Meet Lieutenant Jake Kuehne

Where are you stationed?
I'm a roving Lieutenant on the 'C' shift.

What was your previous role?
I was a Firefighter/Paramedic 2 on Medic 2 (Grand Canyon Drive).

How long have you been with MFD?
I've been with the Madison Fire Department since 2012.

What would you like others to know about your position that they may not know or think about?
A lot of people assume the role of “lieutenant” is one that involves a lot of desk work. This promotion is defined as a “working supervisor role.” Essentially, we are expected to perform all the same tasks that we expect from our firefighters.  The role of lieutenant comes with more oversight and decision making, but we are not at all removed from the hands-on portion of the job. 

What's different about the way you approach your job or respond to calls now that you're a lieutenant?
I like to think of the role of lieutenant as a support position. My goal is to have the firefighters and paramedics that I am working with feel cared for. This job really can be mentally and physically draining on our responders. If there is a chance for me to shoulder some of that burden, I try to do so. 

This is such a team-focused career. The more we look out for one another, the better we feel and the better we perform on calls.

What are some of your passions that help inform your life and leadership?
I like to weigh the actions of my day in an intent-versus-impact lens. What are the goals for the shift and how will accomplishing these goals affect the public and co-workers? Treating everyone I work with, and respond to, with the same respect I have for my friends and family is very important to me. The expectations for us as responders are high, and I try to meet and exceed those expectations every day I come to work.

What do you do when you're not working at MFD?
I really enjoy working out, and I feel like doing so at work and on my days off is a responsibility I have to keep performing my job at a high level. I am so lucky to have an amazing wife and a group of friends (many who work on the fire department as well – we really do hire some amazing people). Even when I’m not at work, chances are I’m spending time with my coworkers playing board games, fishing, or golfing.