Meet Lieutenant Paul Britain

Where are is your new station and shift?
I’m currently “on the road” for my year-long probation ending in June, traveling throughout the city on the C shift.

What was your previous position?
I spent the previous 12 years as a firefighter/paramedic, starting out at Station 2, then at #9, #4 and with nine years at Station 2 again.

When did you join the MFD?
I was part of Group 29 that was hired on September 22, 2008, not that long ago.

Where do you see your biggest impact being as a newly promoted member of the MFD?
It’s often said in the fire service that the position with the most impact is the field officer. Our formal expectation is to support and enforce administration’s rules, policies, protocols, etc., but there is so much more to it. The officer sets the tone for the shift. We check in with the crew, ask what they need, prioritize training, arrange tool and equipment repairs, ensure the drivers are happy and fed, and ensure crew safety. We do this while performing to the community’s high expectations on all of the many types of calls. Our ability to communicate and anticipate the needs of the crew can directly affect their job satisfaction. 

What are some of the new challenges you've encountered in your new position?
A paramedic’s job can be extremely taxing both mentally and physically, but the focus on a medical call is clear: take care of the patient. 

The transition to a promoted officer upends that singular focus. While we are all trained on call priorities (e.g. scene safety, appropriate resources, proper assessment and treatment, etc.), officers need to step back, let the crew do the work they are trained to do, and see several steps ahead for the call to be a success. Whether that’s calling for more resources or dividing up the crew for a rapid transport, there are more and more varied factors that officers need to consider. 

What has been one of the most rewarding experiences of your career up to this point?
I volunteered to be a paramedic when I was a firefighter at Station 12. While the training wasn’t easy (I had three children and foolishly began remodeling our home at the same time), I wanted to know as much as I could about EMS since it is such a large part of what we do. That time on the ambulance, with many fantastic partners, has easily been the most rewarding part of my career. There were certainly drawbacks. Prehospital medicine is very humbling, and the lack of sleep can wear away your sharp edges, however I believe that there are very few other jobs in which you get to impact lives so profoundly.