After 45 years in fire service, seven at SPFD, Chief Finn says goodbye
By Brandi Makuski
“You’re not going to like this, but I don’t really have much to say. I don’t like talking about myself.”
That’s how Stevens Point Fire Chief Robert Finn, who was grinning ear-to-ear, began an interview with the Metro Wire on Feb. 28. Finn sat behind the desk, which was cleared of paperwork for likely the first time in over seven years, in his office at Station No. 1. Framed photos and memorabilia had been removed from the walls, and gone from the shelving were firefighter-related knickknacks and awards he’d collected over his nearly 46 years in the fire service.
Monday was Finn’s last full day as chief. Mid-day on Tuesday, officials and municipal employees from across Portage County, past department members, and representatives from other organizations would gather to say goodbye. But Finn would argue his formal retirement ceremony was really his chance to say goodbye to his department and to thank everyone who helped him along his way.
“It was just time,” Finn said softly, with a look of introspection on his face, when asked why he chose this time to retire. “But, hey, it’s not about me. I’ve had 45-and-a-half years in the fire service, a lot of people helped to get me where I’m at. And I just want to say thank you; that’s the only reason I’m going to say something tomorrow; because I want to say thank you in my own way.”
Finn was looking forward to his mother, children, and grandchildren driving up from his native Chicago to join him and his wife, Cindy, for Tuesday’s ceremony. But he spoke about them only briefly during Monday’s interview, when an audible catch in his throat forced a pause. That’s common for most who work in emergency services, who are ever-aware of the constant sacrifices their families make in order to support these careers.
Finn, 63, also wasn’t terribly interested in answering the more common questions posed during an exit interview, such as, “What program are you most proud of having seen come to fruition” during his time at the SPFD helm.
“These guys…these guys out here—it’s all them,” Finn said, pointing towards his office door. “I don’t want to take the credit for that stuff: they did all the work.”
When pressed, Finn said he was pleased that fire department protocol now includes automatically sending an ambulance to every fire in the county. When he first came to SPFD, ambulance crews did not respond to fires outside the city unless they were specifically asked to.
“So if you’ve got a working fire in, say, Rosholt, and a civilian or a firefighter got hurt, they had to wait 15, 20 minutes for an ambulance,” Finn said.
The policy was changed in 2008, shortly after Finn was hired at the department.
“Chief [Joe] Gemza did most of the work on it,” he said. “And you’d think it would be an easy sell. For people who weren’t in the department, it wasn’t. But no civilian or firefighter should have to wait for an ambulance at a fire.”
Finn also said he’s been pleased with the fairly good fortune the department has experienced when it came to the budgetary items he requested.
“The city’s been pretty good to us when it comes to the capital budgets—especially Corey [Ladick, city treasurer]. He’s tough to get a nickel out of, but when you sit down with him and explain stuff to him, he’s pretty good about that. You can say a lot of things about the city, but that’s one thing I can’t bitch about,” he said, chuckling.
Though Finn places nearly all of the credit on his junior officers and others in the department, he initiated a partnership between SPFD and Mid-State Technical College for the department’s first-ever training site; and oversaw a formal partnership with local law enforcement to launch an official fire investigation operation and the installation of Training Officer and Fire Marshal positions, among other accomplishments.
So, what does he wish he could’ve achieved before retiring?
“ISO 1,” Finn immediately replied. “Without a doubt, ISO 1. Homeowners see their insurance rates decrease, and businesses really see a difference.”
Finn started with the Stevens Point Fire Department in October of 2007, hired as a deputy chief who oversaw day-to-day operations, even while he was still a probationary employee. In 2009, Finn was promoted to assistant chief, managing operations for fire and rescue, all three shift commanders and their platoons, fire apparatus maintenance, budgets, inspections, training, technical rescue, and public education. Following the departure of former Chief Tracey Kujawa, Finn was named fire chief in 2014.
Tuesday’s formal retirement ceremony, held in the engine bay at Station No. 1, was a grand affair, with officers from various fire departments appearing in their formal dress uniforms. Most department heads and longtime employees from the city were present, along with representatives from several surrounding municipalities and retired members of the SPFD. The ceremony was emceed by Assistant Chief Jb Moody, who would be sworn in as Finn’s replacement on Wednesday.
Mayor Mike Wiza made some brief comments, saying that in the chief’s work to improve the department, Finn juggled many challenges behind the scenes that the public would never see.
“It’s moments like this you have to reflect on the many years of service you’ve given to the citizens of Stevens Point,” Wiza said. “You have made this the best fire and EMS service in all of Central Wisconsin, in my opinion.”
Wiza, along with Community Development Director Ryan Kernosky—who worked closely with the SPFD fire inspection team—presented Finn with a “permit” to retire, playing off of what Wiza said was the city’s reputation for being “permit-happy.”
Jerry Moore, president of the city’s Police and Fire Commission, called Finn “a big man who’s done a lot of great things for this community.”
Moody gave a summary of Finn’s time at the department, speaking to the metamorphosis of how “some guy named ‘Bob,'” originally hired as a deputy chief, become “Fire Chief Robert J. Finn.”
“One of his biggest accomplishments, and where chief truly made his mark in the department, was with fire investigations,” Moody said. “Not only has he been a great teacher and mentor, but he’s been one of the main faces of the Stevens Point Fire Department, fostering great relationships with the Stevens Point Police Department and their bureau of investigations, and the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation.”
Moody said while Finn was ultimately responsible for every aspect of SPFD, the chief’s biggest joy was “putting smiles on little kids’ faces, where ever he went—while blowing assistant Chief [Joe] Gemza’s budget on stuffed animals. Chief Finn has truly left his mark, not only on the fire department but also on the City of Stevens Point.”
Moody then handed Finn a bouquet of flowers for presentation to Finn’s wife, Cindy, remarking that Finn always insisted that department members should always remember to take care of their families.
Moody also said the fire service was rich with tradition, and Finn—an Irish firefighter from Chicago—brought to SPFD a good deal more. In that vein, Finn was presented with his white chief’s helmet, slightly tarnished by years of buildup from smoke and firefighting chemicals, and his back tag (the nametag from the back of his turnout coat) by Assistant EMS Chief Joe Gemza. A special white retirement helmet was presented by Training Officer Trevor Howard.
A new tradition at SPFD, Moody said, was presenting a special retirement flag, one that had flown over the fire department for the last 24 hours. That flag, now folded and encased, was presented to Finn by Capt. Dennis Zvara, whose eyes welled with tears as Finn saluted him for the last time, then returned the salute when Finn took possession of the flag.
Finn’s daughter, Amy, also spoke about his devotion to his family with also being dedicated to the fire service.
When Finn finally spoke, he said he was “humbled and honored” by the ceremony. “People say this day is about me, but today is my day to thank you.”
Finn then told the story of first visiting a fire station while he was in sixth grade and knowing immediately it was his life’s calling, one he pursued with some objection from his family. He also listed the names of past and present firefighters who helped him along the way, including previous SPFD assistant fire chiefs Jeff Davis and Jodi Baganz, and his current junior officers.
By the time Finn finished, there were few dry eyes in the house, and those in attendance gave him a standing ovation.
During his musings at Monday’s interview, Finn said he was most looking forward to “spending time with my kids and my grandkids,” in an effort to make up for lost time.
“When I walk out Tuesday, it’ll be the first time in 45-and-a-half years I don’t go to sleep with a pager or a phone, worrying about someone calling me for a fire. It’s going to feel weird,” he said. But on Wednesday, Finn said the activities of Tuesday were so exhausting that he “slept like a baby.”
So, what’s he planning to do with his retirement? Travel? Writing a memoir? Nope.
“I’m going to take a couple months, then I’m going to get a hold of the PFFWCA charitable foundation and take time to assist families of firefighters who’ve been hurt or killed in the line of duty,” he said. “This is still the greatest job in the world, no doubt about it. Us [sic] and the police department see stuff that nobody should ever have to see. But you’re helping people. Seriously, and this is going to sound stupid, but one of the biggest joys I get out of being chief, is giving a little kid a stuffed animal…that little kid on the scene of a fire, you give ’em a little dog and a sticker, and you made that kid’s day.”
What’s he going to miss the most about the job? After a lengthy pause, Finn said, “I love just being in the firehouse.”
Typical Finn. He’s not one to provide empty words so reporters can fill space. Blunt and honest, he didn’t pepper his statements with flowery language to soften blows, and one always knew where they stood with him.
That’s Finn.
