Scott Bavery Begins A New Chapter in Learning and Leadership

 

After 28 years in a career spanning a variety of ranks, roles, and specialties, Assistant Chief Scott Bavery is retiring from the Madison Fire Department.

 

Though his father spent more than three decades on the department and eventually retired as a Division Chief himself, the younger Bavery was encouraged to attend college and consider other career paths.

 

Bavery attended UW-La Crosse, where he pursued a Community Health Education degree. While there, he met a lieutenant on the La Crosse Fire Department who introduced him to the aspects of the fire service that don't always make the headlines: community risk reduction, outreach, and education aimed at preventing emergency calls.

 

"I realized how some of the stuff I was learning in college correlated to the holistic approach of the fire department," said Bavery. "It's interesting that it took someone from outside my family to show me that."

 

Bavery was inspired to pursue a career in fire/EMS after all, and he was hired by the Madison Fire Department on December 1, 1997.

 

 

His first station assignment was Station 1, where he was involved with the Technical Rescue Team and Lake Rescue. He enjoyed the rigorous training and the drive of his officers and crew, which complemented the high call volume at the busy downtown firehouse. Before long, his lieutenant encouraged him to pursue paramedic school.

 

As a paramedic, Bavery briefly served at Station 2 on the west side before moving to Station 5 on the east side, and eventually he transferred to Station 6 on the south side. At every step were station officers whom Bavery credits for imparting leadership lessons he still carries with him today, as well as strong paramedic partners who grew into leadership roles alongside him.

 

"I probably wouldn’t be here [in the role of Assistant Chief] today if not for those crews," said Bavery.

 

In 2011, Bavery was promoted to Lieutenant and spent a few years as a leader of the Hazardous Incident Team. He served in the Fire Training Division for four years, where he became involved with station-wide training and four recruit academies. When he returned to the field in 2016, he was promoted to Captain. A year later, he became Division Chief of EMS Operations. He was promoted to Assistant Chief in 2021 and, over the course of nearly five years, fulfilled the roles of Support Services, Operations, and Personnel.

 

 

As a chief officer, Bavery was at the helm of a number of department innovations. While Division Chief of EMS Operations, he helped shape the department's first-ever Peer Support Team and coordinated the implementation of PulsePoint Verified, an app that alerts off-duty EMTs and paramedics to nearby sudden cardiac arrests. As Assistant Chief of Support Services, he also oversaw the acquisition of the department's (and North America's) first electric municipal fire engine, the Volterra.

 

As Assistant Chief of Personnel for the past three and a half years, Bavery has taken pride in his collaborative approach to decision making, and he's enjoyed a strong working relationship with the leaders of the Fire Fighters Local 311 labor union.

 

Along the way, he earned a Masters Degree in Emergency Management Services and discovered his passion for lifelong learning and leadership development. 

 

Reflecting on his career, Bavery believes the most rewarding aspect has been working with people from all walks of life who share a common goal: taking care of the community.

 

 

As he retires from the Madison Fire Department, he turns toward sunnier skies— literally— as he prepares to relocate to Clearwater, Florida, where he'll serve as Deputy Chief of the Clearwater Fire Department.

 

"I'm super thankful for the union and for people who've been supportive of the fire department," said Bavery. "I grew up on this job, not just when I was a kid but when I got hired at 24 years old. I've learned a lot."