Episode 12 with Dan Kerrigan (Firefighter for 31 plus years plus co-author of Firefighter Functional Fitness)

1. Tell me a little about yourself? How long have you been a
firefighter for?   I am married with two children, and I have
been in the fire service for 31 years now. I started as a
volunteer, and have spent a good part of my career in line and
chief officer positions. Currently, I am Chief Fire Marshal and
Asst. Chief for my municipality, and I also speak and present
programs nationally on the topic of firefighter fitness and health.
I am the co-author of the best selling book, Firefighter Functional
Fitness, I serve on the IAFC - SHS Section board of directors, and
I am a certified peer fitness trainer.   2. What was the
hardest time of your life? What tools did you use to get through
it?   I am not sure I can pinpoint the hardest time of my
life. Life is a roller coaster of successes and failures in my
opinion, so I try to learn from the mistakes and capitalize on the
successes. I don't let myself get too high or too low on myself, I
try to keep an even keel and maintain perspective.   3. What
are your greatest successes?   Certainly what I am most
grateful for is my family. I'm immensely proud of my wife and kids
and blessed that they can put up with me! On a personal level, I'd
have to say that I am very proud of co-authoring a book that is
aimed at helping firefighters live healthier lives.   4. Now
that you have experienced life a little, what would you tell your
20-year-old self?   Don't wait to get your education if you
can help it. It is a lot harder as an adult. Take a chance now and
then, and enjoy yourself. Be in charge of your life, don't let it
be in charge of you.   5. Who is your greatest role model and
why?   My greatest role models are my parents. They provided
me with a fantastic upbringing that taught me a great combination
of compassion, tenacity, honesty, determination, and ethical and
moral values that I strive to uphold every day.   6. If you
had a chance for a "do-over" in life, what would you do
differently? Or would you keep everything the same?   Although
I have certainly made my share of mistakes in my lifetime, I can
honestly say I would not go back and change anything, simply
because it is the body of experience in my life so far that has
gotten me to where I am right now. Changing anything in the past,
in my opinion, changes everything about the future as well.  
7. What do you feel most proud of?   I think I am most proud
of my children. They are developing into amazing people that I know
will do great things for other people as they mature and become
adults. There's nothing more satisfying than that, in my opinion.
  8. What do you want your tombstone to say?   I intend
to be cremated. LOL. All joking aside, I am not someone who thinks
about what legacy I might leave. I believe that if there is one, it
would be up to those I have impacted to decide.   9. Why did
you join the fire service?   Honestly, I grew up in firehouses
and in a family of public servants, both firefighters and police
officers. I don't think I ever had a choice, but that being said,
as long as I have been in the fire service, I have not worked a
day. It's a privilege to have a career that I enjoy going to every
day. I think it's always been in my blood, and I never had any
interest in doing anything else.   10. How do you spend your
free time?   I like to train with Russian kettlebells; I have
recently been helping to coach my older daughter's softball team. I
golf, and I am a big baseball and hockey fan, but most importantly,
I love to travel and do things with my family. As busy as I am, I
really have come to cherish the times we can get away and spend
that time as a family.   11. Who do you admire the most in
life and why?   Again, I would have to say, my parents. They
were such amazing role models. Of course, they were not perfect, no
one is, but they lived their lives with their priorities in order,
and by that I mean, nothing was more important to them than their
kids, and that has left a lasting impression on me.   1