WCOM NEWS

8-29-04

Miramar division chief completes grueling fire program

MIRAMAR--Joe Cabrera was enjoying life as a 20-year-old Miami Beach lifeguard when a required emergency medical technician's course brought a sea change.

"It expanded my horizons," Cabrera said. He gave up lifeguarding and set his sights on the Miramar Fire-Rescue Department.

Now 44 and a 23-year veteran of the department, Cabrera has served as a paramedic, firefighter, inspector and instructor. He moved through the officers' ranks and was named division chief in 1995.

This year, he added one more honor: graduating from the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program.

Fire officers from throughout the world apply for the program, but just 200 are chosen each year.

To be considered, an applicant must be a chief officer or equivalent; have an associate's degree or higher; and have a key leadership role in the department. Selection is based on an application paper, recommendations, personal and professional accomplishments, and contributions to the community, as well as the perspectives the candidates can bring to the program and the potential for future impact on the fire service profession, according to the EFO program's requirements.

The four-year program includes two weeks of on-site, upper-division-baccalaureate equivalent course work each year at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md., and an annual applied research project and paper.

Cabrera said the research projects are designed to address the needs of each candidate's department.

For one of his projects, Cabrera developed a customer service program to evaluate and monitor the department's performance and follow up with any needed changes. Even though fire-rescue is by nature service-oriented, Cabrera said, it's atypical in the industry to actually monitor customer satisfaction and solicit feedback.

His program has since been implemented throughout the department's fire-rescue and community education services.

Each project took six months to complete and required a research report, all done in addition to his normal workday.

"It was time-consuming and demanding," Cabrera said. "I had a lot of family support, especially from my wife."

His wife, Alicia Cabrera, is an educator with Broward County Schools. They live in Pembroke Pines with their three sons.

The lengthy program takes great commitment from the participants, their families and their departments, said Miramar Fire-Rescue Department Chief James Hunt, a 1991 EFO designation recipient.

Hunt said the very intelligent and level-headed Cabrera is one of Broward's pioneers in emergency medical services, and was an exemplary EFO candidate.

"Those people who will take over the fire service are the type you want to send," Hunt said. "He's very dedicated in his work, loves the fire service and will eventually be an excellent chief."

In addition to Hunt and Cabrera, Miramar Division Chief Sal Caliendo has the EFO designation, and Miramar Division Chief Keith Tomey is enrolled in the program. Hunt said he hopes to send more officers.

"It takes so much, you invest a lot of time," Hunt said. "It's above and beyond what they do here."

As a division chief, Cabrera oversees fire-rescue operations, EMS training, emergency management, public information and community education. And while all this demands a great deal of time in his office, at the computer and at meetings, he continues to ride with the crews and respond to calls when needed.

After more than two decades, he still likes his job.

"It's fun and I enjoy doing it," he said. "I also enjoy helping others and feel the gratification of public service. If I had it do over, I would do the same thing I'm doing today."

(source) Sun Sentinel (Cynthia Wine) 8-29-04