To be a good firefighter, it takes willingness to sacrifice and give up your private time to do things for people that you don’t know, said retiring German Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief John M. Buckman III. But he said it also takes more to be effective.
“Other than sacrifice, you’ve got to have a willing family who is willing to give you up,” Buckman, 60, said. “Because the reality is that my girls didn’t see me a lot, and their mother raised them very well … that’s a tough one, but you’ve got to have a family that’s willing to sacrifice as well.”
Family, friends and co-workers gathered Sunday afternoon at an open house celebration at the German Township Fire Station to congratulate Buckman on his retirement as fire chief. He joined the department in 1970, and served as fire chief for 36 years. Buckman is currently the branch chief of the Indiana Firefighter Training System, Indiana Department of Homeland Security in Indianapolis.
Along with two childhood friends, Buckman, who lived one block from a fire station, decided as a 17-year-old that he would be a firefighter. He remembers hearing the station sirens and sprinting to the station to tag along on his first run, a brush fire. His favorite part of the job is fighting a fire, but it’s really about helping people.
“If you do not like helping people, then you’re not going to survive in this business because that’s what it’s really about,” Buckman said. “Today people dial 911 and they expect someone to come help them, to be nice to them and take care of their problem.”
According to incoming fire chief David Bretz, Buckman is the face of German Township.
“The reality of it is, even though I’m going to be the chief, John’s always going to be chief,” Bretz, 52, said. “That’s just the way it is … we’re always going to look to him for guidance. He’s not going to be too far, as long as he’s got his telephone.”
Bretz has worked in fire service for 33 years and served as assistant fire chief for German Township for about eight years. He will take over as fire chief Jan. 1.
Bretz said he’s been learning from Buckman his entire career. He said Buckman brought knowledge to the department.
“He’s kind of like the ultimate instructor, he’s been teaching all of us his entire life here,” Bretz said. “A lot of us have grown up through the fire service with him being the lead … he’s very well known.”
Buckman is proud of the number of firefighters who have left German Township and become fire chief’s at other fire departments in other communities. A personal accomplishment he is most proud of is being named Fire Chief Magazine’s 1996 Fire Chief of the Year from a pool of candidates from all over the world.
Other achievements on his resume include presenting in all 50 states and each province in Canada and also in China, serving on the Executive Advisory Board for the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC), past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, member of the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Task Force and America Burning Revisited, chair of the International Association of Fire Chiefs program planning committee and secretary of the National Fire Academy alumni association. Buckman has also authored and co-authored books, as well as articles for fire service publications.
“Chief Buckman has been a tremendous chief, giving his heart and soul to this fire department,” said Capt. Cindy Gries, public information officer for German Township. “He has helped make German Township Fire Department one of the top volunteer fire departments in the United States. His training methods have been sought after by departments all over the country and the world.”
Buckman still intends to be a member of German Township and go back to fighting fires. He will continue to work in Indianapolis, a job he loves, as State Fire Training Director. He said that’s a big reason why he is retiring, because he spends most of his time in Indianapolis.
“I’m not here and it’s not fair to the members, it’s not fair to the board, and it’s not fair to the township that the guy who’s driving the ship is not here,” he said. “Even though you can do lots of things remotely, the reality of it is the captain who’s driving the ship needs to be at the helm driving, and I’m just not here.”
