Fire Department

Where are you stationed?
My new station assignment is Station 8 (Lien Road) on the 'B' shift. I'm excited to start this new chapter with MFD.

How long have you been with MFD?
I have been with MFD for eight years and served the city as a Firefighter/Paramedic for six of the eight years.  I was privileged to serve the north side last year on Engine 10 (Troy Drive), 'A' shift, and prior to that I was stationed downtown.

Why did you want to be an Apparatus Engineer?
I decided to pursue the Apparatus Engineer position so I could get more involved in the “fire” side of our job.  This position allows me to still ride the ambulance about once a month and offers more opportunities to learn more about the fire side.

What's unique about your territory, and does that impact your approach to the job?
I had yet to be stationed on the east side so I have a lot to learn about the territory. The territory includes many different occupancies, from residential to large commercial structures, all of which require different tactics and present challenges as an Apparatus Engineer.

In my humble opinion, the Interstate is the most unique/challenging part of 8’s territory.

What might surprise people about your job?
One thing about an Apparatus Engineer that most people may not know or think about is how important positioning of the rig is on any emergency scene. Each incident is different, and there are too many factors to list when it comes to positioning the rig, but my ultimate rule for rig positioning is to keep our crews safe from traffic.

So the next time you see an emergency vehicle on the side or in the middle of the road, know that we are not blocking traffic to keep you from your plans. Please slow down and move over so we can all go home at the end of the day.