Copyright 2006 Times Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When James Large started work as an 18-year-old firefighter in 1974, he joined an agency that didn’t have air-conditioned fire stations or fire trucks.
Now he is the new leader of a Fire and Rescue Department that has plenty of air conditioning, not to mention paramedics, an emergency operations center, a hazardous-materials team and much more.
Last month, Large, 50, was promoted to chief after 32 years in the department.
But that experience doesn’t mean he’s happy to just maintain the status quo. In a few months, Large plans to bring in an outside consultant who can examine the department and recommend changes in the way it does business. Then he wants to hold a staff retreat to discuss the consultant’s proposals.
“We’ll throw everything on the board,” Large said.
Large has a bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College. He has served as an assistant fire chief of operations and as the city’s fire marshal. He earned a reputation for working with businesses and neighborhood associations and has taken steps to support economic development.
A long background as a manager and administrator can sometimes spark grumbling among rank-and-file employees. But Rick Feinberg, deputy fire marshal, said Large’s long tenure in the department, as well as his experience as a young firefighter, helps insulate him from such criticism.
“He’s got a history here, and that gets respect,” Feinberg said.
Large is a softspoken man with salt-and-pepper hair who seems most comfortable when talking about the minutiae of public policy decisions. He places a high priority on public relations and public policy. The way he sees it, both are important for the department’s future.
His plans include increasing the visibility of the department at the local level. He thinks firefighters should attend neighborhood association meetings, for example.
“I’d like neighborhoods to step up and say, “These are my people. These are my firefighters,’ ” Large said.
He’d also like local firehouses to adopt schools and work with students on volunteer activities and other events. “We do some of that now, but it’s not universal.”
At the same time, Large has kept an eye on the growing number of medical calls the department handles. He said 85 percent of all call volume is related to emergency and other medical services.
The department’s responsibilities keep growing. For example, it now houses the county’s emergency operations center, where planning for hurricanes and other disasters takes place.
But for all the changes that have taken place inside the department, Large acknowledges that the core mission of the department hasn’t changed.
“When the bell rings we still run out and fight fires,” he said. “We still fight the red stuff with the wet stuff.”