Division Chief Chris Crossan Retires After 21 Years

There was a little bit of sadness in the room last week as Division Chief Chris Crossan shared his last meal with the personnel of the Marco Island Fire-Rescue Department with whom he grew up.  Crossan, a native son of Marco Island, was but another of several department members who have retired in recent months.

He first joined the department as a young volunteer right out of high school in 1990. It was then that he knew this would be his career choice moving forward. Growing up on the island and his friendship with Larry Burback, son of then Fire Marshall John Burback, gave him great insight into what it takes to be a firefighter.

He and now-retired Division Chief Tom Bogan rode together up to Fort Myers every day to acquire their certifications as firefighters. Twenty-seven candidates entered fire school with them but only 13 would graduate.

He first rose to the level of “engineer” within the department. Their schedule then was 24 hours on, 48 hours off, and a “Kelly Day.”  Eventually, the department would negotiate a 48-hours-on and 96-hours-off schedule. Crossan credited that change with helping to stabilize the flight of personnel post-cityhood, and prior to the salary study which offered better pay and benefits to further help stem the flight of personnel to other departments. “It helped to save guys in commuting time and allowed a more stable family life,” said Crossan. 

“Fixing the scheduling issues, bringing us in line with salaries of other departments and fully funding pension responsibilities helped to stabilize the quality of personnel, saving the community a great deal when you evaluate the associated impact on effectiveness and costs associated with bringing new people onboard,” he explained.

Crossan sees the role of EMS in the fire service as an important factor in today’s profession. He also credits the new enhanced-911 dispatch system as well as the Marine Rescue Program as important improvements to services rendered to our citizens.

“We are fortunate the city administration had the foresight to provide us with the appropriate technology to enhance safety for our personnel. We have a moral responsibility to assist in these events. The Coast Guard is at least an hour away, if not more. We are lucky to work as a team with other assets such as the Sheriff’s Office and other departments in the area. We work as a team and try to be seamless in our responsibilities,” said Crossan.

“Moving forward, the keys to success lie in ensuring a high skill level in personnel and being able to maintain personnel and not lose them to surrounding agencies in the area or on the east coast of Florida. You cannot put a price tag on a well-qualified candidate, but it will put a drain on your operating budget when you lose them,” he said.

Crossan is looking forward to spending more time with his wife and their two children, as well as working part time with Thor-Guard, the lightning prediction system which can be found in parks and public gathering areas throughout Collier and Lee Counties, and elsewhere around the state.