Gary Bowker (Ret.)

Building Construction

Gary Bowker is a retired fire chief with the U.S. Air Force and retired fire marshal with the City of Winfield, Kansas, now serving as an associate instructor with the Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute. He previously served as fire chief with the Sumner County (Kansas) Rural Fire District #10 and has over 40 years in fire service. He has taught at the National Fire Academy, U.S. Department of Defense, and the Butler County Community College. He is nationally certified as a Fire Officer II, Instructor II, Inspector II, Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator. Bowker holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science administration. Connect with Chief Bowker on LinkedIn or via email.

LATEST ARTICLES

Communications and Interoperability

‘They’re coming, aren’t they?’ Failures at fatal Fla. fire

Communication and command failures were key in fatal Florida fire that killed Loretta Pickard

January 07, 2020 10:53 AM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

Safety

Parapet wall collapse: An old danger for new firefighters

Establish and enforce a collapse zone, and assign a separate incident safety officer to keep firefighters safe from a parapet collapse

April 12, 2018 10:52 AM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

What 4 firefighters killed in ’68 roof collapse taught us

This fire held lessons on truss-roof dangers that the fire service ignored for decades

January 09, 2017 11:06 AM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

Company Officer Development

4 steps to a faster fire attack

Getting water on a fire quick makes a lot of other problems go away, and that’s even more critical given modern fuel loads

August 12, 2016 07:13 PM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

How heart disease ended my firefighting career

Chief Bowker relives the event that ended his career and nearly his life and examines ways firefighters can avoid dying from heart failure

December 29, 2015 03:05 PM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

The 3 Rs to keep firefighters safe on roofs

Use this three-step size up method to identify the safety red flags when committing to roof operations

August 21, 2015 04:03 PM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

Building Construction

Fighting the balloon-frame construction fire

It’s the building type all firefighters should dread as fire will spread fast and unhampered through the walls and floors

February 11, 2015 11:22 AM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

Building Construction

11 McMansion challenges for firefighters

They are often the size of small commercial buildings without the same sprinkler and fire-stop requirements, which can spell disaster for firefighters

September 07, 2014 03:14 PM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

7 steps to beat wind-driven fire

What may seem a slight breeze can dramatically alter fire behavior within a structure, and the safety of those inside

May 11, 2014 03:43 PM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)

How fire races to the eaves

Vinyl siding has a higher ignition temperature than wood, but once it melts away, the underlayment will quickly move fire up the structure

February 11, 2014 09:05 AM

Gary Bowker (Ret.)