Orange County Fire Rescue Department
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Chief Joseph L. Donovan, appointed by the Reagan administration as third Superintendant of the National Fire Academy, retired after 58 years devoted to the fire service. Chief Donovan leaves behind a legacy that will promote a culture that will sustain the profession of firefighting nationwide for years to come.
Chief Joseph L. Donovan was appointed in 1982 to lead the National Fire Academy. The academy was less than ten years old when Chief Donovan took the helm. As the third of only six commissioners, Chief Donovan created many of the programs that endure today. He also brought his passion for the fire service to Capitol Hill acting as an advocate for the fire service before the U.S. Congress.
According to current Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn A. Gaines, during Chief Donovan’s tenure nearly every signature field program and activity was launched including: direct delivery education, State Weekend Program, Training Resources & Data Exchange (TRADE), Train the Trainer Programs and state handoff programs. Chief Donovan also spearheaded the creation of the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP). The EFOP is a demanding four year program designed to provide senior-level fire officers with a broad perspective on topics facing fire and emergency services. This program also requires extensive research projects from its participants which in turn increases national recognition of solutions to challenges faced by the fire service nationwide. Since the program’s inception under Chief Donovan’s watch, over 3000 fire officers have completed the program.
Prior to his leadership of the National Fire Academy, Chief Donovan led the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. While there, Chief Donovan was one of the authors of the original IFSTA Essentials of Firefighting manual. Now in its 5th edition, well over 1 million of these books can be found in firefighter bookshelves around the country.
Following his tenure at the National Fire Academy, Chief Donovan was a principal with the Donovan and Associates consulting firm. As an internationally recognized expert on managing fire and life safety services, he consulted with over 60 fire departments nationwide including: Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Washington, DC and Vail, CO. Chief Donovan’s methods took into account the unique protection needs of each jurisdiction and provided cost effective and fiscally responsible solutions.
One fire agency that benefited from his expertise was the City of Jackson, MS Fire Department. Joe Donovan served as Fire Chief from 1991 to 1996 and brought many of his recommended programs to fruition. While in Jackson, he implemented innovative racial and gender-neutral hiring and promotional processes that brought diversity to match the make-up of the community. By streamlining the operation of Jackson Fire Department, he allowed the agency to expand and upgrade the fleet, equipment and fire stations. He also launched a number of innovative programs to modernize the department and improve the quality of life for citizens and firefighters.
His career did not end there. Chief Donovan moved to Florida and worked with the Orange County Fire Rescue Department to overhaul their training program. He was hired on as battalion chief to oversee the training programs then later moved on to the planning office to assist in directing the future of the fire department by establishing new fire stations and planning for future growth.
Chief Donovan’s long and distinguished fire service career began while he was in high school as a reserve firefighter in Natick, MA. Following graduation from Boston College, he served as a lieutenant and later captain in the U.S. Army assigned as Fire Chief of the McGregor Missile Range at Fort Bliss, TX. He also served as a paid on-call firefighter and officer in Hopkinton, MA prior to moving to Maryland to command the National Fire Academy.
Chief Donovan describes his legacy to the fire service as one that promotes a culture of safety and cooperation. He has challenged fire officers to look beyond their own communities and learn from their peers through innovative programs both at the National Fire Academy and around the nation. Many of the programs that today’s firefighters and fire officers have become accustomed to were created due to this single leader’s contributions to the profession.
Chief Joe Donovan’s first set of fire gear consisted of: a rubber knee length coat, rubber boots and a plastic helmet. While Chief Donovan did not modernize the equipment to what firefighters wear today, his influence contributed to so many of the tactics, management philosophies and training programs that make the fire service what it is today.