Over the last three weeks, I have written about my fire service journey. Last week I discussed the struggle of becoming a firefighter. This week is the success story.
I made it!
It has been said many times that something worth wanting is something worth working for and waiting for.
On my 18th birthday, two important events took place: I entered the delayed enlistment program for the U.S. Air Force, and I submitted my application to become a member of the Cedarville Fire Co. No. 1 in New Jersey.
A month later, three men showed up at our front door wearing suits and ties. In Jersey this could be a bad sign, and I wondered if someone had a score to settle with me. Then I quickly realized that they were three firefighters who came to interview me about being a member of the fire company. Fortunately, all went well and later that month I was brought on the fire department.
The photo above is the first fire engine I rode when I was three years old, and the rig was still in service when I joined the fire company.
Success! I made it to the first step as a volunteer firefighter and now on to the second step of becoming a firefighter in the Air Force.
Military firefighting
My book, The Furnace of Leadership Development details my path of becoming a firefighter in both the Air Force and Marine Corps, so I won’t go into that story here. However, I encourage you to buy my book at The Furnace of Leadership Development: How to Mold Integrity and Character in Today’s World: Davis, Rick: 9781733073509: Amazon.com: Books, to read about the lessons I learned along the way.
Back to civilian life
After my time in the Air Force and a stint as a civilian firefighter with the Air Force, I joined the Marine Corps as a firefighter. There is a night and day difference between the two branches of the service. I adapted well to life in the Marine Corps, but unfortunately, I injured my knee and had to separate after three years. Leaving the Corps and returning to civilian life was a hard adjustment for me, and I struggled for a long time.
Loveland Fire Rescue
I wasn’t sure if the knee injury would prevent me from continuing my career as a firefighter and fortunately it did not stop me.
Success! I became a member of Loveland Fire Rescue in Colorado as a volunteer firefighter and a year later I was hired full time.
My career with Loveland spanned almost thirty years and I retired as a battalion chief, a position that I loved. I loved being a battalion chief because of the troops and the time I spent with them in the stations, during training, and at the scene of emergencies. I loved molding and developing the people who were assigned to me and it was a highlight of my career as a firefighter. But I will address that more in depth next week.
During my time with Loveland Fire, I led many teams and managed several projects. I led the hazardous materials team, the wildland program, health and safety, special operations, EMS, and recruiting. Each position brought a different challenge to the table, and my favorites were haz mat and wildland. Most of my time as a battalion chief was on shift, but I had a fifteen month period where I served as the training chief.
Why am I telling my story?
My reason for writing this series of blogs is to lay a foundation for rebranding my business. Through the month of March, I will build on this story and when I’m through, you will see the passion that I have for the fire service and my desire to work with and develop fire officers. At the end of this series, I will reveal the new name of my business and the URL of my new website.
In the meantime, feel free to visit my current website at www.impactusleadership.com and write to me at info@impactusleadership.com.