After 37 years in the fire service, Chief Bernie Ingles is preparing for retirement, leaving his post in September after 25 of those years at the helm of the Westerville Division of Fire.
Where are you from?
Centerburg, Ohio. I graduated from Centerburg High School.
How did you come to be involved in the fire service?
I started as a volunteer firefighter in 1977, which is not something I even wanted to do at the time. A friend of mine wanted to be a volunteer firefighter and dragged me to a meeting. But then I saw what they did and fell in love with it. I’m a geek at heart, and was studying to be an electronic engineer. I dropped those studies after two semesters and started focusing on the fire service.
How did you make your way to being employed at the Westerville Division of Fire?
I volunteered for eight years while working as an auto mechanic, receiving all my training in the volunteer service. Then I got married and was hired by Lancaster in 1985, when I also started medic school. Around 1989, Lancaster lost a major portion of its income tax base when Anchor Hocking Company left the city. A lot of people were laid off, and I was fortunate enough to find an opportunity in Westerville and get hired. So I came on as a Westerville firefighter in 1989. We were still a pretty young department in 1996 when I took the promotional test and was promoted to lieutenant. From there, I became deputy chief in 2000 and then chief four years later in 2004.
Did you know you always wanted to be an administrator?
Not instinctively, no. It was a matter of what I always call timing and opportunity. I was the assistant chief as a volunteer in Centerburg, so I had some experience there. And I’ve always been fortunate to hold an office in organizations I’ve been involved in – from class president to association president. Administration was always an interest of mine, but I originally figured I would retire as a battalion chief. I jumped at the opportunity when it came along, and being involved in the decision-making has been one of the most interesting parts of the job.
What did you find to be most surprising about being chief?
At first, it was going back to a five-day work week after years on a 24-hour shift. That was a difficult adjustment. But overall, I don’t think I anticipated the surprising number of people you meet and the friendships you develop outside the fire organization, like through the Chamber of Commerce, schools and service organizations such as Rotary. You can think you’re in your own world sometimes, and in Westerville, you’re not. It was surprising, beneficial and wonderful. That’s an experience few people get.
What do you think you will miss most about the job?
Routine. For years, it’s been a schedule I know: at work at a certain time for this many hours, this many days a week. When I get up, I know I have something to do. So changing the routine is going to be difficult. The day will be wide open after retirement. My wife seems to think I’ll miss the schedule, but I don’t know yet.
What accomplishment do you look back on with the most pride?
The hiring process. Over the last decade, we have revamped the qualification and hiring process and we’re getting a much better employee pool – the best of the best. In the fire service, it used to be that you took a test and, if you passed it, you could be hired. That didn’t give us a lot of long-term insight into who that employee would be. This process helps us evaluate the whole person and look at factors that reveal what kind of performer he or she will be and provides guidance on strengths and weakness.
What has stood out in terms of experience here?
The relationships with my colleagues and City staff have been wonderful. And that extends to all those other community organizations. These were not only working relationships, but friendships in so many cases. That’s not something that occurs in a normal business world. You have co-workers and you have friends. Having a volunteer background, I see how alive the volunteer spirit is here in Westerville. This is such a strong community that always shows up and volunteers for everything.
What does retirement have in store for you?
Right now, I don’t really have any priorities. We just bought a new house, so I imagine it’s going to involve a lot of painting and remodeling initially. Travel is going to be a priority. We’re planning to go to places that we haven’t been before, like the Grand Canyon and maybe a train trip in Europe. My wife hasn’t been to Washington, D.C. or New York, so we’ll go there too.
