Jumpline magazine Spring 2025 - Flipbook - Page 21
LEGACY
Frank “Cat昀椀sh” Spadaro, Ret.
21
Bill’s contribution and legacy
went way beyond the con昀椀nes
of our department. He was
published in many journals
and gave lectures all over the
country.
A person’s legacy refers to the impact they leave behind after their death. It can include achievements,
values, and memories they created. It encompasses
both tangible and intangible aspects. Tangible being
money or property, and intangible, being in昀氀uence
that they had on others, or lessons they imparted.
As it relates to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, there have
been several such individuals who have left a legacy. The peculiar thing about these individuals
is that people who bene昀椀t from their legacy
rarely realize their contribution. For example, there was Chief Jim Causy, who
developed the Policy and Procedures
Manuals for our department. Most of you
weren’t even born yet, and yes they have
been revised and updated 1,000 times since then.
But Jim Causy is the person who developed the original
documents. There was Chief Ed Neafsey, who was tasked,
at the time, by department Director Dave Paulson, to implement the priority dispatch system. Chief Neafsey was also instrumental in the mitigation of the effects of Hurricane Andrew.
He got communications back online, moved personnel into
the affected area, and got generators to the effected stations
in record time. There was Chief Jim Wilson who was promoting the use of helicopters years before it actually happened. It
took a long time to get the right combination of political bureaucrats to make it materialize. But it did, mostly thanks to Jim.
I will get to the subject of this article. And I preface this with
the admission that I never actually met this man or attended
any of his classes. I did, however, bene昀椀t from those classes.
During those years on the 昀椀re department that Bill Gustin and I
were on the 昀椀re department together, Station 2 was the center
of the universe for 昀椀re suppression training. An endless supply of rookies 昀椀ltered from there then outward, and many of them made it all the way south
to Station 16, where I was. As with all the rookies
they sent me, from many stations, I would ask a
few questions about their experiences. The ones
from Station 2 were way ahead of the other rookies.
Most of them said they learned two valuable lessons. One, how to be a good 昀椀re昀椀ghter; two, to
function with sleep deprivation. Bill instilled in
these 昀椀re昀椀ghters, some skills way beyond
minimum standards, and they were sharp.
These skills traveled with them and were
disseminated throughout the department.
Bill’s contribution and legacy went way beyond
the con昀椀nes of our department. He was published in
many journals and gave lectures all over the country. So, I
want you to think for a moment about the legacy
of this great man. He directly and indirectly saved
countless lives. He was Station 2! Those guy never
slept. And indirectly by training an army of pro昀椀cient 昀椀re 昀椀ghters, he affected MDFR.
The thing about intangible legacy is that, at some point
even Bill’s name, like the two Jim’s and the Ed that I mentioned earlier, will be forgotten, but the legacy will live on
in the hearts and minds of those who learned from him.
Although I cannot abide the decision Bill made at the end, I do
on some level understand it. I used to be a person who ran into
burning buildings, rappelled from helicopters, deployed into the
ocean with SCUBA. Now I get dizzy standing on a ladder trying
to change a light bulb. I guess Bill just couldn’t live like that,
Godspeed Bill Gustin.
Spring 2025 | JUMPLINE Magazine
