by Jennifer Monroe
Courtesy of UW Oshkosh Today
Fire Chief Justin Heim is one of two full-time firefighters working the day shift at his fire station in Eagle, Wisconsin. As he sits in his office doing paperwork, he waits for the inevitable alarm that signals the next emergency.
On average, the Eagle (WI) Fire Department gets one emergency call each day. When he’s not running calls, Heim prepares for board meetings, training sessions, and fire commission meetings.
Heim manages a mix of 40 volunteer and full-time staff and is responsible for covering the territory of two municipalities in southeast Wisconsin. Though his days might be typical for someone in his position, he isn’t a typical fire chief.
At age 27, Heim is the youngest known fire chief in the United States–and a 2010 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s Fire and Emergency Response Management degree program.
Heim seems to be following the national trends for workers in fire and emergency services: The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that in recent years, an increasing proportion of new firefighters have had some post-secondary education.
The bureau also stated that though employment in the fire service will grow faster than in most other areas due to population expansion, a bachelor’s degree and, in some cases, an associate degree in fire engineering or fire science will not only greatly improve an applicant’s chances for a job, but also may fulfill a requirement.
That prediction already has become a reality. Beginning in October 2009, the National Fire Academy required participants in the Executive Fire Officer Program, a training program for senior officers, to have a bachelor’s degree; they previously had required an associate degree.
Heim will receive a bachelor’s degree at UW Oshkosh in May; he has one year left in the national Executive Fire Officer Program. Heim says after he graduates, he plans to continue with his education and pursue a master’s degree.
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