CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou Fire Chief Scott Susi recently received the distinction of Fire Officer IV from Texas A&M University, which offered a training course via Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor.
Susi, along with 24 other firefighters from throughout the state, also received his Fire Officer III credential.
He said the process wasn’t easy, and required writing a 136 page “10 year executive community plan,” which involved the creation of charts and graphs to express a decade-long plan to manage the fire department while accounting for community budgets and other departments.
Susi said the paper, which was based on a fictional community, was the most challenging part of the process. The executive plan had to account for the entire community budget and react to a variety of unplanned events, such as funding cuts. He had to focus on risk assessment as well, and identify any potential hazards in the hypothetical community, along with how a fire department and its personnel should respond.
Once Susi and his classmates handed in their initial drafts, instructors would change the parameters of the assignment, asking them to take unexpected happenings into account, such as a city employee suddenly becoming disabled.
“They were changing parameters on the fly,” Susi said, “and it ended up providing a good risk assessment for the community we live in.”
In addition to a lengthy paper, the program required students to take a 200 question test in order to receive certification.
“It took them nine weeks to grade it; the hardest part was waiting to see if I passed the test,” the chief said, adding that he received a certificate for taking the class, along with his Fire Officer III and IV credentials.
Fire Officer III and IV credentials are certified through both the Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) along with the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board).
While the credentials don’t provide significant advances or pay raises for him, Susi said he’ll apply the insight he gained “every day.”
“It’s pretty eye opening when you look at the big picture,” Susi said.
Susi was inspired by City Councilor Phil McDonough, who told him to take his career as far as he could shortly after he became chief five years ago.
“He told me to go as far as I can with the position,” said Susi. “This is the highest level national certification for fire officers that follows you anywhere you go. I think if you talk the talk, you should walk the walk. This is the highest level you can attain, so it’s as far as I went.”
