Akron Fire Department issued the following announcement on February 22.
Fire Chief Clarence Tucker makes sure the service the Akron Fire Department provides for the citizens of Akron is the service he would want for his own family. The second layer of his responsibility is to ensure the firefighters are safe and have the things they need to take care of the community.
What led him to a lifelong career with the Akron Fire Department? A dream.
“When I was a little boy, I had this dream over and over again: there would be a fire and I would be trying to get people out of the fire,” Tucker says.
He had the dream for years, even into college. When he graduated, he couldn’t find a job that felt fulfilling—nothing really fit.
“The fire test came up and I decided to take the test-- I was still having the dream then!” he says, “I took the fire test and everything in my life fell into place-- it's what I was meant to do.”
Chief Tucker didn’t make the connection of his reoccurring dream until nearly ten years into his career. Now, he says his job has shifted from taking risks as a firefighter to watching for risks within the department.
“As you become a Lieutenant, a Captain, a District Chief and on up, you look to eliminate people taking those risks that you were willing to take as a firefighter,” Tucker says, “It goes from you just being responsible for yourself and helping people to protecting the firefighters from things they might not see, or think could be a danger.”
He reflects on one of his own risks from the beginning of his career. While driving down the street in an ambulance, he and his partner see smoke and start driving in that direction.
“We find the house, we call it in on the radio, but we don’t wait for the fire trucks to get there,” he says, “We went in and got that family out-- a mother and three children, even though we didn’t have on the appropriate clothes or anything. Those types of things stick with you.”
His favorite thing about the job is seeing the people AFD has helped.
“When firefighters go out on a call, they know that they may not return home,” Tucker says, “They’re okay with taking that risk to help other people.”
He admires the dedication of the entire department to help those in need.
“I can only say that it has been one of the greatest joys of my life to be able to serve,” he says, “Not just in the Fire Chief position, but as a firefighter period-- I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Original source can be found here.
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