The Firehouse Yak: Jared Vermeulen – Your Fire Department Legacy and the Company Officer
Peter Matthews talks with Jared Vermeulen, who authored a new book, “The Modern Fire Officer: Building Legacy That Endures,” that is designed to help guide today’s fire officers through the many situations they encounter each day.
Vermeulen says that today’s fire officers often wear dozens of hats compared to a few hats for previous generations because of the all-hazards role that fire departments play in their community while ensuring today’s firefighters are confident in their duties. He said officers can find themselves trying to bridge multiple generational gaps in understanding, technology and know-how at the same time.
They discuss the challenges of some chiefs who take the helm as fire chief to fix a 20-year-old problem, blocking progress in their organization and possibly pushing it backward. Vermeulen says the fire service, in some ways, is the U.S. Post Office in it’s antiquated ways.
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About the Author
Peter Matthews
Editor-in-Chief
Peter Matthews is the 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.
Jared Vermeulen
Jared Vermeulen is a captain with Boca Raton, FL, Fire Rescue where he has served for over 18 years. He specializes in hazardous materials, rope rescue, trench rescue, confined space, and heavy extrication. Vermeulen serves as the peer support coordinator for his department. Vermeulen is the author of the book, “The Modern Fire Officer,” which is intended to help fire officers create and motivate hardworking, healthy crews and prepare for the many challenges they will face while providing top notch internal and external customer service.