Hot degree

QUINCY — The science and technique of fighting fires is always changing, said David Durfee, and firefighters must learn and change with it.

“Continuing education is part of our job all the time in the fire service,” he said. “It was always instilled into me that you’re training every day, and if you’re not training, you’re not a firefighter.”

Durfee, the deputy chief for Grant County Fire District 3, took the continuing education one step further and recently was awarded a bachelor’s degree in fire administration from Eastern Oregon University. Durfee had an associate’s degree in fire science from Wenatchee Valley College, one he had earned a while back, before life got too busy for college. But he never intended to leave it at an associate’s degree, he said.

“I wanted more,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to advance in the fire service. I continue to grow, I guess you could say. So I don’t see myself ever stopping education.”

Fire District 3 Chief Tony Leibelt said continuing education benefits both the employer and employee, whether it’s the fire service or not, but staying current is very important when fighting fires. Durfee was hired for his current job after the retirement of former deputy chief Jim Kling in December. He was close to earning his degree when he applied for the GCFD 3 job, and that was a point in his favor, Leibelt said.

“Career development keeps individuals relevant to the craft of firefighting,” Leibelt wrote in answer to an email from the Herald. “(Continuing education) is a way to ensure leaders develop better working relationships and encourage teams to achieve their goals collectively.”

Durfee has been fighting fires most of his life, starting as a volunteer with GCFD 3 in 2001 at 16 years of age. A Quincy native, he said he always wanted to come back and work in the Quincy Valley.

“Our kids go to school here, both my parents and my grandparents live here,” he said.

Jobs with the district were a little scarce when he graduated from WVC, he said, so he found other work while continuing to volunteer. Eventually, he got a job with the district as a lieutenant in charge of vehicle maintenance before moving on to the Moses Lake Fire Department.

“I was part of C shift in Moses Lake and moved up to acting officer. I was acting officer when I left,” he said.

But it was a drive, going back and forth to Moses Lake, and besides, he really wanted to work in Quincy, Durfee said. His wife Shannon is also a Quincy native.

“I was still a member of (GCFD) 3, volunteering that whole time,” he said.

So applying for the job back in Quincy was an easy decision. And all that time, Quincy or Moses Lake, volunteer or paid staff, continuing education was part of the career.

“Skill evaluations,” he said. “Current and new trends in the fire service. A lifelong learner, because the environment’s always changing. And when we’re called, we’re expected to know.”

Techniques evolve, he said.

“Practices change, standards change. Expectations (change),” he said.

Even fires change. Durfee cited the example of car fires.

“Now it’s battery-operated vehicles – electric vehicles. That’s something different now, and the way you put those fires out is completely different than a (combustion engine) vehicle. When you go to a fire, you have to know what kind of car it is,” Durfee said.

“Same thing with structure fires. Layouts of homes are different, different products are used. So it’s important that firefighters always stay up to speed with the changes,” he said.

In addition, fire departments are paying more attention to their employees’ mental health. When he started, Durfee said, mental health wasn’t discussed much, if at all.

“These high-stress situations, they do take a toll,” he said. “First responders – it doesn’t matter, career, volunteer, resident – there’s a price that’s paid.

“The support is out there, and policies are starting to be put in place to combat (stress),” he said.

He still wanted a degree, he said, and when GCFD 3 received a grant to recruit and retain personnel, Durfee took advantage of the continuing education option.

He worked on his bachelor’s degree for six years, taking a couple of classes each quarter and deferring school for a while when other things took precedence, he said. The bachelor’s degree focused on administration, he said, covering topics like managing budgets and staff, planning and legal issues.

Becoming an administrator has changed his role – he still responds to a call when necessary, but not every call.

“The pager goes off, the crew gets excited and rolls. I get up and just make sure there’s enough people to respond,” he said. “I like to see the excitement because I like to think I was just there yesterday.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.