The Firehouse Yak: Justin Sherwood – Finding Your Leadership Why as a Next Generation Fire Chief
Justin Sherwood, who became fire chief in Bemidji, MN, nearly five years ago, reflects on the journey and shares what he learned at both personal and professional levels. Sherwood didn’t plan to follow his father’s footsteps into the fire service and pursued a degree in education, but that changed following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
In 15 years, Sherwood climbed the ranks and was named fire chief, starting a journey focused on serving the community and his members, while also navigating life. During the podcast, he reflects on the small moments that made big impacts on his life and helped shore up the foundation for the bigger challenges he would face. As the ranks of the fire service continue to see turnover, Sherwood shares advice for the next group of fire service leaders, from a serious personal struggle to daily fire service scenarios.
About the Author
Peter Matthews
Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood Landing, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.
Justin Sherwood
Justin Sherwood has been a career firefighter since 2004. February 2025 will mark the start of his fourth year as fire chief of the Bemidji, MN, Fire Department. Sherwood is an executive board member of the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association. He holds an associate degree in fire science and a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Sherwood is a graduate of the MFO program from the National Fire Academy and holds the Executive Fire Officer designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. He currently is enrolled in the Master of Public Safety Leadership and Administration-Executive Fire Administration program at Arizona State University.