WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:05.003 --> 00:00:08.123 Welcome to the Fiscal Firehouse, a podcast dedicated to promoting 00:00:08.123 --> 00:00:10.043 financial literacy to firefighters. 00:00:10.193 --> 00:00:14.753 I'm your co-host, John Beatty, executive board member of Local 1309, a lieutenant, 00:00:14.873 --> 00:00:16.913 and also a certified financial planner. 00:00:17.243 --> 00:00:21.803 With me, I have the other co-host of the fiscal firehouse, Louis Barella, executive 00:00:21.803 --> 00:00:25.913 Board member of Local 1309 ambulance driver, and want to be financial expert. 00:00:26.513 --> 00:00:29.573 Together, John and I hope to bring clarity to the world of personal finance, 00:00:29.633 --> 00:00:31.373 specifically relating to firefighters. 00:00:31.883 --> 00:00:34.343 Firefighting is a difficult job making sound. 00:00:34.343 --> 00:00:35.748 Financial decisions shouldn't be. 00:00:36.263 --> 00:00:38.153 Lombardi Intro: in today's episode of the Fiscal Firehouse. 00:00:38.243 --> 00:00:39.893 John and Louie, welcome a special guest. 00:00:40.208 --> 00:00:45.068 Fire Chief Don Lombardi of West Metro Fire Rescue Chief Lombardi will share his 00:00:45.068 --> 00:00:49.058 wisdom and experiences gained throughout his 33 years in the fire service, 00:00:49.148 --> 00:00:53.708 including the last 14, as the fire Chief Chief Lombardi opens up about his 00:00:53.708 --> 00:00:57.638 experiences between labor and management, the importance of having a financial 00:00:57.638 --> 00:01:02.078 literate workforce, how firehouse culture can influence financial behaviors, and 00:01:02.078 --> 00:01:06.008 lastly, what he's looking forward to the most regarding his upcoming retirement. 00:01:06.548 --> 00:01:07.538 Without further ado. 00:01:07.898 --> 00:01:13.148 Let's kick it over to local 1309 studios and the recording of the fiscal firehouse. 00:01:16.425 --> 00:01:19.425 Jon: welcome back to another episode of the Fiscal Firehouse. 00:01:19.425 --> 00:01:21.345 I believe this is episode number 10. 00:01:21.735 --> 00:01:23.055 I'm your co-host John Beatty. 00:01:23.105 --> 00:01:24.575 with me as always. 00:01:24.635 --> 00:01:27.495 I have, really the fan favorite, the one that I was always 00:01:27.495 --> 00:01:28.815 really carry in the show. 00:01:28.990 --> 00:01:30.180 Louis Barilla lb. 00:01:30.185 --> 00:01:31.005 How's it going today, brother? 00:01:31.005 --> 00:01:31.095 Good 00:01:31.170 --> 00:01:31.620 Louie: Good man. 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:32.250 Really good. 00:01:32.310 --> 00:01:33.240 Really excited for today. 00:01:33.300 --> 00:01:35.310 I think the podcast has been doing really good things. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:36.810 We've been getting a lot of growth. 00:01:36.810 --> 00:01:39.330 We're hearing from people even outside of the state of Colorado that 00:01:39.330 --> 00:01:40.470 they're listening to the podcast. 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:43.440 So we're just really excited that we found something that we 00:01:43.440 --> 00:01:44.940 feel like firefighters are into. 00:01:45.330 --> 00:01:47.370 There's a thirst for that kind of knowledge. 00:01:47.370 --> 00:01:48.480 The financial knowledge. 00:01:48.720 --> 00:01:50.940 So the podcast is going great. 00:01:51.210 --> 00:01:54.360 And now we have a really special guest on, so 00:01:55.035 --> 00:01:55.275 Don: it's gonna 00:01:55.320 --> 00:01:55.740 Louie: even better. 00:01:55.875 --> 00:01:56.505 Jon: That's right. 00:01:56.505 --> 00:01:57.645 That's a soft little intro. 00:01:57.645 --> 00:01:59.745 A little teaser as they say in the business. 00:01:59.745 --> 00:02:00.015 Right. 00:02:00.015 --> 00:02:00.885 We got a little teaser. 00:02:01.155 --> 00:02:05.535 So we normally do a recording at Local 1309 studios, which is at our old union 00:02:05.535 --> 00:02:10.365 station, but we've gone mobile, we've made our way up to the second floor, the corner 00:02:10.365 --> 00:02:13.125 office at 4 33 South Allison Parkway. 00:02:13.395 --> 00:02:17.235 So those of you from West Metro definitely know what office we're chatting about. 00:02:17.235 --> 00:02:20.865 But we're in the office of the Fire Chief of West Metro Chief Don Lombardi. 00:02:20.895 --> 00:02:22.005 Chief, good to see you. 00:02:22.035 --> 00:02:24.435 Thanks for agreeing to come on the podcast. 00:02:24.615 --> 00:02:27.975 I know it took a long time to get the schedulers, you know, all fixed. 00:02:27.975 --> 00:02:29.235 You got a busy schedule, sir. 00:02:29.235 --> 00:02:31.155 So thank you for making the time for us. 00:02:31.155 --> 00:02:32.085 Don: No, I appreciate it. 00:02:32.085 --> 00:02:34.275 it means a lot that, that we can get together and chat. 00:02:34.275 --> 00:02:36.615 This is super, super important, so I appreciate that. 00:02:36.645 --> 00:02:37.455 Jon: Yeah, absolutely. 00:02:37.455 --> 00:02:41.025 So we would be remiss if we didn't give you a little bit of a bio, a little 00:02:41.025 --> 00:02:45.165 cv for those of you, for those of the listeners unfamiliar with Chief Lombardi. 00:02:45.225 --> 00:02:47.385 And you're probably looking at me like, I can't believe you're gonna 00:02:47.385 --> 00:02:48.795 do this to me, but we have to. 00:02:48.795 --> 00:02:51.765 It's always appropriate to introduce, a special guest. 00:02:51.765 --> 00:02:53.085 You gotta give them their cv. 00:02:53.265 --> 00:02:53.425 Louie: do it. 00:02:53.565 --> 00:02:54.915 Don: say, I can't believe you're doing this to me. 00:02:55.020 --> 00:02:57.480 Jon: you can exactly say you didn't know this was a trap, this 00:02:57.525 --> 00:02:58.185 Don: Yeah, exactly. 00:02:58.185 --> 00:02:58.335 Like, 00:02:58.380 --> 00:03:00.570 Jon: oh, we had these questions prepared and now you guys 00:03:00.570 --> 00:03:01.710 are just bait and switching. 00:03:01.710 --> 00:03:03.570 Yeah, we'll have some further conversations 00:03:03.825 --> 00:03:05.055 Don: so it'll be one sentence long 00:03:05.160 --> 00:03:06.960 Jon: That's, that is not true. 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:08.370 And I will fact check this. 00:03:08.370 --> 00:03:12.910 So, I definitely have some good resources that I used to procure this cv, but I also 00:03:12.910 --> 00:03:17.020 fact checked it with chat GPT and I don't know if you guys have played around with 00:03:17.020 --> 00:03:21.840 AI very much, but the, what this thing came out with was very impressive, like 00:03:21.870 --> 00:03:25.620 almost line for line, what I had lined out, minus a couple things here and there. 00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:30.060 So you are definitely well known as far as whatever large language models they 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:32.070 use to get this in sources information. 00:03:32.310 --> 00:03:36.330 So if you're, someone that's considering going into research, a PhD student, 00:03:36.330 --> 00:03:40.200 Mike Minnie, I would say maybe you should probably rethink this because 00:03:40.260 --> 00:03:41.850 this, I mean this software is gonna 00:03:41.865 --> 00:03:42.015 Louie: start. 00:03:42.015 --> 00:03:43.545 And it was all about you chief, a lot 00:03:43.545 --> 00:03:47.835 Don: of, well, it was my $5 donation to Google, so I appreciate that. 00:03:47.930 --> 00:03:48.740 Jon: got your own Wiki 00:03:48.765 --> 00:03:49.005 Don: paper. 00:03:49.005 --> 00:03:49.995 Well, exactly, yeah. 00:03:50.050 --> 00:03:50.830 Jon: uploaded that. 00:03:51.010 --> 00:03:53.940 So no, chief Lombardi has served the citizens of west 00:03:53.940 --> 00:03:56.310 Metro honorably for 33 years. 00:03:56.520 --> 00:03:59.970 He became our fire chief, the chief of West Metro in 2011. 00:04:00.130 --> 00:04:01.090 under his tenure. 00:04:01.180 --> 00:04:04.390 West Metro has received accreditation along with an ISO 00:04:04.390 --> 00:04:05.860 Class one, which is pretty special. 00:04:05.860 --> 00:04:08.740 There's only 117 departments in the whole world that have done 00:04:08.740 --> 00:04:10.000 that, so that's a huge achievement. 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:13.800 He helped introduce, and facilitate Camp Ember, which helps young 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:16.740 women gain awareness and exposure to a career in the fire service. 00:04:16.870 --> 00:04:19.480 this is something that's really near and dear to a lot of our hearts. 00:04:19.530 --> 00:04:21.960 known pun intended, help draft legislation. 00:04:21.980 --> 00:04:25.850 To form the heart circulatory cancer and behavioral health trust here in 00:04:25.850 --> 00:04:30.260 the state of Colorado, you've held a multitude of leadership positions as the 00:04:30.260 --> 00:04:34.100 president of the Metro Denver Fire Chiefs Association, also the president of the 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:38.450 Colorado State Fire Chiefs Association, and then the big chiefs, the president 00:04:38.450 --> 00:04:40.250 of the Metro Fire Chiefs Association. 00:04:40.250 --> 00:04:43.010 So really not only just at the state level, but all the way up to the 00:04:43.010 --> 00:04:46.340 national level, you've held those leadership positions and because of 00:04:46.340 --> 00:04:50.470 that, you've received certain leadership awards, including the, fire Chief of 00:04:50.470 --> 00:04:53.320 the Year, presented by the Division of Fire Prevention and Control. 00:04:53.530 --> 00:04:55.200 You're also awarded the Russell L. 00:04:55.200 --> 00:04:58.420 Sanders Lifetime Achievement Award by the Metro Fire Chiefs Association. 00:04:58.670 --> 00:05:02.640 and then recently you were acknowledged at the state for your service, to 00:05:02.640 --> 00:05:04.440 the assistance here of West Metro. 00:05:04.440 --> 00:05:08.490 And the one thing that I'm most proud of, out of all of that stuff, which is 00:05:08.490 --> 00:05:13.650 quite a list, and this is something that chat GPT did not find out, and that is 00:05:13.650 --> 00:05:18.600 your, knowledge and awareness and really advocacy for the labor management. 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:19.435 Relationship. 00:05:19.585 --> 00:05:21.775 That is the one thing it didn't pick up on at all. 00:05:21.775 --> 00:05:24.745 And that's something that we are very proud of here at West Metro and 00:05:24.745 --> 00:05:27.175 especially as a union sponsored podcast. 00:05:27.175 --> 00:05:30.265 Local 1309 is just our relationship that we've had through the year. 00:05:30.265 --> 00:05:32.485 So that is quite the, that's quite the CV 00:05:32.645 --> 00:05:35.300 Louie: is that it, you're already gonna retire and that's all you've done. 00:05:35.375 --> 00:05:35.655 Don: all I've done. 00:05:35.685 --> 00:05:35.975 Yeah. 00:05:35.995 --> 00:05:36.685 Jon: is just a 00:05:36.740 --> 00:05:38.000 Don: I do have one correction. 00:05:38.210 --> 00:05:39.570 Russell E. 00:05:39.570 --> 00:05:40.250 Sanders. 00:05:40.945 --> 00:05:42.085 Jon: Oh, I put Russell L. 00:05:42.415 --> 00:05:42.685 Oh my 00:05:42.735 --> 00:05:43.220 Don: That's okay. 00:05:43.220 --> 00:05:46.530 No, thank you for that's, I have to acknowledge that because he's probably 00:05:46.530 --> 00:05:50.250 one of the top two or three people in the fire service, so that's a great honor. 00:05:50.250 --> 00:05:51.270 But Russell E. 00:05:51.270 --> 00:05:51.630 Sanders, 00:05:51.665 --> 00:05:51.905 Jon: Okay. 00:05:51.905 --> 00:05:52.715 No, thank you for 00:05:52.740 --> 00:05:54.660 Don: And then the reason you needed, didn't find anything 00:05:54.660 --> 00:05:57.390 in chat, GGTP about GPTG. 00:05:57.725 --> 00:05:57.965 Jon: Yep. 00:05:57.965 --> 00:05:58.505 GPT. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:05:58.800 Don: Yeah. 00:05:59.050 --> 00:06:01.540 about our labor management is we try to keep that quiet, 00:06:02.415 --> 00:06:03.165 Jon: Well, the secret's 00:06:03.370 --> 00:06:03.520 Don: Yeah. 00:06:03.520 --> 00:06:08.790 Mostly it started with, Mike Veneer and he wanted to, you know, not let anybody know 00:06:08.790 --> 00:06:10.170 that he gets along with the fire chief, 00:06:10.350 --> 00:06:11.670 Jon: It would ruin his street cred. 00:06:11.910 --> 00:06:12.690 Don: Yeah, exactly. 00:06:12.930 --> 00:06:13.680 Jon: and start beating 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:13.800 Don: up 00:06:13.860 --> 00:06:14.730 Jon: on management. 00:06:14.770 --> 00:06:15.430 Don: No, I appreciate 00:06:15.490 --> 00:06:15.760 Louie: Thanks. 00:06:15.970 --> 00:06:19.270 And since we just talked about that union side of things, I know we have some 00:06:19.570 --> 00:06:24.190 financially minded questions for you since this is a financially, oriented podcast, 00:06:24.190 --> 00:06:28.460 but, just because of the relationship that you've built, with the union, you 00:06:28.460 --> 00:06:30.770 know, you and the union have accomplished a lot of good things together. 00:06:31.080 --> 00:06:34.170 and I know you've learned a lot during that partnership, so. 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:39.150 I kind of want to know, what do you think has been your key to success with 00:06:39.930 --> 00:06:45.850 that relationship and how would you help guide your successor to maintain 00:06:45.850 --> 00:06:47.110 that kind of a good relationship? 00:06:48.220 --> 00:06:52.400 Don: So, you know, my relationship with the union has gone back, when I first 00:06:52.400 --> 00:06:56.300 started, I mean before that, but really when I started as the administrative 00:06:56.300 --> 00:07:00.930 chief here at West Metro and, Mike Ner and I, who is the president, then we 00:07:00.930 --> 00:07:06.220 worked really hard from a collaborative, standpoint on, how we do things. 00:07:06.225 --> 00:07:10.965 and our fire chief at the time, wasn't as involved, organizationally 00:07:10.965 --> 00:07:12.465 as we thought he should be. 00:07:12.805 --> 00:07:14.905 and he came from an outside agency. 00:07:15.325 --> 00:07:20.815 And so Mike and I worked a lot to keep things at that level, at my level from a 00:07:20.815 --> 00:07:25.075 disciplinary standpoint, from budgetary type things, all of those things. 00:07:25.075 --> 00:07:30.045 So we developed, a relationship then, and Mike was starting out as 00:07:30.075 --> 00:07:32.335 the union president, then as well. 00:07:32.635 --> 00:07:37.495 So we both were kind of growing up together and we relied on each other. 00:07:37.775 --> 00:07:39.215 greatly for a lot of things. 00:07:39.605 --> 00:07:44.195 And you know, where people talk about labor management, you know, they typically 00:07:44.195 --> 00:07:48.355 see, you know, people butting heads or really being at odds with each other. 00:07:48.835 --> 00:07:52.675 And not to say that Mike and I weren't, 'cause we've yelled at each other a lot. 00:07:52.675 --> 00:07:53.360 These walls could talk. 00:07:53.460 --> 00:07:53.660 yeah. 00:07:53.895 --> 00:07:59.465 And, but we always had a mutual respect for each other that we would do that 00:07:59.465 --> 00:08:03.635 behind closed doors and then typically we would come out and be on the same page. 00:08:04.095 --> 00:08:07.395 a lot had to do with, and I'm thinking of one time when I was at 00:08:07.395 --> 00:08:10.545 the National Fire Academy when I was going through my executive fire officer 00:08:10.995 --> 00:08:14.625 and we had a problem with one of our members from a paramedic standpoint. 00:08:14.685 --> 00:08:20.175 And I, so I'm back there for two weeks and I'm in class and we get breaks 00:08:20.235 --> 00:08:21.705 every single break for two weeks. 00:08:21.705 --> 00:08:25.065 I'm on the phone with Mike going back and forth, and finally it was 00:08:25.125 --> 00:08:27.225 on, I think the second to last day. 00:08:28.125 --> 00:08:29.655 I said something to Mike and Michael. 00:08:30.195 --> 00:08:31.455 That, that's what I'm saying. 00:08:31.545 --> 00:08:34.485 And we both went, we both stopped and said, you mean we've been saying 00:08:34.485 --> 00:08:35.865 the exact same thing for two weeks? 00:08:35.865 --> 00:08:37.950 We just were yelling at each other that yes. 00:08:37.950 --> 00:08:42.050 So my point is, so we developed this relationship, but I try to treat 00:08:42.050 --> 00:08:45.920 it as, and I say this with great respect, it's like being married 00:08:46.550 --> 00:08:52.880 that we work really hard at this relationship and it's very fragile. 00:08:53.210 --> 00:08:56.660 And so, like in most marriages, although I know people get divorced 00:08:56.710 --> 00:08:59.890 and those things, but we don't get to walk away from each other. 00:08:59.890 --> 00:09:04.000 We have to continue to do what we do and we can't just walk away. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:09.970 And some days, you know, the union president might give 120% and I, as a 00:09:09.970 --> 00:09:14.500 fire chief might give 10% just 'cause of circumstances and vice versa. 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:17.090 it's a relationship that we work at a lot. 00:09:17.090 --> 00:09:21.980 And then when Mike Veneer, moved on to be the Ninth District vp, or it's 00:09:21.980 --> 00:09:25.140 the state, president and then the Ninth District VP and Mike Mulkey. 00:09:25.680 --> 00:09:31.400 Mike's a much different personality than Mike Veneer, and yet we have a really 00:09:31.860 --> 00:09:37.860 deep connection and we work really hard to, again, to try to do what's best for, 00:09:38.260 --> 00:09:41.770 the organization do best, what's for, best for our firefighters, and ultimately 00:09:41.770 --> 00:09:44.800 what's best for, our, community. 00:09:44.860 --> 00:09:50.690 And so when we have that, when we have that understanding, and collaboration 00:09:50.690 --> 00:09:53.320 like that, it's not hard to win. 00:09:53.410 --> 00:09:53.530 Yeah. 00:09:53.830 --> 00:09:55.810 It's not hard to be successful with all that. 00:09:56.005 --> 00:09:59.095 Louie: Yeah, well, you've accomplished a lot of great things with them, 00:09:59.095 --> 00:10:02.395 so it's been awesome to come into that as a younger firefighter, 00:10:02.575 --> 00:10:03.655 younger in my career anyway. 00:10:03.655 --> 00:10:04.975 I'm not really young, but younger in my 00:10:04.990 --> 00:10:05.290 Don: career. 00:10:05.825 --> 00:10:10.295 Louie: and just seeing the things that you guys have done together over the time that 00:10:10.295 --> 00:10:11.615 you've been here, I think it's awesome. 00:10:11.645 --> 00:10:15.155 I think it's really cool, and it's been a great thing to be a firefighter at 00:10:15.155 --> 00:10:18.995 such a great department that has a good relationship between labor and management. 00:10:19.345 --> 00:10:21.055 so I just wanna say kudos to that, 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:21.870 Don: I appreciate that. 00:10:21.870 --> 00:10:26.070 And, you know, one of the things that I've been accused of, and both from a 00:10:26.070 --> 00:10:29.640 good and bad standpoint, you know, they go, I've been accused of, you're in bed 00:10:29.640 --> 00:10:31.080 with the fire, with the, firefighters. 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:32.040 You're in bed with the union. 00:10:32.040 --> 00:10:33.900 It's like, yeah, I am. 00:10:34.380 --> 00:10:35.520 But for all the right reasons. 00:10:35.520 --> 00:10:40.020 And I ask people, you know, especially when you look at, from a fairness 00:10:40.020 --> 00:10:44.320 standpoint, when we look at do we treat our, membership fairly 00:10:44.380 --> 00:10:47.315 and with respect, you know, as accountability goes, things like that. 00:10:47.315 --> 00:10:48.485 I can always say yes. 00:10:48.695 --> 00:10:51.345 And has anybody ever, been. 00:10:51.700 --> 00:10:55.990 has our relationship taken away from anything that this organization 00:10:55.990 --> 00:10:59.930 does or, does it take away from any of the values people have? 00:10:59.935 --> 00:11:02.090 And the answer is, at least from my perspective, is no. 00:11:02.090 --> 00:11:02.180 Right. 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:06.740 So, so when I say I'm in bed, I'm in bed with them for all the right reasons. 00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:06.800 Yeah. 00:11:07.260 --> 00:11:10.310 and that makes a little bit, I think, better sense as we go 00:11:10.310 --> 00:11:11.930 along with this of how we work. 00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:14.750 Louie: Well, John and I will go to these conferences and we'll hear 00:11:14.750 --> 00:11:18.890 these horror stories from these union leaders about their relationship with 00:11:18.890 --> 00:11:20.360 their management, with their chief. 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:23.620 And I mean, it just sounds so, abrasive. 00:11:23.680 --> 00:11:25.210 And they'll be like, well, that's just how it is. 00:11:25.210 --> 00:11:27.040 Like, that's just how all departments are, right? 00:11:27.040 --> 00:11:30.220 Like everyone has to just struggle with that, and we just kind of 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:32.450 look at each other like, no, it doesn't have to be that way. 00:11:32.450 --> 00:11:33.170 It shouldn't be that way. 00:11:33.170 --> 00:11:38.180 And we can aspire to work closely and have the same goals and the same, you know, 00:11:38.180 --> 00:11:40.160 even the same ways to reach those goals. 00:11:40.160 --> 00:11:40.820 That's a good thing. 00:11:40.880 --> 00:11:42.680 And so we have a good culture of that here. 00:11:42.900 --> 00:11:44.520 and I, you know, I hope it never changes. 00:11:44.520 --> 00:11:48.210 Like it's been so conducive to our relationship and the things 00:11:48.210 --> 00:11:50.670 that we've accomplished here that I, I hope it never changes. 00:11:50.715 --> 00:11:51.495 Don: I don't think it will. 00:11:51.495 --> 00:11:54.155 I think that people understand what great looks like. 00:11:54.635 --> 00:11:58.860 And when I say great, what it looks, you know, that's an, that's a tribute 00:11:58.860 --> 00:12:02.640 to the entire membership here at West Metro and how we do stuff and what they 00:12:02.640 --> 00:12:06.580 allow us to do and, what they want us to do, what their expectations are. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:10.720 And so when you look from that perspective, I don't think 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:12.340 that we'll fall backwards. 00:12:12.340 --> 00:12:15.700 I think that people will, at the very minimum, when I say demand, that's not 00:12:15.700 --> 00:12:18.880 the right way to say it, but they'll expect that from the new chief coming in. 00:12:18.880 --> 00:12:22.420 And I think the new chief will give that because he sees, you know, 00:12:22.420 --> 00:12:24.460 how that's, been a such an asset. 00:12:24.520 --> 00:12:29.295 And, what you guys have experienced with, at your, labor conferences. 00:12:29.325 --> 00:12:32.595 I've experienced at my fire chief conferences when I was the 00:12:32.595 --> 00:12:35.655 metro president, I would talk about labor management and I had. 00:12:36.045 --> 00:12:39.565 Chiefs come to me from large fire departments and go, how do you do this? 00:12:39.565 --> 00:12:40.225 How do you do that? 00:12:40.225 --> 00:12:43.815 and I talk about, building relationships and collaboration and trusting each 00:12:43.815 --> 00:12:46.875 other and empowering people to do things. 00:12:47.295 --> 00:12:48.525 And they go, I can never do that. 00:12:48.555 --> 00:12:49.185 I just can't. 00:12:49.190 --> 00:12:50.860 and so it's a different perspective. 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:53.410 I've finally realized it's just a different perspective they have. 00:12:53.860 --> 00:12:56.500 But you're right, it's, I will say this from my perspective, it 00:12:56.500 --> 00:12:58.930 is way hard being the fire chief. 00:12:58.930 --> 00:13:02.280 It is a very hard position within our organization. 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:07.650 if I had to battle the union on top of being the fire chief It would be that 00:13:07.650 --> 00:13:11.790 much harder and it would be so much we couldn't, if you look at the successes at 00:13:11.790 --> 00:13:16.530 West Metros because of our relationship that allows us to have those successes, 00:13:16.980 --> 00:13:18.840 I, we couldn't have it any other way. 00:13:18.930 --> 00:13:22.855 And if you don't mind, I want to go back just a little bit on how 00:13:22.885 --> 00:13:24.355 meaningful that relationship is. 00:13:24.355 --> 00:13:28.655 When we, back in 2012, when we lost out that election, to raise our 00:13:28.655 --> 00:13:30.785 mill levy, we had to cut service. 00:13:30.845 --> 00:13:33.905 And my first call wasn't to any of our chiefs. 00:13:34.745 --> 00:13:38.215 Nor to the board of directors, my first call was Tom to, Mike Verne. 00:13:38.380 --> 00:13:41.710 as the union president, said, Mike, we've got a lot of work to do. 00:13:41.710 --> 00:13:44.890 And I said, as yucky as this gonna be, you and I have to pop our 00:13:44.890 --> 00:13:48.070 heads up above each other and look at each other and understand that 00:13:48.070 --> 00:13:49.270 we're on the same page with stuff. 00:13:49.300 --> 00:13:54.070 And so the union jumped in at that leadership role to help 00:13:54.070 --> 00:13:55.780 shape of what we are today. 00:13:56.230 --> 00:13:59.140 So that's very important to me that they took that on and 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:00.790 that, again, is a norm here. 00:14:00.790 --> 00:14:03.520 And I've had a lot of chiefs go, I want your relationship. 00:14:03.520 --> 00:14:06.280 And I go, okay, take about try. 00:14:06.310 --> 00:14:07.030 Yeah, exactly. 00:14:07.195 --> 00:14:07.645 Louie: You gotta work 00:14:07.700 --> 00:14:09.320 Don: that, and you can't have it overnight. 00:14:09.370 --> 00:14:12.580 this is working really hard for as long as I've been in the fire 00:14:12.580 --> 00:14:14.110 chief and then as the admin chief. 00:14:14.110 --> 00:14:18.370 So since 2004, you know, you look at all that. 00:14:18.370 --> 00:14:18.640 So, 00:14:18.730 --> 00:14:21.460 Jon: And as a history, as a person that loves history, our 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:22.660 history wasn't always that way. 00:14:22.660 --> 00:14:26.230 Back in the day, there was very adversarial relationships where we 00:14:26.230 --> 00:14:30.390 had to use the union attorney on speed dial for all of these disciplinary 00:14:30.390 --> 00:14:31.770 cases and all this other stuff. 00:14:31.770 --> 00:14:34.980 So it's like we have learned as well, and it wasn't always this way. 00:14:35.130 --> 00:14:38.400 It took some right people at the right time with the right mindset to 00:14:38.400 --> 00:14:42.070 start to create a culture that would help, you know, facilitate better 00:14:42.070 --> 00:14:43.540 labor management relationships. 00:14:43.540 --> 00:14:46.120 And we, I think that's really important that we continue to pass 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:49.420 down those history lessons as we continue to look towards the future. 00:14:49.420 --> 00:14:51.190 But I think that's a great lesson for all of us to 00:14:51.205 --> 00:14:51.505 Don: take. 00:14:51.685 --> 00:14:54.025 And I think from our board of directors perspective, they take 00:14:54.025 --> 00:14:55.555 a cue off of that as well too. 00:14:55.945 --> 00:14:58.585 And I think that they're very collaborative and wanna work with you. 00:14:58.885 --> 00:15:02.785 And when you look at some other agencies around us where they're either 00:15:02.785 --> 00:15:07.615 their city council or their board of directors go, now that you guys are 00:15:07.615 --> 00:15:08.995 hands off, I don't want to talk to you. 00:15:09.275 --> 00:15:11.285 there's no, nothing good comes from that. 00:15:11.285 --> 00:15:13.745 Yeah, nothing good at all comes from that, so. 00:15:14.075 --> 00:15:14.855 Louie: Well, that's really cool. 00:15:14.870 --> 00:15:15.720 I think it's awesome. 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:20.400 And one thing that we like to brag about is that you and your chiefs are 00:15:20.670 --> 00:15:23.100 all dues paying members of local 1309. 00:15:23.100 --> 00:15:25.170 Like you guys still do that as a way of being like, Hey, 00:15:25.470 --> 00:15:26.520 we're all in this together. 00:15:26.700 --> 00:15:30.370 We're still firefighters at heart, and so we're gonna, continue to 00:15:30.370 --> 00:15:31.450 support and contribute to that. 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:32.320 'cause that's important to us. 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:36.610 And that's not something that is universal or even common among 00:15:36.790 --> 00:15:37.840 Jon: definitely not common and 00:15:37.905 --> 00:15:39.245 Louie: So that's pretty cool. 00:15:39.305 --> 00:15:39.525 But 00:15:39.595 --> 00:15:40.495 Don: But it's not hard. 00:15:40.495 --> 00:15:43.700 And so I look at that and I know that for a fact, but it just 00:15:44.095 --> 00:15:45.695 throws me that's not the norm. 00:15:45.995 --> 00:15:46.055 Yeah. 00:15:46.235 --> 00:15:47.945 That we are the exception to that. 00:15:47.945 --> 00:15:55.655 And it's, and it means a lot to still have, my, you know, union card and 00:15:55.655 --> 00:15:56.975 that I'm still part of the union. 00:15:57.325 --> 00:16:02.245 and that I'm from Labor's perspective is I'm still a valued member of that 00:16:02.245 --> 00:16:04.255 union, even though I'm a fire chief. 00:16:04.255 --> 00:16:07.975 And it, and so when you look from those perspectives, that's not. 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:09.340 That's not how it is. 00:16:09.340 --> 00:16:10.660 It's an us and them thing. 00:16:10.780 --> 00:16:13.930 And that's never been in my wheelhouse and really, you know, is 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:15.910 to educate our chiefs along the way. 00:16:15.910 --> 00:16:19.690 Through my years as a fire chief, I've had to pull some of those chiefs along. 00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:22.940 as well because they thought that's how it should be, that we're us and them. 00:16:22.940 --> 00:16:23.510 And it's not. 00:16:23.510 --> 00:16:27.320 it's we do this together and that's why we accomplish all the things we do. 00:16:27.680 --> 00:16:27.890 Cool. 00:16:28.070 --> 00:16:28.880 Jon: Yeah, that's great. 00:16:28.970 --> 00:16:33.060 So we're gonna, pivot a little bit and start to focus on really the theme 00:16:33.330 --> 00:16:36.210 that Louis and I when we're sitting and thinking about how we're gonna have this 00:16:36.210 --> 00:16:40.910 conversation with you, chief Lombardi was, really marrying that concept of, financial 00:16:40.910 --> 00:16:44.600 independence and financial literacy, with like overall firehouse culture 00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:48.020 and how sometimes that can be super beneficial and how that can also be a 00:16:48.020 --> 00:16:52.700 huge detractor as well, just depending on where you sit on that side of the fence. 00:16:52.880 --> 00:16:57.080 So one of the questions we have is, how would you describe the overall 00:16:57.080 --> 00:17:00.290 financial challenges that firefighters face throughout their careers? 00:17:00.290 --> 00:17:03.830 Obviously you've been in the fire service for a long time, you have 00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:06.680 a lineage, you have kids that are in the fire service as well. 00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:09.800 So this is probably meaningful for you, well beyond just your 00:17:09.800 --> 00:17:12.780 tenure here as the fire chief, and then your service to West Metro. 00:17:12.780 --> 00:17:15.900 But what do you think about, what are some of those challenges that they face? 00:17:16.995 --> 00:17:20.565 Don: Well, you know, I think that, you know, from when I first started out, to 00:17:20.565 --> 00:17:26.385 where we are today has been, we're leaps and bounds above what we feed both from a 00:17:26.595 --> 00:17:28.635 pay perspective and a benefit perspective. 00:17:29.235 --> 00:17:35.655 And I remember when I first got on, I was a school teacher and my pay as 00:17:35.655 --> 00:17:41.085 a tenured school teacher, so I'm up four years on almost was to the dollar 00:17:41.085 --> 00:17:44.085 of what I was getting as a brand new firefighter here at West Metro. 00:17:44.655 --> 00:17:46.365 And so that was interesting to me. 00:17:46.735 --> 00:17:49.705 but again, it was like $19,000 is what we made. 00:17:50.155 --> 00:17:53.475 And during that time, you know, it just, we thought we had good pay, 00:17:53.475 --> 00:17:57.585 we thought we had good benefits, and yet we were still, my wife and I. 00:17:58.230 --> 00:18:01.890 You know, she stayed at home with her kids, was still like poor as church mice. 00:18:02.580 --> 00:18:06.300 So we got, or I got to see a lot of different things 00:18:06.350 --> 00:18:07.520 from a different perspective. 00:18:07.550 --> 00:18:08.980 'cause we had kids and such. 00:18:08.985 --> 00:18:14.935 and what I found is that, and me included, 'cause my first captain that I had my 00:18:14.935 --> 00:18:20.815 first shift, he sat me down and got out the I the ICMA form for our 4 57 00:18:20.815 --> 00:18:23.245 and said, okay, you're putting $25 in. 00:18:23.245 --> 00:18:24.445 I said, I can't afford that. 00:18:24.535 --> 00:18:25.405 He goes, I don't care. 00:18:25.555 --> 00:18:29.965 He goes, you're putting $25 into ICMA starting today. 00:18:30.655 --> 00:18:32.665 And that was my, that and good for him 00:18:32.800 --> 00:18:34.420 Louie: I'm gonna start doing that to all the new guys that come 00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:35.410 through, just forcing him to do it. 00:18:35.410 --> 00:18:36.100 I like that idea. 00:18:36.235 --> 00:18:38.605 Don: yeah, he, no, he did and he was a scary guy. 00:18:38.655 --> 00:18:40.590 he was my captain of training, captain Donal. 00:18:41.310 --> 00:18:41.820 And he was 00:18:41.865 --> 00:18:43.695 Jon: infamous for exactly that, 00:18:43.765 --> 00:18:45.150 Don: For exactly what you're saying. 00:18:45.150 --> 00:18:48.750 and, but yeah, he, so he's my training captain scared us all there. 00:18:48.750 --> 00:18:49.410 And then I always. 00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:52.950 I always made fun and said, oh, my luck is I'm gonna have, is my 00:18:52.950 --> 00:18:54.330 captain when I go to the station. 00:18:54.330 --> 00:18:55.530 And I did. 00:18:55.860 --> 00:19:01.680 But he sat me down and he said he wasn't, there was no option and he wasn't. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:04.110 When I say nice about it, he said, you are doing this. 00:19:04.530 --> 00:19:09.320 And I knew he cared because he, he told me why after you know that this is you 00:19:09.320 --> 00:19:11.810 may not be able to afford it today, but you won't, you're not gonna miss 00:19:11.810 --> 00:19:14.140 this money if it's gonna come out now. 00:19:14.530 --> 00:19:16.510 And so that's what the kind of the thinking was. 00:19:16.840 --> 00:19:22.510 So today, now I have a pretty good chunk in my ICMA because of him and always doing 00:19:22.510 --> 00:19:24.040 that, just never deviating from that. 00:19:24.460 --> 00:19:27.970 But what I think from a, from our firefighters now, what their 00:19:27.970 --> 00:19:31.310 perspective, and that's why I am loving what you guys are doing is 00:19:31.310 --> 00:19:32.960 because you give different perspective. 00:19:33.380 --> 00:19:36.320 They don't understand, retirement. 00:19:36.415 --> 00:19:38.305 and so I'm getting ready to retire. 00:19:38.575 --> 00:19:42.295 I now know, oh my gosh, all those decisions I made way back when 00:19:42.685 --> 00:19:44.305 have a great effect on me today. 00:19:44.905 --> 00:19:48.225 But at the time, I'm going, my gosh, every and everybody talks 00:19:48.225 --> 00:19:51.135 about it, they go, oh, you know, you gotta plan for retirement now. 00:19:51.135 --> 00:19:54.165 And, you know, our jobs in this and we look at retirement, blah, blah. 00:19:54.615 --> 00:19:55.845 We do, but we don't. 00:19:56.285 --> 00:20:00.565 and so, so I think our folks are uneducated about, really 00:20:00.565 --> 00:20:01.945 what's available to them. 00:20:02.335 --> 00:20:06.905 And then in turn, by putting dollars away today or figuring out what you can do with 00:20:06.905 --> 00:20:10.025 your dollars today helps you long term. 00:20:10.415 --> 00:20:14.105 The other thing too is I see this a lot and I don't know how to get around. 00:20:14.105 --> 00:20:20.845 It is, and I see it in, in, Athletes and professional athletes, they all of 00:20:20.845 --> 00:20:23.485 a sudden, like here at West Metro, when you become a firefighter here at West 00:20:23.485 --> 00:20:27.955 Metro, you're making pretty good money and you've got really super good benefits. 00:20:28.535 --> 00:20:32.105 and so people think that, oh, I'm gonna go out and buy this really 00:20:32.105 --> 00:20:33.485 cool truck, or I'm gonna buy 00:20:33.485 --> 00:20:34.115 Louie: truck baby. 00:20:34.115 --> 00:20:34.415 Yeah. 00:20:34.475 --> 00:20:36.820 The 1309, the Ford F 1309. 00:20:36.930 --> 00:20:37.220 Yeah. 00:20:37.370 --> 00:20:37.550 Jon: And 00:20:37.595 --> 00:20:41.005 Don: that, or get, jet skis or get a big huge cool trailer, 00:20:41.425 --> 00:20:42.565 which I think is all awesome. 00:20:43.165 --> 00:20:46.455 I still look at some of the toys that some of our folks have. 00:20:46.455 --> 00:20:48.705 I go, I can't afford that today. 00:20:48.855 --> 00:20:50.445 How are you affording that? 00:20:50.445 --> 00:20:50.505 Yeah. 00:20:51.075 --> 00:20:56.565 And so I want, I want people to think, you know, what's practical today and 00:20:56.565 --> 00:20:59.115 then long term of what they can sure. 00:20:59.235 --> 00:20:59.685 Afford. 00:20:59.685 --> 00:21:02.654 and so I go back to what they expect me as the fire chief 00:21:02.654 --> 00:21:04.064 from a budgeting perspective. 00:21:04.544 --> 00:21:08.084 You all want me to provide long-term. 00:21:08.444 --> 00:21:12.884 Fiscal sustainability that we can manage what we're doing today. 00:21:13.214 --> 00:21:17.684 That I can still do that five years from now, 10 years from now, 15 years from now. 00:21:18.164 --> 00:21:20.684 I ask, I go back to ask the same thing for our firefighters. 00:21:20.714 --> 00:21:24.794 'cause I see it a lot is think about your fiscal or your financial 00:21:24.794 --> 00:21:29.564 stability today and how are you gonna maintain that down the road? 00:21:29.714 --> 00:21:35.744 Because things happen, you know, illness happens, kids happen, life happens. 00:21:35.984 --> 00:21:39.134 All these things happen where you go, oh shoot, now I've got to 00:21:39.194 --> 00:21:40.694 pay more for something on that. 00:21:40.784 --> 00:21:46.434 And so always try to, when I look at our firefighters again, I want them to 00:21:46.434 --> 00:21:48.174 enjoy the dollars that they're making. 00:21:48.174 --> 00:21:51.574 But some of the stuff I look and go, I don't know how you afford that. 00:21:51.624 --> 00:21:51.894 Louie: yeah. 00:21:52.464 --> 00:21:55.624 Well, so speaking of that, in all your experience, I'm sure you've seen 00:21:55.624 --> 00:21:59.174 this and we were kind of even talking about, before the recording started, we 00:21:59.174 --> 00:22:02.864 were kind of talking about some of the stresses that come with that financial 00:22:02.924 --> 00:22:05.204 insecurity or financial irresponsibility. 00:22:05.684 --> 00:22:08.804 But have you observed situations where a lack of financial knowledge negatively 00:22:08.804 --> 00:22:15.314 impacted a firefighter's performance on the job or wellbeing or just mental, 00:22:15.584 --> 00:22:19.334 whatever, alertness, mental health while on the job as a firefighter? 00:22:19.829 --> 00:22:20.189 Don: Yeah. 00:22:20.189 --> 00:22:22.839 and that's a great question and the answer is yes. 00:22:23.289 --> 00:22:30.819 And so when you look at, I think that finances and how we do finances and our 00:22:30.819 --> 00:22:37.839 ability to, pay for things or have some stability with our dollars, I think 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:39.669 it leads to a lot of different things. 00:22:39.669 --> 00:22:45.069 Meaning I've seen people that have been stressed out and have probably not done 00:22:45.069 --> 00:22:50.859 a great job of managing their money and they get into a jam in turn that causes. 00:22:51.199 --> 00:22:56.059 marital problems, and then, or family type problems, which in turn can 00:22:56.059 --> 00:23:00.969 cause, mental health problems, can cause anxiety, can cause other things. 00:23:01.209 --> 00:23:05.029 And then in turn, they feel like they may not have an out because 00:23:05.029 --> 00:23:08.229 they've spiraled so much in and haven't taken care of their dollars. 00:23:08.679 --> 00:23:12.069 Sometimes it can lead, I've seen to dependency problems either 00:23:12.069 --> 00:23:15.159 with substance abuse or with alcohol, those types of things. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:19.179 So I think that when we look at a, and again, just take the job itself 00:23:19.179 --> 00:23:23.659 of what we do and a lot, all the stressors of just our job that has, that 00:23:23.659 --> 00:23:26.264 compounds that, I think that having. 00:23:27.294 --> 00:23:32.814 financial difficulties or financial angst, also contributes greatly to that. 00:23:33.144 --> 00:23:37.264 And I had a chance to talk, with the general president, ed Kelly about this, 00:23:37.594 --> 00:23:39.854 that we, he thinks the same thing. 00:23:39.854 --> 00:23:44.629 He goes, if we could come out with a way to educate our firefighters on finances 00:23:44.684 --> 00:23:49.364 and give them some financial footing, because we do it with, here at West 00:23:49.364 --> 00:23:51.904 Metro, we do it from, fire training. 00:23:52.234 --> 00:23:54.164 We do, EMS training. 00:23:54.434 --> 00:23:56.774 And you go through paramedic school and you go through our academies. 00:23:56.774 --> 00:24:01.314 You do all these things and we're very much, on how we train you to do stuff. 00:24:01.734 --> 00:24:05.844 And if we had an avenue, and that's why I'm so happy, what you guys do, an avenue 00:24:05.844 --> 00:24:09.064 to educate people on, finances and. 00:24:09.529 --> 00:24:10.939 Fiscal responsibility. 00:24:11.369 --> 00:24:13.889 not to say that you can't have fun, and not to say you can't use your 00:24:13.889 --> 00:24:17.549 dollars for fun things, but if you've got everything else taken care of, 00:24:17.549 --> 00:24:19.169 then you, then it's okay to do those. 00:24:19.679 --> 00:24:24.449 But I think that would take away, if we had some better responsibility 00:24:24.449 --> 00:24:28.949 with our dollars, that would take away one of those, problems of 00:24:28.979 --> 00:24:32.189 creating other things that, stressors that we have from firefighters. 00:24:32.689 --> 00:24:36.389 and so I think that's a big thing that we need to do and 00:24:36.389 --> 00:24:38.219 we need to educate better on. 00:24:38.269 --> 00:24:42.409 and this is how, and I love our firefighters. 00:24:42.409 --> 00:24:46.649 I do, but sometimes they, I, they cause me pause. 00:24:46.769 --> 00:24:49.859 And the reason is this'll give a good example of that. 00:24:50.379 --> 00:24:55.569 one of our, when we went from our money purchase plan and we got 00:24:55.569 --> 00:24:59.109 into our defined benefit plan, and. 00:24:59.694 --> 00:25:04.674 We had to switch things over and they said FPPA, the, our defined 00:25:04.674 --> 00:25:07.964 benefit said if you don't switch over, we're just gonna put your money, 00:25:07.964 --> 00:25:10.004 purchase dollars into this account. 00:25:11.084 --> 00:25:11.804 It was like a money 00:25:11.894 --> 00:25:12.824 Jon: Marney market account. 00:25:12.824 --> 00:25:12.974 Yeah. 00:25:12.974 --> 00:25:14.234 The safest account there is there. 00:25:14.234 --> 00:25:16.664 You're not gonna earn any money, but it's not gonna grow at all. 00:25:16.754 --> 00:25:17.024 Don: Yeah. 00:25:17.294 --> 00:25:21.764 So one of our firefighters did just that, didn't think he had to do 00:25:21.764 --> 00:25:23.534 anything, didn't listen, none of that. 00:25:24.104 --> 00:25:25.694 All of his dollars went into the money market. 00:25:25.694 --> 00:25:28.694 He comes up and he goes, okay, I'm ready to retire. 00:25:29.354 --> 00:25:32.654 HR looked at his stuff and said, not only can you not retire, you have to 00:25:32.654 --> 00:25:37.124 stay and put this much money away and do all these things to get your years 00:25:37.454 --> 00:25:39.284 so that you have a good defined benefit. 00:25:39.404 --> 00:25:41.174 And I looked at him and I said, what do you think? 00:25:41.174 --> 00:25:43.159 He goes, I just didn't know. 00:25:43.429 --> 00:25:43.879 And I went. 00:25:44.194 --> 00:25:45.454 This is your life. 00:25:45.544 --> 00:25:45.694 Yeah. 00:25:45.904 --> 00:25:49.244 This is, your, we all talk about it, make sure you know, can't you do 00:25:49.244 --> 00:25:53.054 all these things to protect yourself so that you have a good retirement. 00:25:53.144 --> 00:25:54.074 And then he had nothing. 00:25:54.074 --> 00:25:58.144 He had to stay for three more years, put money away, buy a bunch of years, all of 00:25:58.144 --> 00:26:02.464 these things to get to a point where he was, and I don't think it was even close 00:26:02.464 --> 00:26:03.604 to whole of what he should have been. 00:26:03.604 --> 00:26:06.274 Had he put it away or had he directed Yeah. 00:26:06.484 --> 00:26:07.804 Directed it the correct way. 00:26:08.014 --> 00:26:12.154 And so that was a big eyeopener to me of going, we need to educate our 00:26:12.154 --> 00:26:16.744 people better on what's available to them and then how to use it. 00:26:16.744 --> 00:26:21.594 and people have different, you guys know this, different temperatures of what they 00:26:21.804 --> 00:26:23.634 want to do from an investment standpoint. 00:26:23.634 --> 00:26:25.494 Some are really aggressive risk. 00:26:25.494 --> 00:26:25.854 Yeah. 00:26:26.604 --> 00:26:27.354 Really aggressive. 00:26:27.354 --> 00:26:29.304 And some people are going, nah, I want to be a T toller. 00:26:29.304 --> 00:26:31.824 Which is totally cool, but just have it in something where 00:26:31.824 --> 00:26:33.114 you know that it's going to. 00:26:33.474 --> 00:26:39.474 And then also the other stuff that we have available either through our RHS, 00:26:39.474 --> 00:26:41.694 I think has been super good for us. 00:26:41.754 --> 00:26:44.754 Louie: And that's the retirement health savings account for those of you that have 00:26:44.754 --> 00:26:47.064 ignored that or don't realize what that 00:26:47.169 --> 00:26:47.544 Don: Thank you. 00:26:47.569 --> 00:26:47.849 Jon: very little. 00:26:47.919 --> 00:26:48.209 Yeah. 00:26:48.504 --> 00:26:48.714 Don: Yeah. 00:26:48.714 --> 00:26:51.994 And so benefit, well, but I'm telling you now is, when we had 00:26:52.084 --> 00:26:56.294 retiree health and the district was paying, we were paying half, of that. 00:26:56.294 --> 00:26:58.214 And so when people didn't have to worry, they were paying 00:26:58.214 --> 00:26:59.354 the half of their premiums. 00:26:59.864 --> 00:27:04.144 And now when we reverted over to retirement health savings, RHS, we 00:27:04.144 --> 00:27:08.404 also now have to think, okay, how much is too much in there in your account? 00:27:08.824 --> 00:27:12.274 Because now I'm finding out, when I talked to my financial advisors, they 00:27:12.274 --> 00:27:14.074 said, how much do you have in your RHS? 00:27:14.074 --> 00:27:15.694 And I told them, and they went. 00:27:15.934 --> 00:27:17.614 Oh my gosh. 00:27:17.754 --> 00:27:18.354 Louie: how are you gonna use 00:27:18.414 --> 00:27:18.804 Don: Yeah. 00:27:19.014 --> 00:27:19.284 Yeah. 00:27:19.284 --> 00:27:22.624 And the good thing about from West Metro's perspective is the board of directors, and 00:27:22.624 --> 00:27:27.484 this goes back to relationships, had the board of directors, you know, so the RHS 00:27:27.904 --> 00:27:32.854 dollars, if I die, don't go to my family, technically they go back to the district. 00:27:33.364 --> 00:27:36.784 So the district board of directors has said they will take that money 00:27:37.084 --> 00:27:38.554 and give it to the survivors. 00:27:38.554 --> 00:27:39.184 Louie: Write a check out 00:27:39.184 --> 00:27:39.544 Don: Yeah. 00:27:39.544 --> 00:27:42.664 And so when I explained that to 'em, they went, okay, that makes great sense, 00:27:42.694 --> 00:27:45.254 because not many fire districts do that. 00:27:45.494 --> 00:27:48.304 You know, they just say, look, we put that money in and helped you out. 00:27:48.364 --> 00:27:50.264 Now we're gonna get it back if you pass. 00:27:50.444 --> 00:27:55.154 And so, so when you look at all of those avenues that we have, You know, 00:27:55.154 --> 00:27:59.084 for, like I talked about 4 57 and some other things, we have opportunities 00:27:59.084 --> 00:28:03.044 to put yourself in a good spot, but you have to be active about that. 00:28:03.044 --> 00:28:05.829 You have to understand what they're, and it's not rocket surgery. 00:28:05.829 --> 00:28:06.669 It really isn't. 00:28:06.999 --> 00:28:10.419 Just if you know what, if you know what all of the options that we 00:28:10.419 --> 00:28:13.779 have and just take somewhat of an active role in that, I think you'll 00:28:13.779 --> 00:28:15.069 probably be way ahead of the game. 00:28:15.129 --> 00:28:15.669 Yeah, and 00:28:15.864 --> 00:28:18.864 Jon: something that I think is back to the culture aspect of it. 00:28:18.864 --> 00:28:21.954 And you talked about Captain Donal, Leah, more or less, I don't wanna 00:28:21.954 --> 00:28:24.174 say coercing you, but be like, I know this is in your best interest. 00:28:24.174 --> 00:28:24.804 You gotta do that. 00:28:25.224 --> 00:28:28.134 And that's something that we have a pretty strong culture here. 00:28:28.194 --> 00:28:32.244 I think last time I checked with hr, it's like 90, 95% of our, I. 00:28:32.474 --> 00:28:36.734 Our members contribute to the 4 57 plan, which is an amazing uptake ratio. 00:28:37.034 --> 00:28:41.194 There's a department that's close by a similar, profile as far as our 00:28:41.194 --> 00:28:43.174 size, and there's those with like 60%. 00:28:43.384 --> 00:28:44.314 So a lot of that just 00:28:44.364 --> 00:28:45.991 Louie: and they consider that good. 00:28:45.991 --> 00:28:45.993 They consider 00:28:46.019 --> 00:28:46.024 Don: that good and they consider 00:28:46.054 --> 00:28:46.744 Jon: that not bad. 00:28:46.744 --> 00:28:47.104 Pretty good. 00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:50.279 So a lot of this is just the culture that you maintain at the 00:28:50.279 --> 00:28:53.639 firehouse and the conversations that you have at the kitchen table. 00:28:53.639 --> 00:28:56.519 And that's where we all have a certain level of accountability, personal 00:28:56.519 --> 00:28:59.399 accountability, but also responsibility for who you're working with. 00:28:59.609 --> 00:29:02.669 And as new folks come on, or even people that have been here for a while, just 00:29:02.669 --> 00:29:05.699 checking in, and Louie and I always talk with the recruits about this, 00:29:05.699 --> 00:29:07.889 it's a sacred profession in that. 00:29:07.904 --> 00:29:11.054 The, the knowledge and the information that you're gonna share. 00:29:11.054 --> 00:29:15.224 The personal, you know, the intimacy that you will have is unlike many 00:29:15.224 --> 00:29:17.564 other industries out there, a lot of people can play or kinda like the 00:29:17.564 --> 00:29:21.464 military and some of these other close knit, tight unit teamwork type things. 00:29:21.464 --> 00:29:24.944 So that's just something that we all have a responsibility to check in and 00:29:24.944 --> 00:29:26.814 make sure people are doing fine on that. 00:29:26.814 --> 00:29:30.714 And when things start going off the rails is, there's plenty of resources out there 00:29:30.954 --> 00:29:32.394 in which we can help, course correct. 00:29:32.394 --> 00:29:32.994 But it does. 00:29:32.994 --> 00:29:34.914 100% starts with education. 00:29:35.154 --> 00:29:38.374 So one of the things that the the IAFF is looking at, or they have 00:29:38.374 --> 00:29:42.424 implemented, and this took place back in when we had the Ottawa convention, 00:29:42.704 --> 00:29:45.134 it's initiative called the 15 by five. 00:29:45.374 --> 00:29:48.464 So basically they want every IAFF member. 00:29:48.719 --> 00:29:51.989 By the time that they have are in their fifth year service to have 00:29:51.989 --> 00:29:56.699 15% of their salary saved in their deferred comp plan, their 4 57 plan. 00:29:56.699 --> 00:29:57.809 And you do it incrementally. 00:29:57.989 --> 00:30:01.829 So you start with five and then it's just 2% every year thereafter. 00:30:02.009 --> 00:30:04.439 Hopefully raises and everything else are kind of gonna take that 00:30:04.439 --> 00:30:05.519 raise and just put it over there. 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:10.109 if our members were able to put away 15% of their salary every 00:30:10.109 --> 00:30:13.499 year, ever since five years, we would all be in a much better shape. 00:30:13.644 --> 00:30:14.364 Louie: we are doing great. 00:30:14.429 --> 00:30:14.699 Jon: Yep. 00:30:14.759 --> 00:30:17.699 So it's just little things like that, it's little nudges here and 00:30:17.699 --> 00:30:19.349 then incrementally just keeping up. 00:30:19.349 --> 00:30:20.789 It really moves the needle on that. 00:30:20.789 --> 00:30:24.569 So I'm happy that you got to have that conversation with GP Kelly and, 00:30:24.569 --> 00:30:27.714 probably secretary, treasurer Frank Lima, and having those, 'cause it's 00:30:27.714 --> 00:30:31.174 important not just at our level at West Metro, but statewide and the 00:30:31.174 --> 00:30:33.844 nationally as well, to have those and carry on those conversations. 00:30:33.844 --> 00:30:34.114 So 00:30:34.299 --> 00:30:38.019 Don: when you look from those perspectives too, is what people don't realize is 00:30:38.019 --> 00:30:43.359 that when you start earlier in your career, when you start earlier and start 00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:48.489 putting, you know, X amount of dollars away for those types of things, then. 00:30:48.959 --> 00:30:52.169 by the time you retire my age, you look back and you go, oh my gosh. 00:30:52.649 --> 00:30:54.959 You know how much you have that helps you out. 00:30:55.329 --> 00:30:58.929 and so I think that it's went from a cultural perspective, you're 00:30:58.929 --> 00:31:01.709 right, that we need to educate our folks and put our arms around them 00:31:01.979 --> 00:31:03.569 and show them all of these things. 00:31:03.694 --> 00:31:07.654 I think that's incumbent upon all of us to be able to do, you know, if we talk 00:31:07.654 --> 00:31:11.354 about that we're in this, brother and sisterhood of taking care of each other, 00:31:11.354 --> 00:31:15.944 and here at West Metro, we really pride ourselves on having this family that 00:31:16.004 --> 00:31:17.654 I think it's incumbent upon all of us. 00:31:17.654 --> 00:31:20.744 And like you guys do that we put our arms around somebody and say, 00:31:20.744 --> 00:31:23.984 look, you need to be looking at these types of things, and not only 00:31:23.984 --> 00:31:25.694 for your future, but even for today. 00:31:25.754 --> 00:31:28.974 You go and, because we all talk about, I'm gonna go buy this, 00:31:28.974 --> 00:31:29.934 and what do you think about that? 00:31:29.984 --> 00:31:34.594 this boat and all the, I think that, just having that candid conversation of saying, 00:31:34.984 --> 00:31:36.244 are you sure you're able to afford that? 00:31:36.244 --> 00:31:39.934 Or if you get in over your head and you've, you're, you've leveraged 00:31:39.934 --> 00:31:43.054 yourself to the hilt on loans or whatever it might be, does that. 00:31:43.444 --> 00:31:45.964 Does that, is that feasible? 00:31:45.964 --> 00:31:47.044 Does that make sense to you? 00:31:47.404 --> 00:31:47.464 Yeah. 00:31:47.464 --> 00:31:48.004 long term. 00:31:48.004 --> 00:31:51.474 And the other thing too is, through the, through a lot of years, we built a lot 00:31:51.474 --> 00:31:55.294 of good relationships, especially, I sit on the board right now for the Foothills 00:31:55.294 --> 00:32:00.124 Credit Union and, they've been worked really well with us, but they give a 00:32:00.124 --> 00:32:01.744 lot of information to our firefighters. 00:32:01.744 --> 00:32:04.014 They come out, at the academy and give information. 00:32:04.314 --> 00:32:07.494 So there's different portals that we have that, it doesn't have to be just 00:32:07.494 --> 00:32:11.494 through ICMA or it doesn't have to be, through some of the other stuff we have, 00:32:11.714 --> 00:32:15.404 since we've built these relationships, now our firefighters can go and their 00:32:15.404 --> 00:32:19.724 families can go and save to Foothills and get a better rate on loans or get, 00:32:19.794 --> 00:32:23.944 better savings, CDs and things like that, that I think gives us different options. 00:32:24.124 --> 00:32:27.704 Jon: Yeah, I wanted to give, a huge plug and a huge shout out to, our 00:32:27.704 --> 00:32:29.594 HR department here at West Metro. 00:32:29.844 --> 00:32:33.894 they really do go above and beyond with what is required, quite frankly, 00:32:34.074 --> 00:32:37.854 and one of the recent things they did, and if there's members or. 00:32:38.154 --> 00:32:41.094 People listening in the audience outside of West Metro, potentially something 00:32:41.094 --> 00:32:42.624 you should bring to your organization. 00:32:42.624 --> 00:32:46.554 Your department is making sure that beneficiaries are updated yearly. 00:32:46.744 --> 00:32:50.074 because we know life happens, divorces, all sorts of things. 00:32:50.074 --> 00:32:53.434 And we've unfortunately had several members here that did not have 00:32:53.434 --> 00:32:56.704 their beneficiaries aligned with their wishes or their latest wishes. 00:32:57.004 --> 00:33:00.294 And, the funds ended up going to someone that they didn't want it to go to. 00:33:00.294 --> 00:33:03.664 And it's not required from the depart from the department standpoint, it's 00:33:03.664 --> 00:33:05.074 not some kind of law they're following. 00:33:05.074 --> 00:33:07.744 Once you get that form, they don't have to continue to update that. 00:33:07.744 --> 00:33:11.704 This is something that our organization values, our HR department and it's a 00:33:11.704 --> 00:33:13.174 heavy lift for them to update that. 00:33:13.174 --> 00:33:16.534 Every year we get members that call in and they're trying to figure the login 00:33:16.534 --> 00:33:19.654 account and they're just constantly trying to keep our members up to date. 00:33:19.654 --> 00:33:22.624 And when you look at, I don't know, even you as the fire chief, if you realized 00:33:22.624 --> 00:33:26.854 all the forms that are maintained with all of our benefits, like it, it blew 00:33:26.854 --> 00:33:28.954 me away when I looked at all that stuff. 00:33:28.954 --> 00:33:29.584 I was like, and I. 00:33:29.824 --> 00:33:31.684 Try to keep up to date on all that stuff. 00:33:31.684 --> 00:33:35.194 And there was even a couple, lapses in some of my stuff that, could have 00:33:35.194 --> 00:33:36.664 put my family in a bad position. 00:33:36.664 --> 00:33:39.393 Don: and you talk about that, and that's a huge statement because 00:33:39.753 --> 00:33:43.743 we had, we have had examples of that, and from a, the district's 00:33:43.743 --> 00:33:45.813 perspective, I can't do anything. 00:33:46.063 --> 00:33:51.133 HR came down to me and said, Hey, can we, this is going to, an ex-wife 00:33:51.133 --> 00:33:55.003 that they haven't been married for 20 years and he's got another family 00:33:55.333 --> 00:33:57.303 and, kids and all this other stuff. 00:33:57.303 --> 00:33:59.853 And I said, we have no choice by law, 00:33:59.943 --> 00:34:00.663 Jon: by law, by contract, 00:34:00.708 --> 00:34:00.948 Don: contract. 00:34:00.948 --> 00:34:01.908 We have to do it that way. 00:34:01.908 --> 00:34:02.028 That's 00:34:02.073 --> 00:34:02.733 Louie: That's heartbreaking. 00:34:02.783 --> 00:34:03.913 Don: you make a great point. 00:34:03.913 --> 00:34:06.483 Is we, it's, again, it's not rocket. 00:34:06.483 --> 00:34:07.143 It's not hard. 00:34:07.193 --> 00:34:11.483 Time it takes diligence, takes responsibility on all of our parts to 00:34:11.483 --> 00:34:12.953 make sure that those are up to snuff. 00:34:12.953 --> 00:34:15.743 'cause if not us, no one else can. 00:34:15.743 --> 00:34:18.593 Like you said, HR can't change beneficiaries, they can't 00:34:18.593 --> 00:34:19.523 do these types of things. 00:34:19.523 --> 00:34:21.913 We have to be proactive with all of those things. 00:34:22.183 --> 00:34:26.067 And in, and if I was to give advice to anybody, that would be one of my 00:34:26.067 --> 00:34:31.287 main things is to say, be proactive on what your benefits are, who's getting 00:34:31.287 --> 00:34:33.027 benefits if something happens to you? 00:34:33.357 --> 00:34:34.227 Those types of things. 00:34:34.227 --> 00:34:35.277 And keep up on those. 00:34:35.382 --> 00:34:35.682 Louie: Yeah. 00:34:36.357 --> 00:34:36.627 Don: That's cool. 00:34:38.182 --> 00:34:41.392 Louie: we kind of want to now shift a little bit and talk about, maybe, 00:34:42.202 --> 00:34:44.962 drawing on your extensive knowledge and 00:34:45.197 --> 00:34:47.207 Jon: that's a really nice way of saying you've been here for a 00:34:47.232 --> 00:34:47.802 Don: Yeah, I'm old. 00:34:47.972 --> 00:34:49.376 Louie: you're, you're old and you got some 00:34:49.516 --> 00:34:50.046 Jon: Salt and pepper. 00:34:50.261 --> 00:34:50.561 Don: Yeah. 00:34:50.606 --> 00:34:54.986 Louie: but what, you know, if you could kind of go back 33 years ago, 00:34:55.326 --> 00:34:58.956 you clearly contributed to a 4 57 as you were strong armed by your officer. 00:34:59.106 --> 00:35:02.226 But what would you have done differently, or what do you look back 00:35:02.226 --> 00:35:03.696 now from a financial perspective? 00:35:03.696 --> 00:35:10.416 What do you wish that you would've done to maybe change the course 00:35:10.416 --> 00:35:14.256 of your financial future or your current financial situation? 00:35:14.466 --> 00:35:16.266 Not that you're in a rough financial situation. 00:35:16.506 --> 00:35:16.626 No. 00:35:16.656 --> 00:35:18.456 But knowing what you know now, 00:35:18.561 --> 00:35:23.501 Don: so interestingly, we have two kids and so, we were just, we were in 00:35:23.501 --> 00:35:26.531 a position where I, we couldn't put a lot of dollars away for college. 00:35:27.041 --> 00:35:32.001 And so, I'm proud to say that we put our two kids one through the University of 00:35:32.001 --> 00:35:36.891 Denver and then one through Colorado State University, which is hard for me to say 00:35:36.891 --> 00:35:39.861 as a buffalo, but, without any loans. 00:35:39.981 --> 00:35:40.881 But that was, that's awesome. 00:35:41.451 --> 00:35:43.621 Well, it is, but it isn't, we. 00:35:44.056 --> 00:35:47.946 We, refinanced our house several times, to pay for all that. 00:35:47.946 --> 00:35:52.416 Now, I can say that our houses, our mortgages paid off and we 00:35:52.416 --> 00:35:54.366 did it be earlier than 30 years. 00:35:54.366 --> 00:35:58.366 So it all worked out, but it was a stressful time, and my wife's parents 00:35:58.696 --> 00:36:01.906 helped out and my parents helped out a little bit on those, but not a ton. 00:36:02.496 --> 00:36:08.696 so I guess going back, I, although I put money into a 4 57, I wish that 00:36:08.696 --> 00:36:14.786 I had done it better incrementally, meaning as I got raises, and again, 00:36:14.786 --> 00:36:19.856 we were, so, I understand when people say, look, I'm in the moment, we 00:36:19.856 --> 00:36:21.776 were truly as poor as church mice. 00:36:22.096 --> 00:36:24.826 again, my wife stayed home, to take care of the kids. 00:36:24.826 --> 00:36:27.806 We had a little small business out of the house, where we did 00:36:27.806 --> 00:36:29.186 first aid and CPR training. 00:36:29.606 --> 00:36:36.186 And so every either promotion that I got or every raise that we got, we gobbled up. 00:36:36.251 --> 00:36:39.191 And you know, people that lived paycheck to paycheck, we did. 00:36:39.881 --> 00:36:44.371 and so, one of the things that, and I, it has zero to do with me. 00:36:44.371 --> 00:36:47.701 It has everything to do with my wife, Vicki, is before we got married, 00:36:47.941 --> 00:36:50.851 we were getting right about, we're getting married and she goes, 00:36:50.851 --> 00:36:52.081 okay, this is how it's gonna be. 00:36:52.711 --> 00:36:54.601 She goes, you're gonna have your account. 00:36:55.111 --> 00:36:57.661 I'm gonna have my account and then we'll have a joint account. 00:36:58.201 --> 00:36:59.881 I said, no honey, come on. 00:36:59.931 --> 00:37:01.191 let's have one account. 00:37:01.191 --> 00:37:02.481 She goes, absolutely not. 00:37:03.171 --> 00:37:08.421 And so we had, we started off that way and she goes, if we'll put money into a 00:37:08.421 --> 00:37:12.381 joint account that to cover all of our expenses together and stuff like that. 00:37:12.381 --> 00:37:12.681 Yeah. 00:37:12.741 --> 00:37:17.051 And then she goes, whatever's left over, you gotta keep yours and I'll keep mine. 00:37:17.081 --> 00:37:20.681 'cause we were both employed at the time and she goes, if you want to go out 00:37:20.681 --> 00:37:24.341 and, you know, play golf or drink beer with your friends, I won't say anything. 00:37:24.341 --> 00:37:27.581 And if I want to go out and do whatever I do, you don't get a. 00:37:27.896 --> 00:37:28.856 You know, bitch about that. 00:37:28.856 --> 00:37:29.487 Can I say bitch in 00:37:29.546 --> 00:37:29.606 Jon: yeah, 00:37:29.816 --> 00:37:29.876 Don: yeah. 00:37:29.936 --> 00:37:30.266 Okay. 00:37:30.531 --> 00:37:31.281 you don't get a bitch then. 00:37:31.401 --> 00:37:31.521 Yeah. 00:37:31.671 --> 00:37:36.751 And so, and so it, it morphed a little bit after that when she 00:37:36.751 --> 00:37:39.361 stayed at home with the kids and she couldn't contribute as much. 00:37:39.691 --> 00:37:41.431 So then I got an allowance and stuff. 00:37:41.431 --> 00:37:44.671 but nonetheless is, I still have my account, she has her account 00:37:44.671 --> 00:37:48.781 and we have a joint account and it has saved our marriage Sure. 00:37:49.141 --> 00:37:50.821 Because we don't argue about money ever. 00:37:50.821 --> 00:37:50.911 Nice. 00:37:51.451 --> 00:37:56.351 And so I tell that to people a lot is, consider those things because I 00:37:56.351 --> 00:38:01.151 have a lot of friends here and they either try to hide money from, you 00:38:01.181 --> 00:38:03.041 know, of saying, you know, I can't 00:38:03.131 --> 00:38:03.911 Jon: it's a little slush 00:38:04.121 --> 00:38:04.361 Don: Yeah. 00:38:04.361 --> 00:38:04.841 Exactly. 00:38:04.841 --> 00:38:07.511 That or other, and there's none of that with us. 00:38:07.511 --> 00:38:08.771 and or they say. 00:38:09.051 --> 00:38:12.991 I went out and, we went to Vegas and gambled a little bit more than we thought. 00:38:13.351 --> 00:38:14.401 Had a little bit too much fun. 00:38:14.431 --> 00:38:17.701 And so my wife now gets that much to go out and do whatever she wants. 00:38:18.061 --> 00:38:19.621 We've never had those problems. 00:38:19.671 --> 00:38:22.371 so I would suggest that to a lot of people. 00:38:22.551 --> 00:38:25.371 Like I said, it was wonderful for us. 00:38:25.441 --> 00:38:29.356 in fact, I remember when I was a captain of Station 12, and Dr. 00:38:29.356 --> 00:38:34.711 Phil had a show specifically on that same thing we're doing, and I grabbed Kevin 00:38:34.711 --> 00:38:37.581 Warren, one of my engineer at the time and said, you need to be, because you 00:38:37.581 --> 00:38:39.291 get married, you need to be doing that. 00:38:39.321 --> 00:38:39.651 Yeah. 00:38:39.801 --> 00:38:40.851 And I think he did. 00:38:41.191 --> 00:38:45.601 but anyway, so back to what I wish I, I wish that I had, 00:38:45.711 --> 00:38:47.931 enough, I'll just say guts to. 00:38:48.876 --> 00:38:52.566 It when I got raises or when I got promoted is to put more money away. 00:38:52.836 --> 00:38:57.126 I've got a pretty good, you know, the 4 57 now is okay, but you think 00:38:57.126 --> 00:38:59.836 over, 30 years it would be a lot more 00:38:59.966 --> 00:39:00.866 Louie: all that compound interest. 00:39:00.871 --> 00:39:01.251 yeah, 00:39:01.311 --> 00:39:06.471 Don: so I would suggest as people look at that as is to take, put money 00:39:06.471 --> 00:39:11.331 in there and do the pre-tax stuff so that you look at that and say, okay, 00:39:11.661 --> 00:39:13.866 I, I don't, I'm not getting that. 00:39:13.871 --> 00:39:14.151 Yeah. 00:39:14.346 --> 00:39:16.556 And I'm not, I don't, write a check every time. 00:39:16.856 --> 00:39:20.366 I think it's easier that you get that taken out and then 00:39:20.366 --> 00:39:21.806 you don't worry about that. 00:39:21.806 --> 00:39:21.926 I, and 00:39:21.941 --> 00:39:24.581 Louie: I, man, that's, that, those are great pieces of advice. 00:39:24.641 --> 00:39:27.791 two things I'll say about that, John, this is really good for us because we're 00:39:27.791 --> 00:39:29.621 always looking for, recommendations. 00:39:29.621 --> 00:39:32.621 We're always asking the membership like, what do you guys want us to talk about? 00:39:32.621 --> 00:39:33.761 What do you guys have questions on? 00:39:33.881 --> 00:39:37.031 And I know one thing that I don't think it's on our list of like future 00:39:37.031 --> 00:39:41.431 episodes, but I think, how couples handle finances I think is super important. 00:39:41.431 --> 00:39:42.391 And that's a great idea. 00:39:42.391 --> 00:39:45.991 And I know, Caitlyn and I have some pretty advanced budgeting software 00:39:45.991 --> 00:39:47.581 that we do, but we do the same. 00:39:47.926 --> 00:39:50.056 Yeah, nerds, but we do the same thing. 00:39:50.146 --> 00:39:54.376 She has her own account and I have mine, we call her discretionary funds. 00:39:54.556 --> 00:39:57.706 And those are things that we can spend that money on whatever we want, 00:39:57.736 --> 00:40:00.706 whether it's go golfing, drinking with my buddies or whatever it is. 00:40:01.066 --> 00:40:02.476 And she could do the same thing. 00:40:02.476 --> 00:40:05.266 She buys fabric and sewing machines or whatever, and we don't have 00:40:05.266 --> 00:40:06.136 to clear it with each other. 00:40:06.136 --> 00:40:08.866 Hey, I thought that money was for our family vacation, or I thought that 00:40:08.866 --> 00:40:10.966 money was for the mortgage payment. 00:40:10.966 --> 00:40:14.416 it's all set up so that she knows what is in her account. 00:40:14.416 --> 00:40:17.356 her budget line item is for her to do whatever she wants. 00:40:17.566 --> 00:40:20.116 I think we can have a really good episode where we talk about that. 00:40:20.116 --> 00:40:21.676 That's a fantastic idea. 00:40:21.781 --> 00:40:22.111 Don: Yeah. 00:40:22.111 --> 00:40:22.296 I like that a lot. 00:40:22.466 --> 00:40:23.006 and I agree. 00:40:23.011 --> 00:40:26.536 and if you, with your experiences, and it's interesting. 00:40:26.536 --> 00:40:29.746 Vic and I have different, looks on purchasing. 00:40:29.746 --> 00:40:32.506 She's very much a remorseful buyer. 00:40:32.896 --> 00:40:36.526 We'll go out and buy a couch and the next she goes, do you 00:40:36.526 --> 00:40:37.546 think we really can afford this? 00:40:37.546 --> 00:40:38.356 I said, yes, we can. 00:40:38.506 --> 00:40:39.526 And I'm the opposite way. 00:40:39.526 --> 00:40:43.096 I always say, we'll figure out how to right pay for this. 00:40:43.486 --> 00:40:44.296 And we always have. 00:40:44.296 --> 00:40:48.266 And the thing is, and again, now that we're doing, from fire chief's, 00:40:48.266 --> 00:40:50.386 wages are doing okay for us. 00:40:50.506 --> 00:40:54.186 But I remember again, when things weren't, were difficult for us 00:40:54.186 --> 00:40:55.326 when we had the kids at home. 00:40:55.776 --> 00:41:00.886 we were famous for going out and buying, something that had, no payments, 00:41:00.886 --> 00:41:03.136 no interest for X amount of time. 00:41:03.376 --> 00:41:06.916 We put the money away knowing that in 36 months or whatever it was, 00:41:06.916 --> 00:41:08.266 we'd have to pay those things. 00:41:08.416 --> 00:41:12.556 And we, we did that every time, which in turn helped our credit. 00:41:12.556 --> 00:41:15.596 So then we could get better, loans or things like this if we needed. 00:41:15.926 --> 00:41:17.236 But, But it was interesting. 00:41:17.236 --> 00:41:20.266 We were very famous for that, but she is very much a, 00:41:20.806 --> 00:41:22.006 Jon: she's kinda like a spend thrift. 00:41:22.006 --> 00:41:22.996 Like she just doesn't, 00:41:23.096 --> 00:41:24.026 Louie: and you're not, you don't care. 00:41:24.026 --> 00:41:25.736 You're just like, whatever, man, that money's gone. 00:41:25.976 --> 00:41:26.246 Yeah, 00:41:26.306 --> 00:41:26.546 Don: is. 00:41:26.546 --> 00:41:27.366 I, we'll go out. 00:41:27.676 --> 00:41:31.366 we just bought couches the other day and I said, we need to get a new couch. 00:41:31.396 --> 00:41:34.786 And she said, she goes, we've got some pretty big expenses coming up. 00:41:34.786 --> 00:41:35.356 We've gotta wait. 00:41:35.356 --> 00:41:36.976 And I'm going, no, we don't. 00:41:37.546 --> 00:41:38.631 And so fix it. 00:41:38.686 --> 00:41:38.986 I know. 00:41:39.616 --> 00:41:39.886 Yeah. 00:41:39.886 --> 00:41:45.636 and then, so then when we went and bought it, and we, it was the, it was like the 00:41:45.636 --> 00:41:47.466 memorial day or whatever it was, deal. 00:41:47.946 --> 00:41:50.676 And so she goes, at least we got this much off. 00:41:50.726 --> 00:41:52.511 and I was just like, my gosh, 00:41:52.611 --> 00:41:53.396 Jon: looking for a deal. 00:41:53.396 --> 00:41:57.141 so one of the courses that I took, that was actually my favorite course, was a 00:41:57.141 --> 00:41:58.851 course called Money and Relationships. 00:41:59.161 --> 00:42:01.261 I mean it was more or less, how to be a therapist. 00:42:01.291 --> 00:42:04.321 'cause there's actually a subspecialty within financial planning that 00:42:04.321 --> 00:42:06.721 specifically focuses on financial therapy. 00:42:06.751 --> 00:42:10.111 And that's, you've already alluded to it, where a lot of the sources of 00:42:10.111 --> 00:42:12.031 conflict come from in a relationship. 00:42:12.251 --> 00:42:14.891 it's not about the money, like the money is the symptom. 00:42:15.041 --> 00:42:17.981 There's something more deep seated about where the resentment or 00:42:17.981 --> 00:42:19.391 wherever that is coming from. 00:42:19.391 --> 00:42:23.171 But until you actually talk about this stuff openly is where you can 00:42:23.171 --> 00:42:24.491 really start to make some headway. 00:42:24.641 --> 00:42:25.241 And what I've. 00:42:25.721 --> 00:42:26.711 Heard from both of you. 00:42:26.711 --> 00:42:29.771 It seems like although your styles are different, at the end of the 00:42:29.771 --> 00:42:32.951 day, you guys are operating as one and you guys are aligned. 00:42:33.191 --> 00:42:37.241 And even though people have different feelings about what that spending or lack 00:42:37.241 --> 00:42:41.701 of spending may be, you guys are on the same train heading down the same tracks. 00:42:41.911 --> 00:42:44.911 And the minute that those things start to bifurcate is when 00:42:44.911 --> 00:42:45.901 there can be some friction. 00:42:45.901 --> 00:42:48.781 So I think there's a lot of useful tools out there, but I think that 00:42:48.781 --> 00:42:50.851 would be a fun episode to have. 00:42:51.071 --> 00:42:53.621 and that's something that, you know, just around the firehouse table is 00:42:53.621 --> 00:42:57.611 always a source of comedy for one, but also friction and real friction. 00:42:57.611 --> 00:43:00.401 And if we can help alleviate some of that friction and give people some 00:43:00.401 --> 00:43:03.801 strategies and some tools to help mitigate that, all for the better. 00:43:03.891 --> 00:43:05.031 So I like that idea. 00:43:05.061 --> 00:43:07.881 Louie: I just want our listeners to also take note is, one thing that 00:43:07.881 --> 00:43:11.421 John and I always preach to new firefighters, to people at the station, 00:43:11.751 --> 00:43:15.981 to whoever we talk to, is about putting money away in your 4 57 or your IRA. 00:43:16.321 --> 00:43:18.931 and you just heard the fire chief say the same thing. 00:43:18.931 --> 00:43:20.881 if I had to do over again, I would put more money, I'd 00:43:20.881 --> 00:43:22.081 make the sacrifice earlier. 00:43:22.291 --> 00:43:24.631 I try to put more money in that 4 57. 00:43:24.631 --> 00:43:27.691 And that is something that we always say is, look, you think that someday 00:43:27.691 --> 00:43:31.261 it's gonna be easier and it will be in some ways, but there's always gonna be 00:43:31.261 --> 00:43:35.881 demands for your money, whether it's kids or college or, HVAC systems or new 00:43:35.881 --> 00:43:40.081 trucks or boats or toys or whatever it is, you're gonna have demands for your 00:43:40.081 --> 00:43:45.271 money that are always going to tempt you away from contributing to your 4 57. 00:43:45.481 --> 00:43:48.511 But I've heard people at every single level of this organization, 00:43:48.691 --> 00:43:53.431 from firefighters who retired as a firefighter to now the chief about to 00:43:53.431 --> 00:43:56.921 retire saying, one, one thing that I could have done differently or that 00:43:56.921 --> 00:44:00.041 I would've considered doing earlier is putting more money in my 4 57. 00:44:00.341 --> 00:44:03.311 So I just want that to be a specific thing that we highlight in this episode 00:44:03.311 --> 00:44:06.101 is every level of the organization, people that have retired, have said, 00:44:06.251 --> 00:44:08.441 man, that 4 57 put money into it. 00:44:08.461 --> 00:44:09.541 Keep socking it away. 00:44:09.901 --> 00:44:12.391 Even if it's uncomfortable, do it and you won't regret it. 00:44:12.391 --> 00:44:14.461 No one has ever come to me, John, I know about you. 00:44:14.491 --> 00:44:15.391 No one's ever come to me. 00:44:15.391 --> 00:44:15.991 What about you chief? 00:44:15.991 --> 00:44:17.371 And said, you know what, man? 00:44:17.371 --> 00:44:20.431 I really wish that I don't, I didn't have as much money as I do in my 4 57. 00:44:20.431 --> 00:44:24.871 I really wish that I would not have saved as much as I did in retirement. 00:44:24.871 --> 00:44:25.891 Man, what was I thinking? 00:44:26.011 --> 00:44:26.641 I've never heard that. 00:44:26.736 --> 00:44:27.036 Don: Nope. 00:44:27.276 --> 00:44:27.606 Jon: No. 00:44:27.606 --> 00:44:30.366 If they, anything they're complaining about being in a higher tax bracket, then 00:44:30.396 --> 00:44:31.116 Don: That's mostly it. 00:44:31.116 --> 00:44:31.146 I, 00:44:31.146 --> 00:44:34.536 Jon: air to the IRS and everyone else about the unfortunateness of that. 00:44:34.626 --> 00:44:34.896 Don: yeah, 00:44:35.166 --> 00:44:38.166 Jon: that's, and the one other thing I really picked up on it, and it 00:44:38.166 --> 00:44:41.616 just hit me there, is where you were describing kind of your challenges at 00:44:41.616 --> 00:44:43.536 the beginning, especially, you know. 00:44:43.821 --> 00:44:45.111 33 years ago. 00:44:45.111 --> 00:44:49.241 I know a lot of our newer members feel like, some of the dreams of the American 00:44:49.241 --> 00:44:52.811 dreams have vanished because of high cost of living and all these other things. 00:44:52.811 --> 00:44:55.871 But it seems like in every generation it's always been that way where there 00:44:55.871 --> 00:44:59.321 has been a certain amount of sacrifice and scraping together a certain amount 00:44:59.321 --> 00:45:03.131 money in order to achieve certain life goals or whatever that is. 00:45:03.131 --> 00:45:06.671 So whether that was 30 years ago or five years ago, it seems like 00:45:06.671 --> 00:45:09.431 there's always that underpinning of theme that most people, especially 00:45:09.431 --> 00:45:13.121 at the very beginning, you're young, you just got outta college or your 00:45:13.121 --> 00:45:14.681 education, you're starting a family. 00:45:14.681 --> 00:45:18.441 There's just like a lot of those needs are trying to go all sorts of other places. 00:45:18.441 --> 00:45:21.351 So it's not lost on the three people around the microphones here, 00:45:21.731 --> 00:45:23.351 about what a challenge that is. 00:45:23.351 --> 00:45:26.771 But it's been that way for a lot of folks in a lot of different generations 00:45:26.771 --> 00:45:30.041 and not just here in Colorado housing is more expensive, but also our 00:45:30.041 --> 00:45:31.721 compensation is higher than other places. 00:45:31.721 --> 00:45:35.411 So if you level the playing field, a lot of that, It's, there has been things that 00:45:35.411 --> 00:45:38.861 have changed, but there's also things that, the themes are very similar, but 00:45:38.861 --> 00:45:42.901 I'm just curious, chief does that worry you at all about some of the, just some 00:45:42.901 --> 00:45:48.001 of the at least perceptions of a high cost of living area like Colorado and, 00:45:48.001 --> 00:45:51.541 a recruitment aspect and continuing to get, attract the most talented 00:45:51.541 --> 00:45:54.691 people here to this organization, does that ever sit in the back of your 00:45:54.691 --> 00:45:56.311 mind about being a limiting factor? 00:45:56.311 --> 00:45:59.431 That people are just gonna feel like, just even the perception of 00:45:59.431 --> 00:46:02.851 me not even being able to afford a home, like why would I wanna live in 00:46:02.851 --> 00:46:04.561 a place that I can't achieve that? 00:46:04.561 --> 00:46:06.351 Is that something that you think about? 00:46:06.481 --> 00:46:07.651 Don: It's not in the back of my mind. 00:46:07.651 --> 00:46:08.971 It's in the front of mind. 00:46:08.971 --> 00:46:12.151 Because when you think about that, like you said, from a recruiting 00:46:12.151 --> 00:46:17.091 perspective, we've done a lot of things to take away barriers, to get 00:46:17.091 --> 00:46:19.371 people to apply here at West Metro. 00:46:20.466 --> 00:46:24.486 And so one of the things that I can't get away from is what housing is, what the 00:46:24.486 --> 00:46:26.436 cost of living is, those types of things. 00:46:26.886 --> 00:46:31.686 And one thing that we've articulated to our board of directors, and really from 00:46:31.686 --> 00:46:37.746 the union perspective in collaboration, is that we want to have the best 00:46:37.746 --> 00:46:39.936 firefighters here, the best trained. 00:46:40.146 --> 00:46:42.186 And to do that, it costs dollars. 00:46:42.236 --> 00:46:47.496 we have to retain really good people, otherwise, they would go to other places. 00:46:47.806 --> 00:46:52.666 or now when you look at all the stuff, and rightly so, we talk about 00:46:52.666 --> 00:46:57.396 the risks of being a firefighter from, our cardiac problems to cancer 00:46:57.396 --> 00:47:00.666 problems, to mental health problems. 00:47:01.266 --> 00:47:04.026 And people going, why in the heck would I wanna do that? 00:47:04.026 --> 00:47:10.146 So I now recently been competing now with the private sector 00:47:10.176 --> 00:47:11.911 as well, on getting people. 00:47:12.091 --> 00:47:15.991 I've had people, some minorities say to me, why would I. 00:47:16.711 --> 00:47:22.411 Do all of that when I can work over here, have less stress and make pretty close 00:47:22.411 --> 00:47:24.751 to the same amount of dollars and stuff. 00:47:24.751 --> 00:47:28.081 So we have to look at it from a different perspective of the service 00:47:28.081 --> 00:47:29.401 and why you want to do these things. 00:47:29.401 --> 00:47:32.991 But again, if we don't, if we're not attractive enough from a, from a 00:47:32.991 --> 00:47:37.101 dollar perspective and from a benefit perspective, but then also then you 00:47:37.101 --> 00:47:41.581 look at the intrinsic things, what Mike Benny's been doing from a sleep 00:47:41.581 --> 00:47:45.871 perspective on is there a better schedule that we could be on or a 00:47:45.871 --> 00:47:47.581 better time start that we could be on? 00:47:48.191 --> 00:47:50.831 the bottom line is this, we have to protect our 00:47:50.831 --> 00:47:52.281 community, that's our business. 00:47:52.491 --> 00:47:52.551 Yeah. 00:47:52.611 --> 00:47:57.121 And so we have to have people here 24 hours, seven days a week 00:47:57.121 --> 00:47:58.861 to go on calls all the time. 00:47:58.861 --> 00:47:58.921 Yeah. 00:47:59.491 --> 00:48:02.491 But are there different ways that we can meet some of those needs 00:48:02.491 --> 00:48:04.521 that might help our workforce? 00:48:04.521 --> 00:48:11.081 Meaning is there an ability to have a surge, engine or a surge medic unit or a 00:48:11.081 --> 00:48:17.441 surge, whatever it is to help alleviate some of our busyness and do that on 00:48:17.441 --> 00:48:21.461 a different schedule where typically we're on a 24 hour schedule and for 00:48:21.461 --> 00:48:27.491 us being on the 48 96 turns into a 56 hour work week, are we able to look 00:48:27.491 --> 00:48:32.321 at a surge where we say, okay, you're gonna work this shift of, and just to 00:48:32.321 --> 00:48:37.161 throw things out a 10 hour shift and you work three and a half, days or four 00:48:37.161 --> 00:48:38.991 days for this to get to that 40 hours. 00:48:39.381 --> 00:48:42.771 Is that more beneficial for you from a family perspective, 00:48:43.041 --> 00:48:44.751 from a life perspective? 00:48:44.751 --> 00:48:48.071 All of those things where people go, they value. 00:48:49.031 --> 00:48:53.921 Me as a, as an employee here, as a worker here, they understand the difficulties 00:48:53.951 --> 00:48:57.641 of everything I want to be with them and as opposed to another place. 00:48:57.911 --> 00:48:59.681 So we have to look at those types of things. 00:48:59.681 --> 00:49:03.371 And if we were looking at, just as something, when I say as 00:49:03.371 --> 00:49:06.791 simple, 'cause it's not simple, a shift schedule, time change. 00:49:07.091 --> 00:49:10.141 Where we started 7:00 AM do you know why we started? 00:49:10.141 --> 00:49:10.411 Seven? 00:49:10.411 --> 00:49:11.821 Am you two? 00:49:11.866 --> 00:49:12.526 Jon: always done 00:49:12.606 --> 00:49:12.886 Don: Yeah. 00:49:12.886 --> 00:49:15.271 Just 'cause I remember that's what it always was. 00:49:15.541 --> 00:49:21.171 Started 7:00 AM And so through the fabulous research that Mike Benny's 00:49:21.171 --> 00:49:27.051 done, we know that our best time is probably to gain the best amount of sleep. 00:49:27.201 --> 00:49:34.311 Both coming to work and being at work is probably a 10:00 AM to a two-ish pm. 00:49:34.861 --> 00:49:35.581 time start. 00:49:36.331 --> 00:49:36.361 Okay? 00:49:36.631 --> 00:49:41.401 and so we get, we gain almost two hours of sleep for our firefighters, but then 00:49:41.401 --> 00:49:44.781 I have to then look from that and say, okay, how does that's great if that 00:49:44.781 --> 00:49:48.051 was the only pure thing that we had to do, but then I have to look, okay, 00:49:48.051 --> 00:49:49.521 how does that integrate with training? 00:49:49.521 --> 00:49:51.921 How does that integrate with building inspections? 00:49:51.921 --> 00:49:56.511 How does that integrate with everybody else around us on stuff, community events, 00:49:56.511 --> 00:49:58.191 blah, blah, blah, all of those things. 00:49:59.301 --> 00:50:03.531 And so when you look from that perspective is how then can we, from a leadership, 00:50:04.401 --> 00:50:07.521 can we fit that in to make that right? 00:50:07.821 --> 00:50:13.401 And then in turn, where I may not be able to because of revenue sources and because 00:50:13.401 --> 00:50:17.481 we live off taxes here, where people might say, I don't wanna pay you as much in 00:50:17.481 --> 00:50:20.571 taxes anymore, and they limit us on taxes. 00:50:20.811 --> 00:50:25.971 How do I make it that we get more people and we get highly skilled people, highly 00:50:25.971 --> 00:50:29.261 committed people with a big heart that says, I want to be part of West Metro. 00:50:29.261 --> 00:50:30.131 How do I do that? 00:50:30.521 --> 00:50:32.111 And if it's something as simple as. 00:50:32.516 --> 00:50:36.446 Man, they start at 11:00 AM That'd be great for my home life. 00:50:36.446 --> 00:50:38.496 That'd be great for, me working. 00:50:38.556 --> 00:50:38.826 Yeah. 00:50:38.826 --> 00:50:42.666 All of those things, when you look from those perspectives, how can we do that? 00:50:42.666 --> 00:50:49.646 So, so when we look and retain, it's also, dollars is a driver, don't get me wrong. 00:50:49.646 --> 00:50:49.706 Yeah. 00:50:50.096 --> 00:50:51.416 Benefits are a driver. 00:50:51.416 --> 00:50:55.886 But those other things, now I think are as important, if not more important 00:50:55.886 --> 00:50:58.706 to a lot of our newer workforce today. 00:50:58.766 --> 00:51:03.726 And again, going back to, if we're able to do those types of things and 00:51:03.726 --> 00:51:09.286 that value that we show from a, just being human, probably goes a long way. 00:51:10.006 --> 00:51:13.106 and then the other thing, I meant to talk about this a little bit earlier too. 00:51:13.526 --> 00:51:17.916 The other thing too is we have to remember that our firefighters have, a 00:51:17.916 --> 00:51:23.586 certain amount of life as a firefighter, meaning the demands of the job. 00:51:23.976 --> 00:51:26.706 And the stressors of the job limit us. 00:51:26.756 --> 00:51:30.946 we don't see, you know, somebody that's, gonna be here till they're 00:51:31.606 --> 00:51:35.406 65, a retirement age, or 70 or some, where you look out and you see that 00:51:35.406 --> 00:51:40.266 accountant that's been out there and he's 74 years old and still thriving. 00:51:40.986 --> 00:51:44.196 Not to say that we can't, and we don't, but that's not very typical. 00:51:44.466 --> 00:51:48.816 We have a shelf life here as firefighters because of the demands of the job. 00:51:49.086 --> 00:51:55.716 And so that's why it's more important that we put dollars away and we work 00:51:55.716 --> 00:51:57.926 on those things because our time. 00:51:57.931 --> 00:52:01.556 Getting those dollars is shortened and people need to realize that. 00:52:01.586 --> 00:52:04.336 'cause we have this mindset of, of retirement, well, I'm 00:52:04.336 --> 00:52:06.376 gonna be real old when I retire. 00:52:07.066 --> 00:52:07.816 Well, no you're not. 00:52:07.846 --> 00:52:08.056 Yeah. 00:52:08.106 --> 00:52:11.706 and then when you look from that perspective of life after. 00:52:12.201 --> 00:52:16.011 being a firefighter is insurance and all those other things you're 00:52:16.011 --> 00:52:17.091 gonna have to be paying for. 00:52:17.091 --> 00:52:20.481 So that's why it's important that you capitalize. 00:52:20.481 --> 00:52:21.736 I get the truck is really cool. 00:52:21.886 --> 00:52:22.546 I really do. 00:52:23.176 --> 00:52:24.646 And I'm not harboring on trucks. 00:52:24.766 --> 00:52:27.791 But also too, as remembers you've got a finite time. 00:52:28.681 --> 00:52:29.101 Jon: And 00:52:29.236 --> 00:52:33.526 Don: we talk about life happens, we've had people that have had injuries that 00:52:33.526 --> 00:52:37.036 have ended their career, medical issues, that have ended their career early. 00:52:37.156 --> 00:52:41.226 And while we have a benefit to help out with that, it's. 00:52:41.496 --> 00:52:43.416 It's not unbelievably great. 00:52:43.866 --> 00:52:47.436 So we have to protect ourselves and do it early enough and put those 00:52:47.436 --> 00:52:51.576 things away because again, we only have a finite amount of time here to 00:52:51.576 --> 00:52:53.236 be able to accumulate those dollars. 00:52:53.416 --> 00:52:56.416 And that's one thing I try to explain to our board of directors. 00:52:56.746 --> 00:53:01.216 And one thing I try to explain to our civilian support staff, because, they're 00:53:01.216 --> 00:53:06.146 on a different, system than we are from a benefits and things where I can keep 00:53:06.146 --> 00:53:09.176 our folks that, do our EMS billing. 00:53:09.206 --> 00:53:11.606 I can keep them till they're 70. 00:53:12.251 --> 00:53:15.902 I rarely can keep a firefighter, and you guys all know this, that they're, 00:53:16.501 --> 00:53:20.831 we have people that are retiring, in their fifties and early sixties. 00:53:21.041 --> 00:53:24.201 Rarely do we have short of, Gary Armstrong, where they're 00:53:24.201 --> 00:53:25.941 gonna be here till they're, 68. 00:53:25.941 --> 00:53:26.001 Yeah. 00:53:26.196 --> 00:53:26.556 Jon: Yeah. 00:53:26.611 --> 00:53:27.272 Don: types of thing that, 00:53:27.376 --> 00:53:31.966 Jon: that career longevity is, I think, an often overlooked point of view. 00:53:31.966 --> 00:53:35.026 and you just don't think about it when you're in your young twenties. 00:53:35.026 --> 00:53:35.027 Don: you 00:53:35.071 --> 00:53:39.026 Louie: an office job and you have a bad back or bad knees, that's okay. 00:53:39.026 --> 00:53:40.566 You're, you can still do your job. 00:53:40.566 --> 00:53:44.556 You can still go to meetings and sit in a chair, but you can't drag someone out 00:53:44.556 --> 00:53:46.596 of a fire or, do all the other demands. 00:53:46.596 --> 00:53:47.436 So, you're right. 00:53:47.436 --> 00:53:48.361 that's a good point to 00:53:48.421 --> 00:53:51.991 Don: And then you look from our physical fitness perspective, because it is a. 00:53:52.346 --> 00:53:56.576 physically demanding job that we put all the ERs through for our firefighters. 00:53:56.936 --> 00:54:01.766 It doesn't matter if you're 22 or 62, you still have to 00:54:01.801 --> 00:54:02.701 Jon: the standard is the same. 00:54:02.786 --> 00:54:05.726 Don: the standards the same, so your body gets beat up over that. 00:54:05.726 --> 00:54:10.226 So I, I guess another thing is if I, you say it's often overlooked, I think 00:54:10.226 --> 00:54:15.116 it is the most overlooked thing is that is longevity and our shortness of time. 00:54:15.116 --> 00:54:19.886 We have to accumulate our wealth, if you will, from a retirement standpoint. 00:54:19.886 --> 00:54:23.756 I want everybody to retire here and I want them to call me from 00:54:23.756 --> 00:54:28.206 The Bahamas with a ma tie in their hand and ask how things are going. 00:54:28.506 --> 00:54:30.546 I want everybody to do that's as a firefighter. 00:54:30.596 --> 00:54:33.206 but we have to be smart about those things and remember that 00:54:33.206 --> 00:54:34.286 we have that compressed time. 00:54:34.376 --> 00:54:35.366 Louie: It's cool to hear you say that chief. 00:54:35.366 --> 00:54:39.116 'cause that's really, that's the whole reason why John and I are partners doing 00:54:39.116 --> 00:54:42.876 this podcast and teaching the recruits and stuff, is because we realize that 00:54:42.876 --> 00:54:46.146 we have that passion and we want people to get outta here when they want to get 00:54:46.146 --> 00:54:47.376 outta here, when they feel like it's time. 00:54:47.376 --> 00:54:50.046 We don't wanna see people that have to work because they haven't 00:54:50.046 --> 00:54:52.836 saved enough or that they're trying to fight through injuries. 00:54:52.836 --> 00:54:55.386 'cause they're getting older and they don't have anything in their 4 57. 00:54:55.386 --> 00:54:58.056 So the whole reason we're doing this is for exactly what you said. 00:54:58.056 --> 00:55:01.626 We have a short amount of time we wanna educate people and get them 00:55:01.626 --> 00:55:04.326 on that right track so that they can get outta here when they want. 00:55:04.326 --> 00:55:07.806 We've joked about this before, but John almost named this podcast 55 and out. 00:55:07.806 --> 00:55:10.896 Like, let's get you outta here at 55 if you want to, because 00:55:10.896 --> 00:55:12.546 we want you to get outta here when you want to get outta here. 00:55:12.546 --> 00:55:14.846 So it's cool to hear you say that because that's our whole goal. 00:55:14.846 --> 00:55:18.206 that's literally why John and I are doing this podcast and doing this whole thing. 00:55:18.206 --> 00:55:21.326 So it's cool to see that you are in agreement with that. 00:55:21.326 --> 00:55:22.196 You're in alignment with that. 00:55:22.196 --> 00:55:23.096 I think that's really cool. 00:55:23.201 --> 00:55:24.101 Don: and to educate. 00:55:24.101 --> 00:55:25.541 I have to educate our public on that. 00:55:25.541 --> 00:55:27.041 I have to educate our board of directors on that. 00:55:27.071 --> 00:55:28.241 'cause they don't think through that. 00:55:28.246 --> 00:55:28.476 Correct. 00:55:28.631 --> 00:55:29.561 They don't think that way. 00:55:29.561 --> 00:55:33.881 being able to do those things and when they finally see that and they realize 00:55:33.881 --> 00:55:36.251 that, they go, oh, you are right. 00:55:36.251 --> 00:55:38.501 That it is a limited amount of time. 00:55:38.531 --> 00:55:38.741 Yeah. 00:55:38.751 --> 00:55:39.041 Jon: Yeah. 00:55:39.206 --> 00:55:41.786 So Chief Lombardi is what I'm hearing is he's comparing 00:55:41.786 --> 00:55:43.466 us to, professional athletes 00:55:43.601 --> 00:55:43.901 Louie: right. 00:55:43.901 --> 00:55:45.101 We got a shortened earning 00:55:45.216 --> 00:55:46.916 Jon: our career, timeline there. 00:55:46.916 --> 00:55:49.796 Time horizon is shortened because, and that's just the nature of 00:55:49.976 --> 00:55:51.626 the physicality of the job. 00:55:51.671 --> 00:55:52.301 Don: But no signing 00:55:52.496 --> 00:55:53.696 Jon: But no signing bonus. 00:55:53.696 --> 00:55:54.086 No. 00:55:54.176 --> 00:55:56.216 Are we gonna get, for an next deal negotiation? 00:55:56.216 --> 00:55:57.506 Some NIL money? 00:55:57.506 --> 00:55:59.276 Can we get a little NIL money over here 00:55:59.321 --> 00:56:00.551 Don: for the fiscal firehouse. 00:56:00.831 --> 00:56:01.161 as buff. 00:56:01.161 --> 00:56:01.971 I can say this. 00:56:01.971 --> 00:56:03.951 you may have fallen as far as sha Sanders. 00:56:04.701 --> 00:56:05.301 Louie: Oh, ouch. 00:56:05.301 --> 00:56:05.841 Ouch. 00:56:05.841 --> 00:56:06.471 Brutal. 00:56:06.591 --> 00:56:09.451 Well, hey, let's shift gears one more time and ask some fun questions now. 00:56:09.451 --> 00:56:09.541 Yes. 00:56:09.541 --> 00:56:12.751 Because we've, you've given us some good advice and things to think about 00:56:12.751 --> 00:56:17.401 from a financial perspective, but now we know that you are about to ride into 00:56:17.401 --> 00:56:19.291 that sunset, which congratulations. 00:56:19.291 --> 00:56:20.371 Super exciting. 00:56:20.681 --> 00:56:23.531 and let's just assume that the couch behind the couches is not gonna 00:56:23.936 --> 00:56:25.166 Jon: You're not gonna have to extend 00:56:25.181 --> 00:56:27.281 Louie: not gonna have to pull your papers. 00:56:27.281 --> 00:56:28.481 Let's assume you actually retire. 00:56:28.721 --> 00:56:32.801 Can you tell us what kind of activities or hobbies or passions that you are going 00:56:32.801 --> 00:56:37.621 to pursue now that you're gonna have a few more hours of free time, every week? 00:56:39.151 --> 00:56:44.346 Don: So, my wife has said, when I told her, retirement, you know, we're, 00:56:44.706 --> 00:56:46.506 it's, we're gearing towards that. 00:56:47.016 --> 00:56:49.746 She looked at me as we got closer and she says, you know, 00:56:49.746 --> 00:56:51.006 that's a lot of together time. 00:56:51.416 --> 00:56:52.076 Jon: lot of together 00:56:52.206 --> 00:56:52.326 Don: time. 00:56:52.326 --> 00:56:52.626 Yeah. 00:56:52.686 --> 00:56:54.396 So she's. 00:56:55.176 --> 00:56:57.096 She's, worried that I'm gonna watch. 00:56:57.216 --> 00:56:58.366 'cause I watching Andy Griffith. 00:56:58.441 --> 00:57:00.481 Jon: you love the old school TV shows. 00:57:00.541 --> 00:57:00.601 Yeah, 00:57:00.811 --> 00:57:01.441 Louie: I've never heard of that. 00:57:01.441 --> 00:57:01.981 What is that? 00:57:02.386 --> 00:57:02.956 Don: Wow. 00:57:03.211 --> 00:57:03.871 Louie: I'm just kidding. 00:57:03.871 --> 00:57:04.111 I know. 00:57:04.111 --> 00:57:04.801 It's a black and white 00:57:04.921 --> 00:57:05.551 Jon: It's 00:57:05.626 --> 00:57:05.926 Don: black 00:57:05.971 --> 00:57:06.121 Jon: white 00:57:06.256 --> 00:57:06.466 Don: thing. 00:57:07.166 --> 00:57:07.726 Louie: Mayberry, 00:57:07.846 --> 00:57:08.026 Don: right? 00:57:08.026 --> 00:57:08.686 Yeah. 00:57:08.686 --> 00:57:08.687 Yeah. 00:57:08.746 --> 00:57:11.086 she thinks I'm gonna watch that all day, every day. 00:57:11.596 --> 00:57:15.406 So I said I may watch that one day all day, but not every day. 00:57:16.136 --> 00:57:20.486 I think there's gonna be some opportunities where if someone called up 00:57:20.486 --> 00:57:25.736 and said, Hey, would you come out and from a leadership perspective talk about this? 00:57:25.736 --> 00:57:27.636 Or, do something like that. 00:57:27.636 --> 00:57:29.616 I would do those things. 00:57:29.616 --> 00:57:31.351 I don't think I'm gonna run out and like. 00:57:32.296 --> 00:57:34.426 Ask people, Hey, would, do you want me to do this? 00:57:34.426 --> 00:57:34.846 Do you want me? 00:57:34.966 --> 00:57:37.990 Not that I can be content being retired. 00:57:37.990 --> 00:57:38.500 I really can't. 00:57:38.500 --> 00:57:40.690 People said, you got too much stuff going on. 00:57:40.690 --> 00:57:43.000 You're, you've gotta go 60 miles an hour at the time. 00:57:43.000 --> 00:57:44.470 I go, nah, I don't think so. 00:57:45.050 --> 00:57:45.080 I 00:57:45.125 --> 00:57:48.215 Jon: you were getting ready to, endorse your candidacy for some type of, 00:57:48.225 --> 00:57:50.265 political, I was like, this is great. 00:57:50.265 --> 00:57:50.415 We 00:57:50.445 --> 00:57:51.165 Louie: Oh, breaking news. 00:57:51.165 --> 00:57:52.005 Breaking news. 00:57:52.335 --> 00:57:52.725 Jon: Yep. 00:57:52.725 --> 00:57:52.995 Yep. 00:57:52.995 --> 00:57:54.765 New state senator coming your way. 00:57:54.930 --> 00:57:55.860 Don: one bit. 00:57:56.380 --> 00:57:58.620 I like playing golf and then, Vicky and I wanna travel a 00:57:58.620 --> 00:58:00.091 little bit, but then we have any 00:58:00.255 --> 00:58:01.155 Jon: places you guys 00:58:01.230 --> 00:58:04.650 Don: Well, we're gonna, we are gonna go to, in March, 00:58:04.680 --> 00:58:07.010 we're gonna go to, Costa Rica. 00:58:07.505 --> 00:58:08.015 Louie: Oh, nice. 00:58:08.060 --> 00:58:08.630 Don: you guys been 00:58:08.645 --> 00:58:09.455 Louie: I've always wanted to go. 00:58:09.455 --> 00:58:09.665 Never 00:58:09.725 --> 00:58:11.015 Jon: going in a month. 00:58:11.030 --> 00:58:11.870 Don: Where are you going to? 00:58:11.985 --> 00:58:13.455 Jon: right outside of Tamarindo. 00:58:13.815 --> 00:58:15.095 So on the Pacific side, 00:58:15.165 --> 00:58:15.885 Don: yeah, I have no idea. 00:58:15.935 --> 00:58:20.345 my daughter and her husband went there for, their honeymoon to Los Catalinas. 00:58:21.065 --> 00:58:21.755 I don't know where it's at. 00:58:21.845 --> 00:58:22.175 Okay. 00:58:22.265 --> 00:58:23.765 But there's this over the top. 00:58:24.110 --> 00:58:25.010 Resort there. 00:58:25.070 --> 00:58:27.200 And so I'm gonna take Vicki to go over the top. 00:58:27.350 --> 00:58:30.970 So this goes back to us being, porous church mice. 00:58:31.020 --> 00:58:34.710 we didn't take a ton of vacations every year. 00:58:35.990 --> 00:58:37.070 like my friend across the 00:58:37.415 --> 00:58:38.825 Jon: oh, you're shooting at me. 00:58:38.825 --> 00:58:39.425 I mean, come 00:58:39.500 --> 00:58:40.610 Louie: He's not talking about me buddy. 00:58:40.610 --> 00:58:41.330 I don't go anywhere. 00:58:41.375 --> 00:58:42.995 Jon: all those union negotiated benefits. 00:58:42.995 --> 00:58:43.415 All right. 00:58:43.415 --> 00:58:44.015 I mean, 00:58:44.210 --> 00:58:44.540 Don: Yeah. 00:58:45.020 --> 00:58:48.620 And so, yeah, mine revolve around conferences or something like that. 00:58:48.620 --> 00:58:52.910 But anyway, so, so we're gonna, I'm gonna take my wife on a trip to Costa Rica, but, 00:58:53.360 --> 00:58:57.870 we like Vegas a lot too, so, we'll she'll do that and dabble in probably, gamble all 00:58:57.870 --> 00:59:03.150 of my retirement away, all my ICMA stuff or my 4 57, but no, so we'll do something 00:59:03.150 --> 00:59:04.200 like that and play a little bit of golf. 00:59:04.200 --> 00:59:08.310 If I get for near to get me to go to, Ravenna, that would always be good. 00:59:08.310 --> 00:59:10.590 But, and then we have our little grandkids. 00:59:10.920 --> 00:59:11.195 Oh, yeah. 00:59:11.195 --> 00:59:15.865 So, Avery's 10 months and, Nico's six weeks old. 00:59:16.455 --> 00:59:19.665 All of a sudden being a grandparent, you found a new love in your life. 00:59:20.235 --> 00:59:20.895 It's pretty cool. 00:59:21.135 --> 00:59:21.555 Everyone 00:59:21.660 --> 00:59:25.680 Jon: talked to says it's always better the second time around. 00:59:25.750 --> 00:59:29.440 just from the way that you view at life things, like all the things that you were 00:59:29.440 --> 00:59:33.460 so in it at the beginning and you're just worried about not messing up or you're 00:59:33.460 --> 00:59:34.870 just worried about all these small things. 00:59:34.870 --> 00:59:37.270 You kind of miss, like the little things that really matter. 00:59:37.270 --> 00:59:40.390 And the second time you get to appreciate all those little things 00:59:40.390 --> 00:59:43.160 that much more because for one, it's gonna be okay, but now you've 00:59:43.160 --> 00:59:45.290 got this parenting skill already. 00:59:45.290 --> 00:59:47.060 Like, oh, it's not that bad. 00:59:47.060 --> 00:59:47.570 This is gonna be 00:59:47.585 --> 00:59:47.915 Don: okay. 00:59:47.915 --> 00:59:48.240 Yeah, it will be okay 00:59:48.320 --> 00:59:50.150 Jon: get to spoil 'em and all these other 00:59:50.195 --> 00:59:51.905 Louie: my mom is a completely different person. 00:59:51.905 --> 00:59:54.035 She used to be like, I don't care if you want this for dinner, 00:59:54.035 --> 00:59:54.755 this is what you're eating. 00:59:54.755 --> 00:59:55.565 Or you go to bed hungry. 00:59:55.895 --> 00:59:58.445 And then she'll, I see her how she interacts with my children 00:59:58.445 --> 01:00:00.095 and she's like, oh, that's okay. 01:00:00.125 --> 01:00:01.145 I'll, yeah, I'll eat, I'll. 01:00:01.505 --> 01:00:05.575 Take the, you know, this sandwich away and make you a brand new one with this on it. 01:00:05.575 --> 01:00:06.895 Or I'll change this around for you. 01:00:06.895 --> 01:00:07.255 It's okay. 01:00:07.255 --> 01:00:08.005 You don't have to eat that. 01:00:08.005 --> 01:00:09.265 And I'm like, who are you? 01:00:09.265 --> 01:00:10.345 Like, that's not how you 01:00:10.870 --> 01:00:11.170 Don: Oh, it raise 01:00:11.290 --> 01:00:14.230 Jon: Yeah, it's you get the opportunity to maybe improve what you would've 01:00:14.230 --> 01:00:17.170 done before, or you just look at things through a different lens and 01:00:17.170 --> 01:00:20.530 if this is the littlest thing that's gonna make this person happy, then by 01:00:20.530 --> 01:00:21.160 Don: all means. 01:00:21.160 --> 01:00:21.280 Oh yeah. 01:00:21.280 --> 01:00:21.700 Trust me. 01:00:21.700 --> 01:00:23.650 I, they both have me around their little finger. 01:00:23.700 --> 01:00:25.890 they've got their papa around a little, their little fingers. 01:00:25.890 --> 01:00:29.340 But yeah, it's, they are, they can do no wrong. 01:00:29.670 --> 01:00:33.930 And we've already had, even at 10 months and six weeks, we've already had 01:00:33.930 --> 01:00:35.430 the chat that I'll take care of 'em. 01:00:35.430 --> 01:00:35.910 Don't worry. 01:00:36.015 --> 01:00:36.165 Jon: That'll 01:00:36.495 --> 01:00:37.125 Louie: Oh yeah. 01:00:37.300 --> 01:00:37.590 Nice. 01:00:37.590 --> 01:00:37.680 Don: Nice. 01:00:37.725 --> 01:00:42.375 Jon: And I hope your kids appreciate just how much of a blessing that 01:00:42.375 --> 01:00:46.935 is to have immediate family nearby to help step in and whatever life 01:00:46.935 --> 01:00:49.275 brings at you, it's an amazing gift. 01:00:49.645 --> 01:00:52.045 we've had some of that flexibility to some degree. 01:00:52.105 --> 01:00:53.515 but it is an amazing gift. 01:00:53.515 --> 01:00:57.235 I know there's a lot of people that are envious of that position to be in there. 01:00:57.235 --> 01:01:00.655 And I'm really happy that you get the opportunity to spend some time 01:01:00.655 --> 01:01:02.515 on, quite frankly, really matters. 01:01:02.515 --> 01:01:03.925 And you get to, make up. 01:01:03.925 --> 01:01:06.415 'cause you've been, you've missed a lot of things, being in this 01:01:06.415 --> 01:01:10.255 job for one as firefighters and holidays and all the other things, 01:01:10.375 --> 01:01:12.385 and especially at the beginning, you don't have a ton of time off. 01:01:12.385 --> 01:01:16.055 And then obviously as you've moved up, to the fire chief, like the level of 01:01:16.055 --> 01:01:19.625 responsibility and you've taken it to a whole nother level, is always being 01:01:19.625 --> 01:01:23.105 on call, answering that phone twenty four seven, all that other stuff. 01:01:23.105 --> 01:01:26.045 I know you talked about a little bit, but are you worried at all. 01:01:26.255 --> 01:01:29.885 Not that your identity is tied up as being the fire chief, but are you worried 01:01:29.885 --> 01:01:33.635 about just, I have to imagine there has to be a certain amount of reset 01:01:33.635 --> 01:01:38.375 time where you are not constantly going to be looking at your phone or going 01:01:38.375 --> 01:01:42.365 through something just because that has been such a large part of your license, 01:01:42.365 --> 01:01:44.315 especially for the last 14 years. 01:01:44.365 --> 01:01:47.965 not that you're gonna feel irrelevant, but just like that constant of always 01:01:47.965 --> 01:01:51.625 being on, or do you feel like you've got some pretty good outlets and 01:01:51.625 --> 01:01:53.245 you're just ready for that transition? 01:01:54.025 --> 01:01:56.865 Don: When I say a thought about this a lot, I don't think about, 01:01:57.315 --> 01:01:58.875 you know, how many days I have left. 01:01:59.115 --> 01:01:59.175 Yeah. 01:01:59.175 --> 01:02:00.345 'cause I'd be a mess. 01:02:00.525 --> 01:02:04.305 and so I don't think from that perspective, but what I do think about 01:02:04.305 --> 01:02:12.395 is that so a lot of that goes about, it goes back to, the organization in essence 01:02:12.395 --> 01:02:16.575 needing me, that if I go, it's gonna fall apart and all this other stuff. 01:02:16.625 --> 01:02:20.615 and so I've really thought about this a lot is, I couldn't be, I couldn't 01:02:20.615 --> 01:02:25.165 be more proud of who West Metro is, what they are, what we've all become. 01:02:25.585 --> 01:02:31.765 And I say that because we've worked really well together for so many 01:02:31.765 --> 01:02:34.015 years to build what we have today. 01:02:34.495 --> 01:02:37.795 And somebody said, as we were looking for the new fire chief, they go, God, 01:02:37.795 --> 01:02:39.805 I, we need to find another Don Lombardi. 01:02:39.805 --> 01:02:41.365 And I said, please, no, I. 01:02:41.815 --> 01:02:42.745 Absolutely not. 01:02:42.895 --> 01:02:46.165 We need to find someone that understands all the things we went through. 01:02:46.165 --> 01:02:52.595 So if you think of when I became the fire chief that, we had the two suicides and, 01:02:53.055 --> 01:02:55.675 Mike Miller's death that, was sudden. 01:02:56.155 --> 01:02:58.255 That kind of came really quick. 01:02:58.735 --> 01:03:03.055 And then, and then right after that, the financial difficulties that the 01:03:03.055 --> 01:03:07.135 district had and the reorganization we did from that, and then we 01:03:07.165 --> 01:03:08.635 merged up and did all these things. 01:03:08.965 --> 01:03:12.835 And so I want someone to understand all of the things that we went through to 01:03:12.835 --> 01:03:18.025 get to this point of greatness that we are today, and then build upon that. 01:03:18.445 --> 01:03:22.435 And so that's where, from my perspective, I don't, I'm not worried about that. 01:03:22.435 --> 01:03:27.655 I think that we, the organization is in a unbelievably great spot 01:03:27.655 --> 01:03:29.005 when you look at our culture here. 01:03:29.245 --> 01:03:29.845 Can we get better? 01:03:29.845 --> 01:03:30.535 The answer is yes. 01:03:30.535 --> 01:03:33.985 I mean, we all, that's what we all, we always look for continuous improvement. 01:03:34.465 --> 01:03:35.545 But if you look at it. 01:03:35.860 --> 01:03:38.780 I think, I really do think that we are a family here. 01:03:39.140 --> 01:03:44.250 And interestingly enough, I got an article the other day from somebody 01:03:44.250 --> 01:03:49.620 that's a high level in the fire service and the article was about how family 01:03:49.620 --> 01:03:52.840 is a bad, thing for the fire service. 01:03:52.870 --> 01:03:54.190 Jon: don't wanna analogize it like that. 01:03:54.190 --> 01:03:55.270 Like somehow that's not 01:03:55.330 --> 01:03:56.530 Don: correct, that it was bad. 01:03:56.530 --> 01:04:00.710 Like, so if you think of a, if you've got a brother that's got a drinking problem 01:04:00.950 --> 01:04:06.280 that we, that as a family member, we try to, we, try to coddle them and don't take 01:04:06.280 --> 01:04:10.220 care of them and try to, condone what they do and, and not do the tough love 01:04:10.220 --> 01:04:15.290 stuff or from, from other perspectives of not facing up to problems we have. 01:04:15.800 --> 01:04:16.340 And I. 01:04:17.195 --> 01:04:21.075 And so I fired, it was a group email, and I fired back and I said, I absolutely 01:04:21.085 --> 01:04:26.185 disagree with this because here at West Metro we do, I, and this is me 01:04:26.185 --> 01:04:31.165 speaking, I think that we do believe that we are a family, truly a family 01:04:31.165 --> 01:04:35.005 that where we do take care of each other, but in the right way, if we see 01:04:35.005 --> 01:04:38.545 somebody struggling or if we see somebody needs help or someone's not meeting 01:04:38.545 --> 01:04:44.865 the expectations that we have, that we help them along to either get better 01:04:44.865 --> 01:04:47.055 or meet or exceed those expectations. 01:04:47.365 --> 01:04:50.305 I think that we may have some instances, but rarely do they 01:04:50.305 --> 01:04:51.355 fall through the cracks here. 01:04:51.685 --> 01:04:51.745 Yeah. 01:04:51.835 --> 01:04:56.815 And that we, that people know that we can grab you and say, 01:04:56.815 --> 01:04:57.920 Louis, I see you're struggling. 01:04:57.920 --> 01:04:58.760 Can I help you out? 01:04:59.090 --> 01:04:59.720 Or. 01:05:00.300 --> 01:05:04.110 if they see something that's good's happening, that we acknowledge 01:05:04.110 --> 01:05:07.440 that and we praise that and that we celebrate those types of things. 01:05:07.830 --> 01:05:12.840 So I think for us, from a family perspective is such, is that's really a 01:05:12.840 --> 01:05:15.210 hallmark of who we are here at West Metro. 01:05:15.600 --> 01:05:19.100 So when I tell people, the people go, oh, are you really sad about leaving? 01:05:19.260 --> 01:05:22.675 I'm, yeah, sad 'cause I'll miss people, but not sad. 01:05:22.675 --> 01:05:27.445 I'm so proud of what this place is and all of the work that we've 01:05:27.445 --> 01:05:29.155 all done to get to this point. 01:05:29.495 --> 01:05:32.735 and I'm thrilled and I'll call you all from. 01:05:33.270 --> 01:05:36.540 the Caribbean beach with the, my tie in my hand and say how proud I am of 01:05:36.600 --> 01:05:37.325 Jon: Los Catalinas. 01:05:37.440 --> 01:05:38.190 Here we are. 01:05:38.220 --> 01:05:38.640 Yeah. 01:05:38.730 --> 01:05:39.750 Don: years from now and stuff. 01:05:39.750 --> 01:05:44.080 No, just to tell, because I think that there's the trajectory that we're on, 01:05:44.080 --> 01:05:48.510 but all the, that you guys all demand from the organization and what you demand 01:05:48.510 --> 01:05:52.830 from leadership here and then you are a part of leadership here to understand 01:05:52.830 --> 01:05:56.250 what those responsibilities are, I think is gonna put us in such a good spot. 01:05:56.580 --> 01:05:59.240 So for me is, people go, are you sad about this? 01:05:59.240 --> 01:06:00.870 I go, no, I'm really not. 01:06:00.870 --> 01:06:03.390 And I, and people go, well, can you disassociate? 01:06:03.440 --> 01:06:04.700 I think I can. 01:06:04.700 --> 01:06:05.960 We'll see when it happens. 01:06:06.240 --> 01:06:09.450 I don't think I'm gonna look at Pulse point every single minute or run 01:06:09.450 --> 01:06:13.380 over to my computer to pull up CAD to see what's happening on that a, 01:06:13.430 --> 01:06:17.080 that abandoned building fire at at the service station that we've been 01:06:17.260 --> 01:06:19.310 20 times, those types of things. 01:06:19.310 --> 01:06:22.230 And so, so I don't, I think we'll be good. 01:06:22.275 --> 01:06:22.605 Louie: Yeah. 01:06:22.605 --> 01:06:25.335 I, and I think we all can disagree with that. 01:06:25.385 --> 01:06:29.435 in terms of that email, this is a family, and I think a lot of companies will 01:06:29.435 --> 01:06:30.845 use that as like a generic tagline. 01:06:30.845 --> 01:06:32.165 It's like, oh, we're like family here. 01:06:32.435 --> 01:06:34.775 But I mean, the difference in the fire service and with our fire 01:06:34.775 --> 01:06:36.205 department is that we are a family. 01:06:36.205 --> 01:06:37.045 We live together. 01:06:37.125 --> 01:06:39.495 we cook together, we do everything together. 01:06:39.495 --> 01:06:40.545 We know each other. 01:06:40.735 --> 01:06:41.335 really well. 01:06:41.335 --> 01:06:43.675 We know about our struggles, our financial situation. 01:06:43.675 --> 01:06:45.785 I'll, just a personal example of that. 01:06:45.785 --> 01:06:48.605 I like, there's a guy that I work with now at Station three. 01:06:48.605 --> 01:06:51.605 His name is TJ Rashi, and he, 01:06:51.655 --> 01:06:52.375 Don: yeah, shout out to 01:06:52.480 --> 01:06:54.070 Louie: but he and I, we went to the academy together. 01:06:54.625 --> 01:06:59.665 I know his wife and his three girls, he knows my wife and my three sons. 01:06:59.715 --> 01:07:02.625 we just know each other really well and we are like family. 01:07:02.625 --> 01:07:06.735 And I think that's important for our families to know that because if he's 01:07:06.735 --> 01:07:11.205 ever in a bad situation, which in our job, we sometimes we go into bad situations 01:07:11.235 --> 01:07:14.715 with each other, and his family needs to know that I will do everything that I 01:07:14.715 --> 01:07:17.895 can to make sure that he comes home safe and that he will do everything to make 01:07:17.895 --> 01:07:19.885 sure I get to go home safe to my family. 01:07:20.245 --> 01:07:21.895 And that's the kind of family you want. 01:07:21.895 --> 01:07:24.910 That's the kind of work family you want when you are going there that, hey, I 01:07:24.910 --> 01:07:28.180 don't know if he's gonna go into bad situation today, but I know that he's got 01:07:28.180 --> 01:07:31.720 guys that love him, that care about him and that will do everything that they can. 01:07:31.720 --> 01:07:32.950 It's the same thing with Reed. 01:07:33.290 --> 01:07:34.815 Norwood, our captain, he was the same way. 01:07:34.815 --> 01:07:38.865 Like he knows our families and he knows that he's gonna get his home to them. 01:07:38.895 --> 01:07:41.165 I, you gotta have that If you don't have that culture, I wouldn't 01:07:41.165 --> 01:07:42.545 wanna work in that kind of a. 01:07:42.605 --> 01:07:42.695 Fire 01:07:42.905 --> 01:07:46.115 Jon: And there's a certain level of dysfunction in every family. 01:07:46.295 --> 01:07:46.565 Right. 01:07:46.700 --> 01:07:46.760 Don: No, 01:07:46.810 --> 01:07:47.290 Jon: the part 01:07:47.440 --> 01:07:48.790 Louie: put the fun, we put the fun in 01:07:48.865 --> 01:07:48.985 Don: that's 01:07:49.120 --> 01:07:50.170 Jon: what makes it true. 01:07:50.170 --> 01:07:53.350 I mean, we have some dysfunction as well, and that is part of that family 01:07:53.350 --> 01:07:57.010 environment that through thick and thin at the end of the, at the end of the day, 01:07:57.070 --> 01:08:00.520 it's really measuring what your heart's about and what your true feelings are. 01:08:00.740 --> 01:08:04.130 and advocating for people and supporting them and respecting them 01:08:04.130 --> 01:08:08.030 and getting them across whatever proverbial finish line that may be. 01:08:08.330 --> 01:08:11.390 But, yeah, to say that, that is not a good analogy. 01:08:11.440 --> 01:08:12.340 Don: I think there'd be a lot of people that would, 01:08:12.355 --> 01:08:12.745 Jon: that would, 01:08:12.745 --> 01:08:12.895 Don: yeah. 01:08:12.895 --> 01:08:14.750 It just, it, and I, and I tell people this a lot. 01:08:14.750 --> 01:08:17.980 I said, I say, as a family, we do have some funny uncles and we 01:08:17.980 --> 01:08:21.070 do have some quirky aunts, but we all love each other 'cause we 01:08:21.070 --> 01:08:22.420 all will take care of each other. 01:08:22.420 --> 01:08:27.300 And when you look at that, I try to explain to, people outside of our 01:08:27.300 --> 01:08:32.420 organization, I said, just like you said, we work together, we sleep together. 01:08:33.020 --> 01:08:34.070 I'm sorry, we, 01:08:34.580 --> 01:08:35.570 Jon: He's like, can you edit that 01:08:35.570 --> 01:08:35.690 Don: out? 01:08:35.720 --> 01:08:36.050 Yes. 01:08:36.710 --> 01:08:38.515 We, we lived together at 01:08:38.570 --> 01:08:39.260 Louie: we lived together. 01:08:39.320 --> 01:08:39.410 Yeah. 01:08:39.410 --> 01:08:40.010 Don: Live together. 01:08:40.440 --> 01:08:43.530 and then for some odd reason, we all play together. 01:08:44.190 --> 01:08:46.310 And so we're together a lot. 01:08:46.310 --> 01:08:48.250 And that's why that family thing is very important. 01:08:48.300 --> 01:08:49.950 I did it with the, with the chiefs here. 01:08:50.415 --> 01:08:53.745 To get them back in a place where they understood each other. 01:08:53.745 --> 01:08:54.255 We did that. 01:08:54.255 --> 01:08:58.215 Simon Sinek start with Why, and we did it organizationally. 01:08:58.565 --> 01:09:00.395 Simon Sinek, start with Why Do you remember that? 01:09:00.445 --> 01:09:04.495 And so very clearly, one of the things, the, in the, and if you have, if 01:09:04.825 --> 01:09:10.845 again, to the podcast world, if you get a chance to look at the, Ted Talk, 01:09:10.845 --> 01:09:14.985 Simon Sinek start with why is to watch that and answer questions in there. 01:09:15.405 --> 01:09:17.115 But one of the things they ask is, what drives you? 01:09:17.115 --> 01:09:18.315 What gets you up in the morning? 01:09:18.795 --> 01:09:23.055 we brought everybody together from, we had what, 40 some odd 01:09:23.055 --> 01:09:25.125 people in each group and did Yeah. 01:09:25.125 --> 01:09:26.055 And did this together. 01:09:26.595 --> 01:09:29.895 And I, we put up all their answers. 01:09:30.225 --> 01:09:33.405 And so what got people up in the morning? 01:09:33.445 --> 01:09:36.205 the main thing was their family at home. 01:09:37.225 --> 01:09:41.905 What was oddly close in numbers. 01:09:42.700 --> 01:09:49.240 within one or two of each group was their, west Metro family and their crew. 01:09:49.920 --> 01:09:53.980 what that said to me was that, and it was interesting 'cause people would 01:09:53.980 --> 01:09:58.270 say, I was at station three on a shift and we were as close could be. 01:09:58.900 --> 01:10:04.220 And then I got promoted, I moved over to, station four on C shift. 01:10:04.220 --> 01:10:07.310 And you know what, we were just as close. 01:10:07.970 --> 01:10:15.290 So what that told me was that as a mature organization we were very much closely 01:10:15.290 --> 01:10:19.760 connected and that's allowed us to do a lot of our workplace respect, and to. 01:10:20.735 --> 01:10:24.095 To understand that and to cultivate our workplace respect, which in 01:10:24.095 --> 01:10:26.555 turn makes us that much closer. 01:10:26.975 --> 01:10:30.275 Because if people feel like this is their place, west Metro is my place. 01:10:30.335 --> 01:10:31.235 I belong there. 01:10:31.595 --> 01:10:36.545 This is who I am, this is what I believe in, and that they feel safe here to do 01:10:36.545 --> 01:10:40.655 all those things, then in turn, that makes that family even more tight. 01:10:41.135 --> 01:10:44.675 And then in turn, we can provide better service to our citizens 01:10:45.005 --> 01:10:46.685 because we trust each other. 01:10:46.985 --> 01:10:49.055 We get along with each other, we know each other. 01:10:49.105 --> 01:10:50.635 we, anticipate each other. 01:10:50.635 --> 01:10:54.865 All of those things gives us a better ability to serve our community 01:10:55.285 --> 01:10:56.935 while still being tight here. 01:10:57.725 --> 01:10:58.745 it's a funny circle. 01:10:58.985 --> 01:11:02.195 Jon: we're gonna wrap up here, but I think it's, we wanna give you the 01:11:02.195 --> 01:11:04.725 opportunity, chief Lombardi, last word. 01:11:04.725 --> 01:11:08.625 So we're, you're imparting 33 years of wisdom in the fire service and 01:11:08.625 --> 01:11:12.285 really a subject matter expert when it comes to kind of all things chiefly. 01:11:12.505 --> 01:11:15.715 but is there anyone that you want to acknowledge that has helped you per 01:11:15.745 --> 01:11:20.155 either personally or professionally along your 33 years as a firefighter 01:11:20.215 --> 01:11:21.625 and getting ready for retirement? 01:11:21.625 --> 01:11:25.465 I'm sure the list is long, but I'm sure there's probably a few people that 01:11:25.465 --> 01:11:29.575 you would say, without their support this would not have been possible. 01:11:29.645 --> 01:11:32.270 Boy, I hope I get when I say this. 01:11:32.825 --> 01:11:36.005 I have to think, obviously, building a base was, you know, when was I growing up? 01:11:36.005 --> 01:11:37.775 My parents, built a base. 01:11:38.115 --> 01:11:41.625 and my parents and my dad especially, supported us loudly 01:11:41.625 --> 01:11:42.975 of being an Italian family. 01:11:43.405 --> 01:11:47.095 we would, I would, every sporting event that I had, my dad was there 01:11:47.095 --> 01:11:49.795 and it was the loudest and people would go, does that embarrass you? 01:11:49.795 --> 01:11:52.845 Go, no, I feel like someone's there supporting me, and maybe that's why 01:11:52.845 --> 01:11:54.285 I feel like we're supported here. 01:11:55.125 --> 01:11:59.325 But, as we go along, obviously my family, my wife has been super, 01:11:59.325 --> 01:12:01.365 super supportive of what I've done. 01:12:01.635 --> 01:12:03.495 I couldn't be the fire chief without her. 01:12:03.945 --> 01:12:06.795 and, but you couldn't be a lieutenant here, and you couldn't be a 01:12:06.795 --> 01:12:10.675 firefighter here to do all this stuff without, your family support 01:12:10.735 --> 01:12:12.145 to allow you to do what you do. 01:12:12.385 --> 01:12:12.625 Louie: Amen. 01:12:12.625 --> 01:12:12.955 Of that. 01:12:12.955 --> 01:12:13.255 Don: You know? 01:12:13.255 --> 01:12:18.085 and Vicky's been, when I say times, yesterday was Mother's Day. 01:12:18.565 --> 01:12:22.495 I had to get up in the middle of Mother's Day and go take a call for 01:12:22.495 --> 01:12:25.615 something that was going on within the organization just because it 01:12:25.615 --> 01:12:27.355 needed, and she doesn't mind that. 01:12:27.835 --> 01:12:31.905 And my kids growing up, understood that too, that I may have to go in the 01:12:31.905 --> 01:12:36.405 middle of the night to a second alarm fire or that I couldn't go to a school 01:12:36.405 --> 01:12:39.075 thing because of what's going on here. 01:12:39.075 --> 01:12:40.545 They understood the importance of that. 01:12:40.545 --> 01:12:45.105 So having that support have allowed me to do those things. 01:12:46.725 --> 01:12:50.055 Made it easier to be the fire chief here at West Metro. 01:12:50.805 --> 01:12:55.715 And then, when you look at, people that have influenced me along the 01:12:55.715 --> 01:12:58.440 way, I will say this, I think it, the people that have influenced 01:12:58.440 --> 01:12:59.940 me the greatest are members here. 01:13:00.520 --> 01:13:03.655 because, I saw, I mean, and not that when. 01:13:03.835 --> 01:13:06.985 When we got on, when I got hired here at Lakewood Bancroft. 01:13:07.525 --> 01:13:12.565 But you know, we were going through the merger at the time and they were 01:13:12.685 --> 01:13:16.665 thinking of splitting up and, there wasn't too much of an identity. 01:13:17.145 --> 01:13:21.705 And as we, as I grew up within this organization and saw the leadership 01:13:21.705 --> 01:13:28.135 that we had, and you look at, labor leaders like we had, that, that 01:13:28.135 --> 01:13:31.015 really professed collaboration. 01:13:31.585 --> 01:13:35.795 And so when you look at somebody like a Greg Strauss Heim, that was union 01:13:35.795 --> 01:13:41.615 president from Bancroft that really said, we need to do more togetherness 01:13:41.735 --> 01:13:43.505 as opposed to punching each other. 01:13:43.905 --> 01:13:45.375 we saw that, that worked. 01:13:45.375 --> 01:13:50.565 And then I look as we grew up, people that, helped me create a path 01:13:50.565 --> 01:13:55.100 or, Mike Verne and Scott Rogers, and, all of those folks really. 01:13:55.875 --> 01:13:58.245 help develop a lot what we do here at West Metro. 01:13:58.695 --> 01:14:03.285 And then I'd be re remiss to say, looking at somebody like Gary Armstrong, so full 01:14:03.285 --> 01:14:07.155 disclosure, who's my brother-in-law, had he not called me up and said, I know 01:14:07.155 --> 01:14:08.775 you always wanted to be a firefighter. 01:14:08.835 --> 01:14:09.915 we're looking to hire. 01:14:10.275 --> 01:14:13.715 And I was a school teacher teaching kindergarten through second grade PE 01:14:14.195 --> 01:14:18.365 that had he not called up and said, Hey, do you want to come over and put 01:14:18.365 --> 01:14:22.535 a lot of faith in me to say, I want you to be part of my organization. 01:14:23.055 --> 01:14:26.925 I'll never be able to repay him for that of him doing that with me. 01:14:27.285 --> 01:14:30.165 And we all know, if you don't know Gary Armstrong, look him up. 01:14:30.165 --> 01:14:34.015 But here in the, yeah, here in West Metro, you look at somebody 01:14:34.015 --> 01:14:37.035 that's got great humility, but it's got so much confidence in what he 01:14:37.035 --> 01:14:38.445 does and the respect that he has. 01:14:38.765 --> 01:14:41.945 he's always been really a guiding light for me as we go along. 01:14:42.275 --> 01:14:44.375 But I go back to the membership in general, that. 01:14:44.915 --> 01:14:48.545 Really, I've learned so much of how to be a leader because 01:14:48.545 --> 01:14:50.765 of the membership that we have. 01:14:51.305 --> 01:14:57.245 I talk about this when I promote folks, I talk, we talk about stewardship and 01:14:57.245 --> 01:14:59.245 I know there's organizations around us. 01:14:59.245 --> 01:15:01.555 and I get to see around the country that have these people 01:15:01.555 --> 01:15:03.205 that, that go above and beyond. 01:15:03.775 --> 01:15:05.875 I get calls and emails. 01:15:05.935 --> 01:15:10.705 I got an email that said from this lady that said, I saw that you were 01:15:10.705 --> 01:15:12.565 over at my elderly neighbor's house. 01:15:13.045 --> 01:15:15.595 She said, before I could yell at my husband to go shovel 01:15:15.595 --> 01:15:17.005 snow to get you guys in. 01:15:17.545 --> 01:15:18.655 You guys had already done it. 01:15:19.685 --> 01:15:21.395 or a lady you picked up my dad. 01:15:21.395 --> 01:15:22.625 He went to the grocery store. 01:15:22.865 --> 01:15:23.765 He lives by himself. 01:15:23.765 --> 01:15:27.455 You picked him up 'cause he had a seizure and he knocked his head 01:15:27.845 --> 01:15:30.365 and she said, I would've never known you were there, had he. 01:15:31.055 --> 01:15:32.545 Told me that, that you guys were there. 01:15:32.815 --> 01:15:35.455 She said you put away his groceries and you cleaned up the mess. 01:15:36.295 --> 01:15:41.435 at Station one, which is in our busiest part of our district, they went on 01:15:41.485 --> 01:15:45.935 a guy, they see a lot, And they, his only mode of transportation was a bike. 01:15:46.625 --> 01:15:51.485 And he would go to work using this bike while he got in an auto bike accident 01:15:51.485 --> 01:15:54.575 and it mangled up his bike station. 01:15:54.575 --> 01:15:58.295 One crew, realized that 'cause they knew him, they transported to 01:15:58.295 --> 01:16:02.675 the hospital, the engine went over to Walmart and bought him a bike. 01:16:02.945 --> 01:16:04.265 They pulled all their money, bought a bike. 01:16:04.715 --> 01:16:09.215 I don't stand up here and thanks for coming mobile to my office in 01:16:09.215 --> 01:16:12.455 this really cool office with all these windows and pound my chest 01:16:12.455 --> 01:16:14.165 and say, you guys have to be nice. 01:16:14.675 --> 01:16:15.755 You all do that. 01:16:15.815 --> 01:16:18.305 And it's not, like I said, there's other organizations 01:16:18.305 --> 01:16:19.505 that have people that do that. 01:16:20.135 --> 01:16:20.885 We do that. 01:16:21.215 --> 01:16:24.665 Across the board and that shows what's in your heart. 01:16:25.145 --> 01:16:26.135 That's who you are. 01:16:26.295 --> 01:16:31.275 and we could easily go on these calls, a medical call, transport hard stop, go 01:16:31.275 --> 01:16:36.785 back to the station, and I wanna say, do training and, look up protocols and 01:16:36.785 --> 01:16:39.305 do all these things and play pickleball. 01:16:39.305 --> 01:16:39.365 Yeah. 01:16:39.575 --> 01:16:40.535 Jon: we got some cards to play. 01:16:40.595 --> 01:16:41.405 Let's be honest. 01:16:41.405 --> 01:16:42.455 dish has gotta be done. 01:16:42.455 --> 01:16:43.025 Louie: It's gotta do it. 01:16:43.055 --> 01:16:43.715 Jon: we got some cards 01:16:43.755 --> 01:16:46.890 Don: play, which by the, which, by the way, I did really well at Station 10 01:16:46.890 --> 01:16:48.015 the other day on Kings in the Corner. 01:16:48.605 --> 01:16:48.895 Yeah. 01:16:49.155 --> 01:16:49.575 Did great. 01:16:49.745 --> 01:16:50.975 Shout out to Kings in the Corner. 01:16:51.250 --> 01:16:52.270 we do this all the time. 01:16:52.270 --> 01:16:56.460 I hear people that put up lights, 'cause somebody fell while they're putting up 01:16:56.460 --> 01:17:01.470 their Christmas lights, trim trees, Andy debell, finishing, mowing the lawn, those 01:17:01.470 --> 01:17:03.960 types, you all do this across the board. 01:17:04.140 --> 01:17:06.960 And it's not because of me, it's because of you all and what's in your heart. 01:17:06.960 --> 01:17:10.960 So what I get outta being a leader here at West Metro and being the fire chief is. 01:17:11.455 --> 01:17:16.015 I see all of you and how you all lead, and that inspires me greatly every single day. 01:17:16.465 --> 01:17:21.545 That's what I think sets us apart from all other organizations is, that you all 01:17:21.545 --> 01:17:23.905 believe, you all get why you're here. 01:17:24.285 --> 01:17:26.805 just one really quick thing, if, have you guys read Good To Great. 01:17:27.195 --> 01:17:27.945 the book Good to Great. 01:17:28.455 --> 01:17:32.395 So do you remember the flywheel concept in Good to Great, flywheel's this big, huge 01:17:32.395 --> 01:17:37.955 piece of machinery and it's, it's hard to move, but once it's moving what happens? 01:17:38.975 --> 01:17:40.235 It has great momentum. 01:17:40.625 --> 01:17:45.125 And so when I first became the Fire Chief, I felt like I was pushing the flywheel 01:17:45.125 --> 01:17:47.105 by myself and it was hard, really hard. 01:17:47.705 --> 01:17:53.225 And then I look over and I see, Firefighters and chiefs and civilian 01:17:53.225 --> 01:17:55.985 staff, all of a sudden they're pushing and they're pushing harder than I am. 01:17:56.165 --> 01:17:59.555 And that flywheel now has that momentum where I think we're in a good spot. 01:17:59.555 --> 01:18:00.530 So that's cool. 01:18:00.535 --> 01:18:04.915 from a leadership perspective, I feed off of all of you and what you all do. 01:18:05.710 --> 01:18:07.390 Jon: That's a great, that's a great way to leave it. 01:18:07.390 --> 01:18:10.270 Those are some good closing statements, if you will. 01:18:10.270 --> 01:18:12.040 thank you Chief for your time. 01:18:12.040 --> 01:18:13.900 You're a tough man to track down, but thank 01:18:13.945 --> 01:18:14.125 Don: you 01:18:14.175 --> 01:18:18.705 Jon: for giving us this hour and a half roughly of, really some good knowledge and 01:18:18.705 --> 01:18:20.835 some good education, some good experience. 01:18:21.035 --> 01:18:22.295 you've been here for a long time. 01:18:22.295 --> 01:18:25.925 We're surely gonna miss you, but we know that your next venture is gonna 01:18:25.925 --> 01:18:27.815 be all the better the next chapter. 01:18:27.815 --> 01:18:29.705 So thank you sir for your time. 01:18:29.795 --> 01:18:30.215 Louis. 01:18:30.680 --> 01:18:32.910 Louie: Yeah, I just wanna say, and this is not an insult. 01:18:32.910 --> 01:18:35.340 This is probably the best compliment you can get once you retire. 01:18:35.340 --> 01:18:37.800 This department is gonna be just fine without you, and that's because 01:18:37.800 --> 01:18:39.150 we're strong and we're healthy. 01:18:39.540 --> 01:18:40.680 So thank you for that. 01:18:40.680 --> 01:18:41.790 Thank you for setting us up for that. 01:18:41.790 --> 01:18:42.540 We appreciate it. 01:18:42.930 --> 01:18:46.830 And like my partner said, we appreciate your time and your effort to this podcast. 01:18:46.830 --> 01:18:47.430 It's been great. 01:18:47.505 --> 01:18:49.545 Don: So can I ask, can I just have one ask? 01:18:49.695 --> 01:18:50.655 Jon: Yeah, absolutely. 01:18:50.955 --> 01:18:57.165 Don: So two years from now, we'll do two years from now will you call me up 01:18:57.165 --> 01:19:01.185 and see how retirement is and see if all the planning that I did made sense? 01:19:01.560 --> 01:19:02.520 Jon: we will follow up. 01:19:02.520 --> 01:19:05.430 And actually, so there was two, I think there's two good segments 01:19:05.430 --> 01:19:08.370 that we got as far as next episodes or potential episodes. 01:19:08.610 --> 01:19:12.510 So kind of money relationships I think is one, but I think one that is often 01:19:12.510 --> 01:19:15.750 overlooked and something that you and Vicki have discussed is just like 01:19:15.900 --> 01:19:19.590 that reentering into we're gonna be spending a lot of time with each other. 01:19:19.590 --> 01:19:23.010 So not just, you know, we were married and you're going off to work, but now 01:19:23.010 --> 01:19:26.160 that you're now retired and coming back to the home where I'm used to you being 01:19:26.160 --> 01:19:28.770 gone for two days is a real transition. 01:19:28.770 --> 01:19:32.820 And that's something that we can probably find some educated guests that can give 01:19:32.820 --> 01:19:34.560 us some of their lived experiences. 01:19:34.830 --> 01:19:37.590 But I think that would be another great, episode in edition. 01:19:37.590 --> 01:19:38.370 So we've got two 01:19:38.370 --> 01:19:39.960 Louie: we'll check in on you though, we'll check in. 01:19:40.485 --> 01:19:40.785 Don: We'll, 01:19:40.920 --> 01:19:42.150 Jon: gonna be in Costa Rica 01:19:42.375 --> 01:19:42.435 Don: Yeah. 01:19:42.705 --> 01:19:43.635 I'll call you from there. 01:19:43.640 --> 01:19:46.635 Call me and, and to see, how it is to be out a fixed income. 01:19:46.685 --> 01:19:47.285 Jon: There you go. 01:19:47.285 --> 01:19:48.395 A true pensioner. 01:19:48.395 --> 01:19:50.105 All right, so that's gonna wrap it up. 01:19:50.105 --> 01:19:54.425 Thanks for everyone for listening to a, another episode of the fiscal Firehouse. 01:19:54.845 --> 01:19:56.405 Louis, how do they get ahold of us? 01:19:56.745 --> 01:20:00.645 Louie: if you have any questions or if you have any ideas for future podcast 01:20:00.645 --> 01:20:05.565 episodes, you can always email us at Ask fiscal firehouse@gmail.com, 01:20:05.985 --> 01:20:10.555 and you can also find us on Instagram at, at fiscal Firehouse, and we'll 01:20:10.555 --> 01:20:12.325 take your messages from there too. 01:20:12.685 --> 01:20:15.085 Jon: Beautiful, everyone stay safe out there and 01:20:15.145 --> 01:20:15.745 Louie: keep saving. 01:20:18.373 --> 01:20:20.953 Disclosure: The Fiscal Firehouse Podcast is a podcast curated 01:20:20.953 --> 01:20:23.443 specifically for local 1309 members. 01:20:23.563 --> 01:20:27.253 This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only, 01:20:27.463 --> 01:20:30.373 and should not be construed as professional financial advice. 01:20:30.523 --> 01:20:33.253 Should you need professional advice, consult a licensed 01:20:33.373 --> 01:20:35.773 financial advisor or tax advisor. 01:20:35.953 --> 01:20:39.823 The opinions of John Beatty, Louis Barilla and their castmates are 01:20:39.823 --> 01:20:43.303 solely their own, and don't reflect that of West Metro Fire Rescue.