Bakersfield Firefighter’s New Book Draws on 29 Years to Guide Fire Service Leaders

Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk

Pat Papasergia, a Bakersfield City Fire Department veteran of twenty-nine years, has published "Company Officer," a book aimed at firefighters moving into their first leadership role, according to the announcement from Page Publishing.

The book tracks a company officer’s first year on the job, starting with the first shift and working through the duties that follow: emergency response, strike team assignments, report writing, inspections, discipline, evaluations and training, according to the publisher’s description. Papasergia frames it as a mix of practical instruction and reflection on what the job asks of the people who do it, including the emotional toll of difficult calls.

Papasergia’s career began as a seasonal wildland firefighter and continued through the Kern County Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service before he reached a leadership post at Bakersfield City, per the announcement. He holds an Associate’s degree along with a Company Officer Certificate and Chief Officer Certificate, and the announcement notes his work on specialized teams and ongoing professional development over the course of his career.

"Through this book, I aim to share the expertise accumulated over my thirty years serving the fire service, providing aspiring company officers with the guidance and tools they need to excel in this rewarding but demanding role," Papasergia said in the announcement.

The book enters a small but established shelf of company officer guides built around fire service leadership standards, including titles used to prepare candidates for NFPA Fire Officer certification. Papasergia’s contribution is narrower in scope than those textbooks, built instead around one department and one career’s worth of firsthand calls and decisions.

"Company Officer" can be purchased at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

Studio CarryOnHarry sees this as part of a steady stream of practitioner-written guides feeding a fire service that increasingly values firsthand accounts alongside formal training manuals.

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