Sometimes, says Wilton’s Interim Fire Chief Jim Cutler, being a fireman is like having an alter ego.
By day, Cutler is the purchasing manager for a printing company. It’s not a job that requires a lot of adrenaline, he noted wryly. But every so often, the call goes out and Cutler must don his firefighter gear for a job that can mean contradicting his most common sense instinct – going into a burning building.
Cutler says he still remembers the first time that happened, shortly after he joined the department in 1991.
“I remember feeling the awe in the fire, and looking around at the guys in there with me. Definitely, your first ones stand out,” said Cutler during a recent interview at the Wilton Fire Station.
Things have changed significantly in his quarter of a century on the department, said Cutler. On a recent trip to the New York Fire Museum, Cutler was amused to note that one of the airpacks in the “antique” section was the version he had worn when he first joined the department. But Cutler acknowledges that by today’s standards, that’s probably a fair assessment of the equipment he once wore.
“It used to be, you knew you were out of air when the bell was ringing. Now, they have a display in your mask that will tell you your air levels,” he said. “Firefighting has become much more technical – there is much more technology coming into the service. You don’t just wear the long coat and the rubber boots anymore.”
But the role of the first man in isn’t one that Cutler’s played for some time, he said, having been in more a coordinator and leadership position as the department’s deputy chief for the past three years. He remembers the first call in that position too – a response to Maple Street that was called in as a smoke investigation and quickly became an active fire.
“It was very hard to stay back as a leader after a long time of being the first one in,” said Cutler.
But though the change in roles is often challenging, Cutler said he’s not one to back away from difficulties.
“I like new challenges and trying the next step. I’ve never been the kind of guy to sit back,” he said. Even though, he added, that the fire business is often described as “five minutes of sheer excitement, followed by five hours of sheer boredom.”
Cutler said he has the business experience needed to tackle the role of chief – the paperwork and handling human resources and personnel. And while he said his leadership style may vary from former Chief Ray Dick’s, he’ll be tackling the same issues as Dick – mainly recruitment.
“Staffing and training is always the biggest challenge,” he said. “We have 19 members. I’d love for it to be full at 33.”
But Cutler acknowledges that the times have changed. The age of firefighters is going up, and it’s harder now than it once was to find employers who are willing to allow workers to leave for volunteer fire service. Cutler said he intends to continue recent recruiting efforts started under Dick, such as getting the Fire Department involved in Main Street Association events, and general community outreach.
“There are a variety of jobs available,” said Cutler. “Not everyone needs to climb the ladder. I’ve always said that anyone can do this job, as long as they’re willing to work.”
Cutler is currently serving as interim chief on the department. The Select Board delayed taking a vote to make Cutler’s position official until a job description for the fire chief – which does not currently exist – has been drawn up and approved, which should happen by mid-February.