Interview with Steve Lopez, deputy fire chief, Dallas Fire Department
CASEY: Hi, I’m Casey Rodriguez and I’m here with Steve Lopez, Dallas Fire Rescue Deputy Chief in 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholars. Steve, thank you for being here with us today. My first question is, what fueled your call to public service and being a firefighter?
STEVE: I think inherently I’ve always, I always, I’ve always loved people. And I think that’s important for service. Growing up in the background that I grew up in, I learned quickly that people should be serving and when you serve others, it’s just, it’s innate to our ability as public servants. And when I was going through college and growing up in, in the circumstances I grew up, I felt this draw just to consistently serve just from the love of people.
As I got into college, I happened to have some fortuitous events that allowed me to have some extra scholarship money, it allowed me to get into a fire and environmental program, and fell in love with it. I originally thought I was going to be a police officer, but I think it all worked out well coming to the fire department.
For me, it was just always something that was ingrained in me as part of who I am as a person. And it’s just developed over time here in the Dallas Fire Department.
CASEY: That’s awesome. Can you walk us through a little bit about your service over time here?
STEVE: Yeah. In 2000 I was hired by Dallas Fire Department.
When I came out of rookie school, I went to East Dallas. I primarily worked as a paramedic and a firefighter on the fire engine. And that initial crew, when I showed up at Station 19, really took service to heart. And everything we did as a unit and as a group, and we really enjoyed each other’s time and company.
And just as promotional exams came along, I made driver, then made lieutenant, and then made captain and here at Station 33. And then eventually making Battalion Chief and now Deputy Chief over training. So, I’ve had a great career that has allowed me to make a lot of contact with a lot of different folks and really serve in a lot of different capacities.
Yeah. So, it’s been a good, it’s been a fun ride. It’s incredible. A really incredible journey. Yeah.
CASEY: So, thank you for that. Firefighters are some of the most trusted public servants. How do you go about building trust in your community?
STEVE: Yeah, I think first and foremost, you have to remember the uniform you wear.
That’s very important to us. This patch means something to us. We’re not only public servants we’re people underneath these clothes that have a calling to service. And I think that has to be important for us, building that trust. I think of Brene Brown. She talks about having a jar full of marbles and to fill that jar.
It’s these little, it’s these little interactions every day that eventually will fill that jar. And for 153 years, Dallas Fire Department has been filling the proverbial jar of Dallas, which I think is extremely important. And, it only takes one event to spill some marbles out of that jar.
But I think if our people are intentional in everything that we do that we can, we, we’ve built that trust over a long period of time, not only for ourselves, but the people that came before us. So, it’s very important. It’s amazing.
CASEY: I really love that analogy too and brings together your core values too.
STEVE: Absolutely. Absolutely.
CASEY: So, our series is called Democracy as a Verb. We know that democracy is not a verb, but at the Bush Institute, we believe that in order to create and sustain a democracy that’s healthy, citizens need to be engaged and be a part of the process, which is why we say democracy is a verb. So, what do you think about when you hear democracy is a verb?
STEVE: To me, I think democracy is not static. It’s a continuous action. And for us in public service, we have to remember that. And it goes beyond just the walls of this fire station and the walls of the Dallas Fire Department or any, really any emergency response organization, it’s about making a connection.
A lot like what the Bush Center and our PLS program modeled for us is, we have to be willing to get out of our comfort zones, get out of our own little spheres and touch and talk to people and eat with people that may not look like us, may not think like us are totally just different from us, and those provide rich environments for democracy to flourish.
CASEY: What actions can citizens take to be more engaged in our democracy? Whether those are tips that you give to your kids, firefighters or other people that you engage with.
STEVE: Yeah, I think intentionality. I think that’s the most important thing is. Realize where you’re at in life, where you can serve in different areas, and just be intentional about understanding that this is a democracy, that everyone does have a right to speak and everyone is, does have a right to have their own opinions.
And when you do that, you can put yourself in positions where, yeah, we can get into like-minded spheres of influence but at the end of the day, you have to be willing to get outside of those spheres and just remember what your job is and what your job is not; what you’re capable of, and what are your needs, wants and desires that can be translated to local city government or the highest levels of the government.
I think just being intentional in knowing that you do have a voice and you can speak.
CASEY: Yeah, I love that. Your job really puts that into perspective, so thank you so much for being here. We really love getting to catch up and really appreciate your service that you do for us. I appreciate you.
STEVE: Thank you.
