03:48.559 --> 01:03:52.639
You go to you go to the local burger joint and you go, that's the best hamburger I ever had.
01:03:52.800 --> 01:03:53.599
What are you gonna do?
01:03:53.679 --> 01:03:56.960
You're gonna go back and say, hey man, let's go grab a burger down here at Billy's.
01:03:57.199 --> 01:03:58.880
Bill's has got the best burger.
01:03:59.599 --> 01:04:05.360
If you go to the firehouse and you go, this is one of the freaking coolest things I've ever been a part of in my life.
01:04:05.519 --> 01:04:07.920
You're gonna go back to your buddy and go, hey, let's go down to the firehouse.
01:04:08.000 --> 01:04:09.360
You gotta beat these guys again.
01:04:09.920 --> 01:04:11.039
You're gonna love it.
01:04:12.079 --> 01:04:19.199
And if we can do more of that, our recruitment starts to starts to kind of fix itself a little bit, I think.
01:04:20.159 --> 01:04:21.280
Goes hand in hand.
01:04:21.519 --> 01:04:21.840
Right?
01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:28.239
But it's a balance, it's a balance between we ask a lot out of the firefighters.
01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:32.880
Um I know in our department, we bring a new guy or gal on.
01:04:33.119 --> 01:04:35.199
You know, we got fish fry prep.
01:04:35.360 --> 01:04:44.159
Um, and we got meeting training nights, and then they're going to classes, and boy, we just we load them up really, really hard.
01:04:44.960 --> 01:04:48.159
And it gets I think it can be a little overwhelming.
01:04:48.239 --> 01:04:59.039
I I know if I was to go back through it now at 35, there's no way I would I would go back in and go through all the classes and and all that with the wife and kids and balance and all that.
01:04:59.119 --> 01:05:02.480
It's a way of life now, but to make that change, it would be hard.
01:05:02.719 --> 01:05:03.360
Right, yes.
01:05:03.519 --> 01:05:15.039
Yeah so it's a balance, and I don't know what the right answer is because we you know we're not funded to the ways that we cannot fundraise, and we gotta have our training and we gotta make calls.
01:05:15.280 --> 01:05:18.960
So I don't I don't exactly know what the right answer that is.
01:05:20.559 --> 01:05:24.800
The way you finished up that last question, it might stem into this next one.
01:05:25.119 --> 01:05:28.480
What concerns you most about the future of the fire service?
01:05:29.760 --> 01:05:34.719
Um obviously volunteer numbers are dropping.
01:05:35.679 --> 01:05:43.039
So we gotta look at how we're funding this thing and how how can we sustain it?
01:05:43.360 --> 01:05:51.199
Because I would say most volunteer fire departments are not on a great trajectory for success.
01:05:51.360 --> 01:05:59.760
They'll make it work, they'll continue to get by and they'll continue to do it, but they're not fostering an environment for a great.
01:06:00.159 --> 01:06:04.800
Growth of the fire department, their environment are fostering an environment of getting by.
01:06:05.039 --> 01:06:08.559
But on the same token, more money means more taxes.
01:06:09.119 --> 01:06:21.679
So to take more taxes from you know fixed income people, we all know money's not exactly just flowing out of out of trees to in today's environment, day and age.
01:06:21.840 --> 01:06:22.960
Inflation's high.
01:06:23.039 --> 01:06:37.840
And so I don't know where that is, but I think we got it, we really got to look at a fundamental way of how we're gonna fund this thing and continue to foster these departments because there's a lot of them scraping by.
01:06:38.320 --> 01:06:44.719
And a lot of them we do a really good job of not letting anyone know that either, as the public.
01:06:45.199 --> 01:07:13.519
Um, we do a really good job of talking about, hey, we had this fish fry, hey, we bought this piece of equipment, hey, we're we're doing this, this, and this, but we're never telling the stories about how, hey, we put in uh you know 50 some hours, you know, last year uh per person uh fish fries and all the man hours we're putting into doing and acquiring the monies and all those types of things.
01:07:14.000 --> 01:07:23.199
I know that's what I know that's what people in Corona love about the fire department is they see our our community some of the best patrons around.
01:07:23.599 --> 01:07:42.239
Um I've not hardly run across a single person in our two townships or town that doesn't just love the fire department because they see the tenacity we have to go out and and make it happen and make it work, but I don't know how long that's sustainable realistically.
01:07:43.519 --> 01:07:44.800
Right, yes.
01:07:46.960 --> 01:07:52.960
So what advice would you give to someone considering joining the fire service today?
01:07:53.599 --> 01:07:57.119
Do it just just go do it, give it a try.
01:07:58.000 --> 01:08:02.480
Uh don't be lose the timidness, lose the fear of it.
01:08:02.639 --> 01:08:05.920
Just go outside of your comfort zone and go try it.
01:08:06.159 --> 01:08:09.599
Go see what it's about and give it a good, honest effort.
01:08:09.679 --> 01:08:12.000
Don't show up once and go, ah, I don't know about this.
01:08:12.159 --> 01:08:17.359
No, if there's something that completely you know turns you off from it, okay, that's fine.
01:08:17.439 --> 01:08:19.840
But give it a good, honest try.
01:08:20.079 --> 01:08:23.840
You're gonna find something in the volunteer fire service.
01:08:23.920 --> 01:08:35.520
There's a niche for every single person: old, young, male, female, physically fit, ripped, too, maybe not as in great a shape.
01:08:35.680 --> 01:08:42.079
There's a job or an area or a niche, niche, niche, however you want to say that, that we can find for everyone.
01:08:42.880 --> 01:08:45.359
Um, just go see what it is.
01:08:45.600 --> 01:08:47.520
Spend a little time looking for it.
01:08:47.680 --> 01:08:51.359
You know, I've met people that they have they don't like fire.
01:08:53.600 --> 01:08:55.600
I got a guy in the fire academy right now.
01:08:55.680 --> 01:08:57.680
He's he's a great firefighter.
01:08:57.840 --> 01:08:59.199
He does really good in skills.
01:08:59.279 --> 01:09:02.479
He's the hardest working guy, one of the hardest working guys there.
01:09:02.640 --> 01:09:10.640
He had a toothpoline, an emergency extraction, uh, four hours, three hours before our last skills day, and showed up and put a mask on.
01:09:10.720 --> 01:09:12.399
And I had to physically tell him to sit down.
01:09:12.479 --> 01:09:13.199
I said, You're done.
01:09:13.279 --> 01:09:15.920
You you you you're good, you've you've completed your stuff.
01:09:16.159 --> 01:09:16.960
Sit down.
01:09:17.520 --> 01:09:23.920
But we're talking, and he says to me, they say 1070 building, you know, house fire.
01:09:25.439 --> 01:09:28.479
Okay, I don't really get too excited, you know.
01:09:28.720 --> 01:09:35.359
But I like those medical calls, you know, car accident, medical calls, and I'm looking at him like, are you nuts?
01:09:35.600 --> 01:09:39.760
Like, like, okay, but that's his thing.
01:09:40.399 --> 01:09:42.000
That's what he likes.
01:09:42.560 --> 01:09:48.399
All right, let's let's find ways that we can make him more useful.
01:09:48.560 --> 01:09:49.760
So just go try it.
01:09:50.079 --> 01:09:51.199
Find your niche.
01:09:51.680 --> 01:09:52.239
It's there.
01:09:52.399 --> 01:09:53.199
Guarantee it.
01:09:53.680 --> 01:09:57.600
Just yeah, just open the door and and give it a shot.
01:09:58.239 --> 01:09:58.800
All right.
01:09:59.039 --> 01:10:12.560
So as we're coming to a close here with the podcast, this next section, and I tell everybody this, when I first asked this question in the very first podcast, it was more of a self-evaluation tool to see, you know, what your thoughts were about yourself.
01:10:12.720 --> 01:10:23.439
But then as time has progressed over the last several podcasts, I've found out how important it is in the event that something does happen.
01:10:23.600 --> 01:10:23.920
Okay.
01:10:24.479 --> 01:10:33.680
So at the end of the day, when it's time for you to take the helmet off and hang up the bunker gear and and all that, how do you want Eric Kennedy to be remembered?
01:10:33.840 --> 01:10:39.279
Not only in the fire service, but by your family, by your by the public.
01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:42.319
What what do you want people to remember about you?
01:10:43.520 --> 01:10:44.800
Just that I cared.
01:10:44.960 --> 01:10:47.439
I I tried, I did the best I could.
01:10:47.600 --> 01:10:49.760
I I cared about people.
01:10:50.159 --> 01:10:53.199
Um I want my kids to know I love them.
01:10:53.840 --> 01:10:57.680
My wife to know that I my wife and kids both that I love them dearly.
01:10:58.000 --> 01:11:01.439
Um I just want people to look back and go, you know what?
01:11:01.520 --> 01:11:03.680
That was a guy that was he was reliable.
01:11:04.640 --> 01:11:05.359
He cared.
01:11:05.840 --> 01:11:07.600
He showed up, he gave a crap.
01:11:07.920 --> 01:11:10.399
You know, he he cared enough to try.
01:11:10.640 --> 01:11:16.000
I don't care if anyone knows any accolades or even if I have any accolades.
01:11:16.560 --> 01:11:25.439
I just want people to look at me and say that that's a guy that that devoted his life to something and tried and really, really cared.
01:11:26.399 --> 01:11:29.359
Um yeah, yeah, that's really it.
01:11:29.520 --> 01:11:31.840
I mean well said.
01:11:32.159 --> 01:11:32.880
Well said.
01:11:33.119 --> 01:11:34.560
Alright, last question.
01:11:34.640 --> 01:11:37.119
We'll take off the heaviness of the last question.
01:11:37.359 --> 01:11:46.239
If there is any one person or milk multiple people that you would recommend to sit in that seat for the Frontline Voices podcast, who would it be and why?
01:11:47.039 --> 01:11:54.560
Um, I I'm telling you, probably one of my favorite guys I've got to know and work with the last handful of years, Mike Adams.
01:11:54.720 --> 01:11:57.439
He Mike is a salt of the earth firefighter.
01:11:57.520 --> 01:12:11.359
He's he is that blend of that old school get it done, hard charging with that new understanding of modern, you know, fire service.
01:12:11.520 --> 01:12:24.640
You know, you you it's hard to find a guy that was fighting fire in the 90s that'll advocate for the firefighter rescue or the smooth bore or the data behind it.
01:12:25.199 --> 01:12:32.399
Uh Mike was Mike's a guy that's seen more, done more than I'll ever understand um or ever learn from.
01:12:32.720 --> 01:12:36.960
I love to just sit there and talk with the guy about anything.
01:12:37.199 --> 01:12:44.239
We we can tell stories and talk shop, and there's the guy's just a wealth and knowledge that he really underplays for himself.
01:12:44.479 --> 01:12:45.279
Um, for sure.
01:12:45.359 --> 01:12:53.680
He's one of probably one of my favorite uh firefighters out there right now, as far as his the way he helps out uh with our academy.
01:12:53.760 --> 01:12:58.000
You know, he's there every skills day, uh, one of the first ones to show up.
01:12:58.319 --> 01:13:03.199
Just really, really just assault of the youth kind of guy, for sure.
01:13:03.680 --> 01:13:06.880
Mike Adams, adding you to the list, my friend.
01:13:07.920 --> 01:13:11.359
Well, Chief, Lieutenant, instructor.
01:13:11.760 --> 01:13:12.399
Eric's good.
01:13:12.640 --> 01:13:20.640
Eric, thank you once again for stopping by and sharing a little bit of knowledge about what you've got going on and and you know your your story.
01:13:20.800 --> 01:13:22.800
I very much appreciate you coming by.
01:13:23.119 --> 01:13:24.079
It was a pleasure.
01:13:24.319 --> 01:13:25.359
Thank you, sir.
01:13:29.199 --> 01:13:33.439
This has been Frontline Voices, conversations with our local heroes.
01:13:33.600 --> 01:13:35.359
Brought to you by Matthew Latin.
01:13:35.520 --> 01:13:39.840
We're proud to share the stories of those who serve, protect, and answer the call.
01:13:40.079 --> 01:13:43.439
Stay ready, stay safe, and we'll catch you next time.
