40th Anniversary: Firehouse—Constantly Taking the Pulse of the Fire Service
It has been an honor to be involved with Firehouse for so many years. I couldn’t begin to count the number of articles I’ve written during that time for this first-class publication. In addition to individual articles on various subjects of interest to members of the fire service, I also authored the Fire Politics column in Firehouse for 10 full years. My favorite roles with the magazine were writing the Fire Politics column and also authoring a Company Officer Development series of articles in the 1990s.
I can’t think about Firehouse without Harvey Eisner and Jeff Barrington coming to mind. They managed this publication so, of course, it took on their personalities and represented the way they viewed the American fire service. Their view was very clear, probably because they were clear in their vision and purpose. Harvey and Jeff both possessed a uniquely dry sense of humor, and they used it very effectively. They attended so many different events in an effort to learn as much as possible about the issues. These two were out in the field amongst the members of the fire service community—constantly taking its pulse and finding out what was going on. Then they would communicate what they saw and heard through Firehouse.
Firehouse long ago established a reputation for being progressive and displaying a willingness to offer readers more than standard fire department subjects. It also looked to the future, trying to prepare the fire service to meet the challenges that might lay ahead. Firehouse stepped to the fire service media forefront, covering nontraditional subjects like marketing; all-risk public education; fire service-based EMS; safety; politics; technology; and fire officer development, including supervision, management and leadership. They did this long before it became vogue to address these issues.
The Firehouse brand and leadership are strong, and no doubt will continue to build on past successes. Firehouse attracts the very best authors and leaders to carry out its mission. Its role as an information and opinion leader—whether through print, electronic, social media or other tools—challenges the fire service to be more effective.
I can’t thank Firehouse enough for the opportunities provided to me during my career, and I look forward to playing a role in its efforts going forward.
About the Author
Dennis ComptonDennis Compton
During his nearly six decades in the fire service, Dennis Compton was the fire chief in Mesa, AZ, for more than five years and assistant fire chief in Phoenix, where he served for almost 28 years. He is a longtime fire service author and speaker, having served as the author of Firehouse Magazine’s Fire Politics column for more than a decade. Compton is past chair of the International Fire Service Training Association and of the Congressional Fire Service Institute’s National Advisory Committee. He also served as the chair of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and secretary of the International Public Safety Data Institute. Compton currently serves on the board of directors of Science Alliance/Science to the Station. He was inducted into the National Fire Heritage Center Hall of Legends, Legacies and Leaders and into the Firehouse Legends and Icons National Hall of Fame. In July 2026, he was recognized as the International Journal of Fire Service Leadership and Management’s first Legend in Leadership. Compton also is a charter inductee into the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame.